05_Tack_copiaaaaa_85-112 28/04/15 12:35 Pagina 107 A FACE REFLECTING GLORY 107 refers to the apostle’s fragile body 86. The body (sw/ma) is central to vv. 10-11 87 and remains a prominent motif until 2 Cor 5,8 88. In Paul’s body both the dying of Jesus is carried and the life of Jesus is mani- fested (v. 10). The interrelation of mortality (evn th/| qnhth/| sarki. h`mw/n) and life in the body (i[na kai. h` zwh. tou/ VIhsou/ fanerwqh/)| is most clearly expressed in v. 11. On the basis of this, one can infer that life and death are present at the same time 89. J. Lambrecht cautions against a literal reading of this paradox. Paul does not say here that death equals life. He says that God’s power and Jesus’ life are re- vealed in the midst of mortality and weakness. It is the discernment of this power of life, which eventually negates death, that counts for Paul. Suffering is not used as an instrument to attain this 90. So, by the somatic identification of his weak and perishable body with the dying and rising of Christ, Paul presents himself in vv. 10-11 as Christ’s “epiphanic envoy [ … H]is own self, his own body, is the repository of the Christ whom he proclaims” 91. Contrary to vv. 1-6 that were restricted to Paul’s role as minister, vv. 7-15 also include the Corinthians. The mortifying suffering that is at work in Paul is for the benefit of the community’s life (v. 12). Paul believes that the community will rise together with him (v. 14). The aim of all this is to increase grace and thanksgiving amongst the community members, to the glory of God (v. 15). According to Lim, “[f]or Paul […] the story of Jesus is the narrative of which be- lievers became an integral part and through which the community 86 F.J. MATERA, “Apostolic Suffering and Resurrection Faith. Distinguish- ing between Appearance and Reality (2 Cor 4,7 – 5,10)”, Resurrection in the New Testament (eds. R. BIERINGER – V. KOPERSKI – B. LATAIRE) (BETL 165; Leuven 2002) 387-405, 396. 87 LAMBRECHT, Second Corinthians, 71. 88 J. LAMBRECHT, “Brief Anthropological Reflections (2 Corinthians 4,6 – 5,10)”, Understanding What One Reads (ANL 46; Leuven 2003) 218-225, 224. 89 GRUBER, Herrlichkeit, 322; KUSCHNERUS, Gemeinde, 247. 90 J. LAMBRECHT, “The Nekrōsis of Jesus. Ministry and Suffering in 2 Cor 4,7-15”, Studies in Second Corinthians (eds. R. BIERINGER – J. LAMBRECHT) (BETL 112; Leuven 1994) 309-333, 320. Contra E. GÜTTGEMANS, Der lei- dende Apostel und sein Herr. Studien zur religiösen Propaganda in der Spät- antike (FRLANT 90; Göttingen 1966) 100. 91 M.M. MITCHELL, “Epiphanic Evolutions in Earliest Christianity”, Illinois Classical Studies 29 (2004) 183-204.