Expert: Griff Ruby - 10/8/2011

Question
QUESTION: Hi Griff, I just had a quick question. There is a verse in the Bible that I dont understand and I keep reading it over and over. At times I think I know what it means, and other times I feel like I am not reading it right.

This is the verse:

2 Corithians 4:10 We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body

What does it mean by we carrying in our body the death of Jesus really mean? And how is the life of Jesus also revealed in our body?

When it says "body" is it talking about our physical body?

Please help I am confused, and thank you so much.

I tried reading other translations and they all mean the same thing so I picked this one.

ANSWER: The death of Jesus is His Divine sufferings, mostly on the Cross, but also in many other ways throughout His earthly life.  We carry (or at least are instructed to carry) that death in our own sufferings, in that we bear them with the peace and tranquility that He bore His sufferings.  When life is difficult, when people are difficult, instead of complaining or judging them we instead bear up patiently, saying nothing but what might be most conducive to their own sanctity with an eye towards redeeming them.  In doing this, we do present the true face of Christ to all we so treat, and in a very persuasive way that really does reveal to many the true value of Christian sanctity and holiness.
So, the body of the death of Jesus is what His Body endured, and our identification with such that enables us to be capable of doing all the same if called upon, and in whatever lesser chances to do the same, and we carry that in our imitation of His Divine example.  And the body of ours which reveals the life of Jesus is us in our day-to-day activities and interactions with all people actually living out in our own body, with our work and behavior, the revealing life of Christ.
Hope this helps, God bless!


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Um, what does it mean when you said " And in whatever lesser chances to do the same?"

I feel like that verse and it is ok to feel like my body is Jesus's body?? Or is my body actually His body? Because I do not feel it is my body, I feel like my my body is Jesus's body, but then I feel unsure because then I feel like imagining myself as Jesus (just the body) and it makes me feel down.

I wanted to know if this verse is a spiritual committment or just a physical body? I feel it is spiritual, but I am not sure, if it is spiritual can you tell me how please?

I found another translation:
always, wherever we go, carrying with us in our bodies the putting to death of Jesus, so that in our bodies it may also be clearly shown that Jesus lives.

So when it says Jesus lives, it is talking about my body, right? I mean is it really true that since I am alive Jesus lives...

Sorry for all this questions, I am just trying to understand what it is trying to say because I get confused at times and doubt if I am right or not.

ANSWER: It is good to have that kind of respect for our body as the Temple of the Holy Ghost, and as one having given it to Jesus such that it is not ours.
I remember the story of the boy with no hands.  He said that he had no hands even though it was perfectly plain to all that he did have hands.  But someone wanted him to steal something and he complained saying that he couldn't because he had no hands.  When asked "what are those" with the questioner pointing to his perfectly normal arms with perfectly normal hands at the end of each one, he said that those are Jesus' hands and they never steal.
If we can be that pure and holy with all the use of our own body (the one that moves at our will) so as to do nothing with any part of it that Jesus would not do, then we have taken such a devotion to the proper level, and this could be a great path towards holiness.
We must crucify the flesh and its desires, for though the flesh is weak, a strong spirit can and will keep it in line and prevent all misuse of any kind of the body and thereby give glory to God.
The big yielding to God is of course when we, as did Jesus Himself, literally lay down our own life for another, accepting death so provide help.  But in most cases it is far less that is needed, spending time helping another when we would rather do something else that we want to do and things like that.  That is what I mean by "whatever lesser chances to do the same."
Hope this helps, God bless!


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hi Griff I just wanted to ask a quick question.

When you said "We carry (or at least are instructed to carry) " (In first answer you gave me)
Do we really carry His body or not?

I mean like even if we deny or say we do not carry His body, are we still carrying His body where ever we go no matter what???


Thank you so much.

Answer
Jesus mentioned that we are to pick up our cross and carry it, even as He carried His.  In this we voluntarily accept our own difficulties and sufferings even as He accepted His.
For someone to deny carrying His Body sounds to me tantamount to denying Him, and "he that denies me before man I shall deny before My Father."  In such a case one would not be carrying their cross, and his life within one's own life, being in a state of rebellion against Him.
So, it is conditioned upon our acceptance of our role and duty as appointed to us by God.
Hope this helps, God bless.