"always the death of Jesus in our body carrying about that also the life of Jesus in the body of us manifested."1
This word for carrying about is from peri "about, around" and phero, "carry, bear." Paul most likely is relating this to his experience of being shipwrecked, we can picture him being tossed to and fro, carried about by the winds in the storm. We carry about the death, such speaks of "carrying some burden," "to move by bearing," "to bear up." Such is a quality of agape love, all things it "bears, believes, hopes, endures," such bearing of burdens fulfills the law of Christ. This bearing comes with a promise, "to death are being delivered on account of Jesus, that also the life of Jesus might appear in the mortal flesh of us."2
"one another's burden bear and you shall fulfill the law of Christ."3
This word for bear is báros, "heavy weight" – properly, a weight; (figuratively) real substance (what has value, significance), i.e. carries personal and eternal significance. I remember praying this prayer as a young believer, "Father, let me see what you see, feel what you feel, hear what you hear." It was basically asking for me to experience the burden of God, it was a dangerous prayer as God put heavy weight on my heart for certain people groups. Often the burden for others will come with persecution.
"Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."4
Such a burden for the souls of men comes at price. We may think the death part to skip but a principle of the seed is that it must at first die. Paul writes we are united with him in death, entombed with him so that we are united with him in his resurrection, into life. Now, such is truth we have heard and believed, but is the death ever removed? the question is invited. We are baptized into his death so that we can experience life, but Paul writes, always the death of Jesus in our body carrying about that also the life of Jesus in the body of us manifested.
We are being delivered to death on account of Jesus, in so doing, life appears in our mortal flesh. Communion itself is in remembrance of his death, it is a remembering, this sharing or exchanging of intimate thoughts and feelings, a participating, not only in death, but life given on account of death in Christ. His body was given and his blood was shed for such a new covenant of Grace and Truth. This life is given through the hope of the Spirit within who understands our weakness. We seek food everlasting and we are to lift up Jesus to others, but are we nourished ourselves when we give it to others?
“My food, said Jesus, is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.”4
Jesus spoke of giving life, that his flesh was bread from heaven and his blood living water, but also that His "food" was to do the will of the Father, "this is the will of Him who sent Me, that I shall lose none of all those He has given Me. For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day."5 Jesus said at the last supper, "For I tell you I will not drink again from the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes."6
Jesus is the vine and those the Father gives Him abide in the vine, so is not the fruit of the vine those who would look to the Son and believe? We are to labor into spiritual food that doesn't perish and Jesus spoke of a harvest, of fruit being ripe and ready, and of how the "one reaping a reward receives and gathers fruit unto eternal life that the one sowing together might rejoice."7 Yes, there is rejoicing, a reward for both the reaper and sower. He had sent the disciples to get bread, they did not prepare the bread, someone else had, but they would receive a reward, however, the reward comes not without burden, they would enter into the labor, reaping what others had sowed.
"I sent you to reap what you have not toiled for, others toiled and you have entered into their labor."8
This word for labor mean "trouble, toil, labor" (from kóptō, "cut off, strike, mourn") – properly, a strike or blow that is so hard, it seriously weakens or debilitates; figuratively, to mourn as in "cut to the heart." We know the blow that John the baptist took to prepare the way, the prophets the Church being founded upon, and the "strike" that Jesus took to bring a new covenant in His blood. And we know He said, "Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted."9
"Indeed, always we, the living, to death are being delivered on account of Jesus, that also the life of Jesus might appear in the mortal flesh of us."10
Such food Jesus ate, it was to do the will of the Father, that none would be lost. Such was the burden Christ entered, laboring so that we could reap the harvest of eternal life. We know the heavy burden and price that Jesus paid to give us eternal life but do we know and understand the burden we must also bear? Oh, if we would die and be burdened for the souls of men, so they may participate in the reward of eternal life. Such a burden "the death of Jesus in our body carrying about" comes with a promise "that also the life of Jesus in the body of us manifested."
Here's My Heart
This word for carrying about is from peri "about, around" and phero, "carry, bear." Paul most likely is relating this to his experience of being shipwrecked, we can picture him being tossed to and fro, carried about by the winds in the storm. We carry about the death, such speaks of "carrying some burden," "to move by bearing," "to bear up." Such is a quality of agape love, all things it "bears, believes, hopes, endures," such bearing of burdens fulfills the law of Christ. This bearing comes with a promise, "to death are being delivered on account of Jesus, that also the life of Jesus might appear in the mortal flesh of us."2
"one another's burden bear and you shall fulfill the law of Christ."3
This word for bear is báros, "heavy weight" – properly, a weight; (figuratively) real substance (what has value, significance), i.e. carries personal and eternal significance. I remember praying this prayer as a young believer, "Father, let me see what you see, feel what you feel, hear what you hear." It was basically asking for me to experience the burden of God, it was a dangerous prayer as God put heavy weight on my heart for certain people groups. Often the burden for others will come with persecution.
"Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."4
Such a burden for the souls of men comes at price. We may think the death part to skip but a principle of the seed is that it must at first die. Paul writes we are united with him in death, entombed with him so that we are united with him in his resurrection, into life. Now, such is truth we have heard and believed, but is the death ever removed? the question is invited. We are baptized into his death so that we can experience life, but Paul writes, always the death of Jesus in our body carrying about that also the life of Jesus in the body of us manifested.
We are being delivered to death on account of Jesus, in so doing, life appears in our mortal flesh. Communion itself is in remembrance of his death, it is a remembering, this sharing or exchanging of intimate thoughts and feelings, a participating, not only in death, but life given on account of death in Christ. His body was given and his blood was shed for such a new covenant of Grace and Truth. This life is given through the hope of the Spirit within who understands our weakness. We seek food everlasting and we are to lift up Jesus to others, but are we nourished ourselves when we give it to others?
“My food, said Jesus, is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.”4
Jesus spoke of giving life, that his flesh was bread from heaven and his blood living water, but also that His "food" was to do the will of the Father, "this is the will of Him who sent Me, that I shall lose none of all those He has given Me. For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day."5 Jesus said at the last supper, "For I tell you I will not drink again from the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes."6
Jesus is the vine and those the Father gives Him abide in the vine, so is not the fruit of the vine those who would look to the Son and believe? We are to labor into spiritual food that doesn't perish and Jesus spoke of a harvest, of fruit being ripe and ready, and of how the "one reaping a reward receives and gathers fruit unto eternal life that the one sowing together might rejoice."7 Yes, there is rejoicing, a reward for both the reaper and sower. He had sent the disciples to get bread, they did not prepare the bread, someone else had, but they would receive a reward, however, the reward comes not without burden, they would enter into the labor, reaping what others had sowed.
"I sent you to reap what you have not toiled for, others toiled and you have entered into their labor."8
This word for labor mean "trouble, toil, labor" (from kóptō, "cut off, strike, mourn") – properly, a strike or blow that is so hard, it seriously weakens or debilitates; figuratively, to mourn as in "cut to the heart." We know the blow that John the baptist took to prepare the way, the prophets the Church being founded upon, and the "strike" that Jesus took to bring a new covenant in His blood. And we know He said, "Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted."9
"Indeed, always we, the living, to death are being delivered on account of Jesus, that also the life of Jesus might appear in the mortal flesh of us."10
Such food Jesus ate, it was to do the will of the Father, that none would be lost. Such was the burden Christ entered, laboring so that we could reap the harvest of eternal life. We know the heavy burden and price that Jesus paid to give us eternal life but do we know and understand the burden we must also bear? Oh, if we would die and be burdened for the souls of men, so they may participate in the reward of eternal life. Such a burden "the death of Jesus in our body carrying about" comes with a promise "that also the life of Jesus in the body of us manifested."
Here's My Heart