2 Corinthians 1-6: Faith Not Sight

We live by faith and not by sight, the Apostle Paul tells the Corinthians.  He knew what he was talking about, because he had been through the fires of affliction: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left; through glory and dishonor, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors; known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed; sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything.  - 2 Cor. 6:5-10 NIV

 For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. - 2 Cor. 5:14-16 NIV

In spite of all the trials and hardships that Paul endured, he continued to preach the gospel and witness to both  those who are saved and those who are perishing.  To one, he said, we are the fragrance of life and to the other the smell of death.  God let his light shine through Paul so that others would have knowledge of God.  It was not Paul.

But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. - 2 Cor. 4:7-9 NIV

'We don't lose heart,' Paul said, 'because these momentary troubles are achieving an eternal glory'.  So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. (2 Cor. 4:18 NIV)  Paul did not look at the outside circumstances, or even at himself.  All he saw was Jesus, his power, his kingdom, his divine plan.  In order to walk through all of Paul's circumstances, he had to see only the end goal, the prize.  He had to walk by faith, not sight.