Paul has just stated that he is in danger every hour, and now he goes even further. The Corinthians are not aware of his current circumstances, since he is far away from them in Ephesus (1 Corinthians 15:32; 1 Corinthians 16:19; see also Acts 18:18 – 19:10). But he swears to them that his circumstances are such that he dies every day!
Paul swears by his pride (literally, his boasting
) in the Corinthians. The pride that he has in them is a pride in Christ Jesus our Lord,
since it is Christ who has made them who they are. The Corinthians know from the eighteen months that he spent with them and from what he has written to them (1 Corinthians 1:4–9) that Paul is proud of the work that Christ has done among them through him. They can know just as certainly that Paul dies every day. What he means by this will become clearer in the next verse.
31 I protest, brothers, by my pride in you, which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die every day!