Albert Barnes Commentary 2 Corinthians 1:9

"yea, we ourselves have had the sentence of death within ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God who raiseth the dead:" — 2 Corinthians 1:9 (ASV)

But we had the sentence of death in ourselves. The marginal reading is "answer." The word rendered "sentence" (apokrima) properly means an answer, judicial response, or sentence, and is synonymous here with verdict. It means that Paul felt he was condemned to die; he felt as if he were under a sentence of death with no hope of acquittal. He was led to contemplate the hour of death as just before him. The words "in ourselves" mean "against ourselves," or, "we certainly expected to die."

This suggests he had been condemned to die. This condemnation might refer to an instance where popular fury was so intense that he felt his death was certain. Alternatively, and more probably, it could refer to a judicial sentence to be thrown to wild beasts, with the sure expectation of being killed, as was always the case for those subjected to such an execution.

That we should not trust in ourselves. This is a remarkably beautiful and important sentiment. It teaches that, in the time to which Paul refers, he was in such great danger and had such a certain prospect of death that he could place no reliance on himself. He felt that he must die and that human aid was vain. In all likelihood, he would die. All he could do was to throw himself upon the protection of God, who had the power to save him even then, if He chose. If God did save him, He would exert power similar to that which is exerted when the dead are raised.

The effect, therefore, of the near prospect of death was to lead him to place increased confidence in God. He felt that God alone could save him, or that God alone could sustain him if he were to die. Perhaps he also means to say that the effect of this experience was to lead him to place increased confidence in God after his deliverance: not to trust in his own plans or confide in his own strength, but to feel that everything he had was entirely in the hands of God.

This is a common and positive effect of the near prospect of death for a Christian. It is good to contemplate the effect on a mind like Paul's when facing the near prospect of dying, and to see how instinctively it then clings to God. A true Christian in such circumstances will rush to His arms and feel safe there.

But in God which raiseth the dead. This intimates that a rescue in such circumstances would be like raising the dead. It is probable that on this occasion Paul was near death; he had given up all hope of life—perhaps, as at Lystra (Acts 14:19), he was supposed to be dead. He felt, therefore, that he was raised up by the immediate power of God and regarded it as an exertion of the same power by which the dead are raised. Paul means to intimate that, as far as depended on any power of his own, he was dead. He had no power to recover himself, and but for the gracious intervention of God, he would have died.