Why was Paul dying in the midst of his service for the Lord?
He was bearing about in his body the dying of the Lord Jesus so that the life of Jesus might be made manifest in his body. Having risen from a sickbed he thought was unto death, he remained confident he had done as much as the Lord intended, even though he thought his ministry had ended.
Les explains that Paul was not merely saying that as Christ died, we died; in this setting Paul had just gotten up from a sickbed he thought was unto death, likely at Philippi. He had experienced sickness, disappointment, and the inability to meet Titus, yet he said he was not forsaken or destroyed. He was dying even in the midst of his service for the Lord so that the life of Jesus might be made manifest in his body. Though he thought his ministry had ended, he was confident he had done as much as the Lord intended. Les also points to Second Timothy, probably the last epistle written before Paul was finally martyred, as the end of his ministry.
Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.
More Questions
What did Paul mean by 'bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus' in 2 Corinthians 4:10?
Les teaches that 2 Corinthians 4:10 ('always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus') refers not merely to the idea that as Christ died we died, but specifically to Paul's physical suffering and near-death sickness in the midst of his service, so that the life of Jesus might be manifested in his body.