(I’m using the New American Standard Bible for the verses in today’s blog post.)
I’ve noticed that many Bible scholars dispute the common understanding of eternal life. The usual take is that it means life everlasting, without end, forever. But some preachers and teachers claim that “eternal” refers to a quality of life rather than limitless duration.
I don’t doubt the superior quality of the new life we receive in Christ, but it looks to me like “eternal” means what we suppose it does. Eternal!
A single verse in Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians bears this out.
“For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison.” – 2 Corinthians 4:17
Throughout the fourth chapter, Paul discusses the pressures he faces in ministry. He doesn’t let these trials bring him down because he knows he has something greater.
In this verse, Paul lays out three sets of contrasts:
- Momentary vs eternal
- Light vs weight
- Affliction vs glory
Let’s examine each pair in reverse order.
Experience
Paul’s apostleship caused him all kinds of turmoil. The Jewish religious leaders persecuted him, the Roman government arrested him, and the churches troubled him.
But as hard as it was to serve the Lord, Paul never gave up. The world abused him but he believed God’s glory awaited him.
Pressure
How heavy were Paul’s trials? Check out this description!
“Are they servants of Christ?–I speak as if insane–I more so; in far more labors, in far more imprisonments, beaten times without number, often in danger of death. 24Five times I received from the Jews thirty-nine lashes. 25Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent in the deep. 26I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers on the sea, dangers among false brethren; 27I have been in labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. 28Apart from such external things, there is the daily pressure on me of concern for all the churches. 29Who is weak without my being weak? Who is led into sin without my intense concern?” – 2 Corinthians 11:23-29
This sounds crushing! But Paul regards these as “light,” as though beatings, jailings, and deprivations were mere inconveniences.
The real weight lies in heavenly glory. It weighs a ton! The approval of the Father, the love of the Son, and the support of the Spirit are more substantial than the worst threats of this world.
Time
How long will troubles last? Paul says they’re temporary, but the richness of the glory of God never dissipates. It has no expiration date; it’s eternal!
Application
To be blunt, Paul’s ministry threatened his life. People so opposed the gospel of Jesus Christ that they sought to kill the messenger. Paul refused to buckle because he knew the opposite. Compared to the eternal durability of God’s glory, the trials of this life fade into insignificance.
Nothing challenges us like the specter of death. We can’t hide from it; we’ve nowhere to run. Rather than avoiding or denying it, why not accept it? Why not see it for what it is?
According to Paul, the trials of this life, summed up in death itself, cannot compare with eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord. Christ has conquered death on our behalf. Through Him, then, we can handle its emissaries: afflictions, pressures, and threats.
Nothing of this world system will last, but the unfolding of the glory of God will for us know no end. To fulfill this hope, Jesus submitted to the cross. His death lasted three days; His resurrection is everlasting. And so it will be for the believer; death will not endure, but our union with Him is permanent.
Eternal life is eternal!
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