2 Corinthians 4:8

We are pressed on every side, yet not straitened; perplexed, yet not unto despair; pursued, yet not forsaken; smitten down, yet not destroyed; always bearing about in the body the dying of Jesus, that the life also of Jesus may be manifested in our body.

As Macknight said, "This is supposed to refer to the Grecian games";[29] but the figure of a race (the third analogy) would not be true in such a comparison, because Paul's enemies were not in a Christian race with Paul. Plumptre believed that "The imagery here belongs to the soldier on active service."[30] It is perhaps best to forget about any special analogy that Paul might have had in mind and to consider these clauses merely as "the great paradoxes of the Christian life."[31] His own experiences during his apostolic ministry were the true background of all that is said here.

Pressed but not straitened ... Moffatt translated this "harried, but not hemmed in." On Paul's first missionary tour, his enemies had chased him everywhere, but were never able to hem him in.

Perplexed, yet not unto despair ... The disorders at Corinth were certainly perplexing to Paul, but there is no evidence that he ever despaired.

Pursued, yet not forsaken ... Forty men pursued Paul with a view to killing him, but he was not forsaken of the Lord (Acts 23:12ff). Both Lenski and Carver state that "The metaphor here is that of a mortal chase and flight."[32]

Smitten down, yet not destroyed ... As Bruce paraphrased this, "Knocked down, but not out!"[33] Paul was literally stoned and left for dead (Acts 14:19); and that is surely an example of his being knocked down but not knocked out!

Always bearing about in the body the dying of Jesus ... The thought here is that the same vicious hatred of every evil element on earth which finally succeeded (with God's permission) in nailing Jesus to the cross was now focused upon the Lord's apostles. This was the fulfillment of exactly what Jesus had promised. "A servant is not greater than his Lord. If they persecuted me, they will persecute you ... all these things will they do unto you for my name's sake" (John 15:20,21).

That the life of Jesus may be manifested in our body ... The apostles were partakers both of the sufferings of Jesus and of the life of Jesus, a life which they were able to impart to others by preaching of the gospel. Paul correctly read the two, the sufferings and the spiritual life imparted to others, as directly related to Jesus. Also, it should be noted here that Paul viewed both the death of Jesus and the life of Jesus as historical facts. For him there was no such distinction as that alleged by unbelieving critics who speak of "the historical Jesus" and the "risen Jesus." They were both historical!

[29] James Macknight, op. cit., p. 355.

[30] E. H. Plumptre, op. cit., p. 376.

[31] William Barclay, The Letters to the Corinthians (Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1954), p. 223.

[32] Frank G. Carver, Beacon Bible Commentary (Kansas City, Missouri: Beacon Hill Press, 1968), Vol. 8, p. 534.

[33] William Barclay, op. cit., p. 223.