2 Corinthians 4:18 (LSB)

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 Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day.

2 Corinthians 4:17 For our momentary, light affliction is working out for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison,

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 momentary light affliction is working...", 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.