2 Corinthians 4:12 (DBY)

Passage

so that death works in us, but life in you.

Nearby Context

2 Corinthians 4:10 always bearing about in the body the dying of Jesus, that the life also of Jesus may be manifested in our body;

2 Corinthians 4:11 for we who live are always delivered unto death on account of Jesus, that the life also of Jesus may be manifested in our mortal flesh;

2 Corinthians 4:12 so that death works in us, but life in you.

2 Corinthians 4:13 And having the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, I have believed, therefore have I spoken; *we* also believe, therefore also we speak;

2 Corinthians 4:14 knowing that he who has raised the Lord Jesus shall raise us also with Jesus, and shall present [us] with you.

Study Lenses

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

The nearby context moves from verse 11's "for we who live are always delivered..." into verse 13's "And having the same spirit of faith...", so "death" and "works" belong inside that flow. In 2 Corinthians context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

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