2 Corinthians 4:18 (ASV)

Passage

while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

Nearby Context

2 Corinthians 4:16 Wherefore we faint not; but though our outward man is decaying, yet our inward man is renewed day by day.

2 Corinthians 4:17 For our light affliction, which is for the moment, worketh for us more and more exceedingly an eternal weight of glory;

2 Corinthians 4:18 while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "look", "things", "seen", and "temporal". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "look" and "things", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The prior verse says "For our light affliction which is for...", giving immediate footing for "look" and "things". In 2 Corinthians context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "look" and "things" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.