2 Corinthians 4:12 (DRB)

Passage

So then death worketh in us: but life in you.

Nearby Context

2 Corinthians 4:10 Always bearing about in our body the mortification of Jesus, that the life also of Jesus may be made manifest in our bodies.

2 Corinthians 4:11 For we who live are always delivered unto death for Jesus' sake: that the life also of Jesus may be made manifest in our mortal flesh.

2 Corinthians 4:12 So then death worketh in us: but life in you.

2 Corinthians 4:13 But having the same spirit of faith, as it is written: I believed, for which cause I have spoken; we also believe. For which cause we speak also:

2 Corinthians 4:14 Knowing that he who raised up Jesus will raise us up also with Jesus and place us with you.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "death", "worketh", and "life". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "death" and "worketh", 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 "But having the same spirit of faith...", so "death" and "worketh" 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 "worketh" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.