What does it mean to be persecuted but not forsaken (2 Corinthians 4:9)?

Thus Paul was troubled on every side; this was the earthen vessel. Though troubled he was not distressed — this was the power of God. He was perplexed — the earthen vessel; but his way was not entirely shut up — the power of God. He was persecuted — the earthen vessel; but not forsaken — the power of God. He was cast down — the earthen vessel; but not destroyed — the power of God.

(Vv. 10-12). In all these afflictions he was bearing about in the body the dying of Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be manifest. It is well to notice that the Apostle does not say the death of Jesus. The death of Christ has indeed set the believer beyond the power of death and judgment in an entirely new place before God in Christ. Here, however, the Apostle speaks, not of the death of Jesus as making atonement before God; but of the dying of Jesus as the holy Martyr suffering at the hands of men. When dying on the Cross He was the object of reproach and scorn of men — the One upon whom they heaped every insult and indignity. We cannot share in the atoning sufferings of His death under the hand of God; but we can share in our measure in the martyr sufferings when dying at the hands of men. Bearing such a faithful witness to Christ, Paul had to meet in measure what the Lord met in fulness when dying. Paul's body was constantly subjected to suffering and insults, and in this way he bore about in his body what the Lord had to bear when dying, with the blessed result that the perfect life of Jesus was manifest in his body. The martyr sufferings of the Lord when dying called forth no murmur, nor complaint, from His lips; on the contrary they drew forth the infinite love of His heart and led him to pray for His murderers. After this perfect pattern the sufferings and persecutions to which the Apostle was exposed, through his body, became the occasion to show forth the graces of the life of Jesus. If the Apostle was continually delivered to death, it was not as chastisement for anything that needed correction in his life. It was not for his sake, but for Jesus' sake that death was allowed to roll in upon him in order that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in his mortal flesh. While Paul suffered the trials of death, others saw the blessedness of life; as he can say, "So then death works in us, but life in you."

So also with his outward trials. That he should be "persecuted" was a thing of course to one whose life and walk were Christ (John 15:20; 1 Cor. 11:1). But if persecuted, he was not forsaken; the trials of the servant must fall short of those which visited his Lord. All forsook the Saviour in the hour of His desolation, but Paul never was left quite alone. If removed from human aid or sympathy, the Lord stood by him, whether in his dungeon or before the judges of unrighteousness. "Cast down," he must be, lest by any means he might be tempted to suppose that he could stand in any power of his own; "destroyed," he could not be, for his soul was in the keeping of his Saviour; nor even to the killing of his body could the enemy prevail, until his course was ended, and the work alloted to him by his Lord was done. If left by the haters of the truth for dead, he is presently a living comforter again among its friends (Acts 14:19-20); and how it fared with him in Asia, and with what result, we have already seen (ante, 2 Cor. 1:8, sq.).

Verse 10. "Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our bodies." It is important to remember that if apostolic experiences are peculiar, they are so in measure rather than in kind; for they suffered, through the more abundant energy of the Spirit which sustained them, in and for the "common faith." This is exemplified clearly in the language of this verse and the following. By the words now before us the apostle seems to mean that as Christ once suffered for us in the flesh, so faith — accepting the new standing of a dead and risen man in Christ puts on the Lord, as a companion of His patience, and expects only what He found in the world which once rejected Him. The believer becomes, therefore, as a follower of Jesus, exposed here to a continual death. But quite irrespective of the external afflictions of the gospel, this language has an obvious moral application to the Christian, as a simple holder of the faith. The life and activity of our natural body is to the eye a contradiction of the cross, for we are dead with Christ. But we walk by faith and not by sight, and so of all believers it is true that "the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness" (Rom. 8:10). Yet, for an experimental verifying of our profession, the Spirit who has His dwelling in God's saints leads each and all of them through processes of personal trial; and this exercise of faith results in the more or less abundant manifestation of the life also of Jesus in their mortal bodies. They live, but not they; they are crucified, and yet alive; the life which they live in the flesh being lived by the faith of the Son of God (Gal. 2:20). Dwelling in His love, they are proportionately fashioned to His likeness. For the energy of spiritual life is proved by its practical mastery over the will of the flesh — its ability to carry about and use in all its members, to the glory of God, a body under which meanwhile it groans. And this, which in its nature is common to all in whom Christ really lives, was especially manifested in the apostles, and beyond perhaps all other men in Paul, as appears in what follows.

"We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed." (2 Cor. 4:8-9.) The poor vessel may be troubled, but not in despair, for God is there. It may be persecuted, but not forsaken, for God is there.

328 The treasure is the light of the knowledge of the love of God; and it is in an earthen vessel, that the excellency of the power may be of God and not of us. He puts this amazing glory in the vessel in order that all the power may be of God. There is no fitness between the vessel and the thing that is put into it, and there you will find God and the vessel both brought in. "We are troubled on every side," that is the vessel; "yet not distressed," because God was there; "we are perplexed," see no way out; "but not in despair," for there was a way out after all, for God was there; "persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed." The vessel is all broken and dealt with, but still God is there all the while. Into such an earthen vessel all this glory is put, and so in that sense we can now rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. The vessel is made nothing of; but it is sustained by another power, which is neither the treasure nor the vessel, and so the man is dependent.

In order for the light to shine more brightly, the vessel must be humbled. One is reminded of Gideon's three hundred men, who were told to break their vessels in order for the light to shine from within (Judg. 7:16-31). This process of breaking is seen in verses 8 to 10. "Every way afflicted, but not straitened" (New Translation), that is, not to the point of frustration. "Seeing no apparent issue, but our way not entirely shut up." This is far from easy, yet God always made a way. "Persecuted, but not abandoned." However great the persecution, to have God's presence in it is far more than compensation for it. "Cast down, but not destroyed." This was deep suffering to the flesh, but as Proverbs tells us, a righteous man may fall seven times, and rise up again (Prov. 24:16).

We have only noticed so far one side of the matter. The other side is concerned with the wonderful results, with the way in which the surpassing excellence of the power of God was displayed in and by means of these things. Though circumstances were continually against him yet he was not distressed, not in despair, not forsaken, not destroyed. Obviously a sustaining power was working in him which counteracted all that was working against him. He was rather like one of those self-righting lifeboats, pounded by the stormy seas and even overturned, which nevertheless comes up, the right side up, when the thundering billows have passed. It was indeed the power of the divine life in Paul that accomplished this.

It was this story of the comfort of God that Paul would tell to the world if it would listen, but most of all to tried and suffering saints. Said he, I was in great tribulation and in it God sustained and comforted me; I was involved in so great a death, and despaired even of life, but God delivered me; I was troubled on every side yet not distressed; perplexed but not in despair; persecuted but not forsaken; cast down but not destroyed. No human power could have upheld me in these vicissitudes and brought me through them, but God has done it; the excellency of the power is His. He has led me to this hour. And not me alone, but those also who labour with me for Christ's sake. Blessed be God.

Hence, in the fullest sense, the saint, the righteous, is not forsaken. And then Paul could speak of his own experience, and say that if he were “persecuted,” as he most certainly was, yet he was “not forsaken”! That happy condition remained; he had the abiding sense of God’s favour and presence. Nay, persecution but added to its sweetness, and made him “more than conqueror through Him that loved us.” The righteous is not forsaken. That is certain at the very least.

This forsaking is also carefully distinguished from any thing that a righteous man ever suffered. "Our fathers trusted in Thee; they trusted, and Thou didst deliver them: they looked unto Thee, and were delivered; they trusted in Thee, and were not confounded. But I am a worm, and no man." Yet a long line of martyrs witness to us that, as to deliverance simply from the hands of enemies, multitudes have cried and not been delivered, the sufferings through which they passed only proving that they were not forsaken, but on the contrary maintained and enabled for whatever they passed through by a power manifesting itself thus the more. How many before and since have proved Paul's experience, "Persecuted, but not forsaken"! None of these patient sufferers, precious and acceptable as their patience was to God, touched even the border of the darkness of the cross, — when the cry of the holy One found no response.

"I will be with him in trouble" (Ps. 91:15). When we are most assaulted, we shall be most assisted. What if we have more trouble than others, if we have more of God with us than others? It cannot be ill with that man with whom God is. Better to be in prison and have God's presence, than be in a palace without it.