Paul reminded his brethren that as Christ's messengers he and his fellow laborers were continually in peril. The hardships they endured were wearing away their strength. "We which live," he wrote, "are alway delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh. So then death worketh in us, but life in you." Suffering physically through privation and toil, these ministers of Christ were conforming to His death. But that which was working death in them was bringing spiritual life and health to the Corinthians, who by a belief in the truth were being made partakers of life eternal. In view of this, the followers of Jesus were to be careful not to increase, by neglect and disaffection, the burdens and trials of the laborers.

Under legemlige lidelser på grund af savn og slid indstillede disse Kristi tjenere sig på at lide hans død. Men det, som i dem virkede til døden, bragte åndeligt liv til korinterne, der ved tro på sandheden blev meddelagtige i det evige liv. Med dette for øje måtte Jesu disciple være omhyggelige for ikke ved forsømmelse og misfornøjelse at øge de arbejdendes byrder og prøvelser.