2 Corinthians 1:9 (WEB)

Passage

Yes, we ourselves have had the sentence of death within ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead,

Nearby Context

2 Corinthians 1:7 Our hope for you is steadfast, knowing that, since you are partakers of the sufferings, so also are you of the comfort.

2 Corinthians 1:8 For we don’t desire to have you uninformed, brothers, concerning our affliction which happened to us in Asia, that we were weighed down exceedingly, beyond our power, so much that we despaired even of life.

2 Corinthians 1:9 Yes, we ourselves have had the sentence of death within ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead,

2 Corinthians 1:10 who delivered us out of so great a death, and does deliver; on whom we have set our hope that he will also still deliver us;

2 Corinthians 1:11 you also helping together on our behalf by your supplication; that, for the gift given to us by means of many, thanks may be given by many persons on your behalf.

Study Lenses

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

The nearby context moves from verse 8's "For we don t desire to have..." into verse 10's "who delivered us out of so great...", so "ourselves" and "sentence" 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 "ourselves" and "sentence" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.