2 Corinthians 4
4
The Light of the Gospel
1Therefore, having #See ch. 3:6 this ministry #1 Cor. 7:25; 1 Tim. 1:13by the mercy of God,#4:1 Greek having this ministry as we have received mercy we do not lose heart. 2But we have renounced #See Rom. 6:21 disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice#4:2 Greek to walk in cunning or #ch. 2:17 to tamper with God’s word, but #ch. 6:7; 7:14 by the open statement of the truth #ch. 5:11, 12we would commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God. 3And even #[ch. 3:14] if our gospel is veiled, #[Matt. 13:15] it is veiled to #ch. 2:15; 1 Cor. 1:18; 2 Thess. 2:10those who are perishing. 4In their case #See John 12:31 the god of this world #[See ver. 3 above] has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing #ver. 6; See Acts 26:18 the light of #See ch. 3:18 the gospel of the glory of Christ, #Col. 1:15; [Phil. 2:6; Heb. 1:3]who is the image of God. 5For what #[1 Thess. 2:6] we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with #1 Cor. 9:19; See ch. 1:24ourselves as your servants#4:5 Or slaves (for the contextual rendering of the Greek word doulos, see Preface) for Jesus’ sake. 6For God, who said, #Gen. 1:3 “Let light shine out of darkness,” #2 Pet. 1:19 has shone in our hearts to give #ver. 4the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
Treasure in Jars of Clay
7But we have this treasure in #2 Tim. 2:20; [ch. 5:1; Job 10:9; 13:12; Lam. 4:2; 1 Thess. 4:4; 1 Pet. 3:7] jars of clay, #1 Cor. 2:5; [Judg. 7:2]to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. 8We are #ch. 7:5; [Ps. 129:2]afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; 9persecuted, but #Heb. 13:5; [Deut. 4:31] not forsaken; #Ps. 37:24; Prov. 24:16; Mic. 7:8struck down, but not destroyed; 10#ch. 6:9; 1 Cor. 4:9; 15:31; [ch. 1:5, 9; Rom. 6:5; 8:36] always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, #2 Tim. 2:11; [Rom. 5:10; 6:8]so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. 11For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. 12So #[ch. 13:9]death is at work in us, but life in you.
13Since we have #1 Cor. 12:9; 2 Pet. 1:1 the same spirit of faith according to what has been written, #Cited from Ps. 116:10“I believed, and so I spoke,” we also believe, and so we also speak, 14knowing that #1 Thess. 4:14; See Acts 2:24 he who raised the Lord Jesus #ch. 1:9 will raise us also with Jesus and #[Jude 24]bring us with you into his presence. 15For #[ch. 1:6]; See Rom. 8:28 it is all for your sake, so that as #[ch. 1:11; 9:11, 12] grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, #ch. 8:19to the glory of God.
16So we do not lose heart. #See Acts 20:24 Though our outer self#4:16 Greek man is wasting away, #See Rom. 7:22 our inner self #[Isa. 40:30, 31]; See Rom. 12:2is being renewed day by day. 17For #Rom. 8:18; 1 Pet. 1:6; 5:10; [Ps. 30:5; Isa. 54:7]this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, 18#ch. 5:7; Rom. 8:24; Heb. 11:1, 13as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.
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2 Corinthians 4
4
The Light of the Gospel
1Therefore, since we have this ministry because we were shown mercy, # Mt 5:7; Mk 5:19; Lk 1:50 we do not give up. # 2Th 3:13 2Instead, we have renounced shameful secret things, not walking # 2Jn 6 in deceit or distorting God’s message, # 2Co 2:17; 2Tm 2:15; Heb 4:12 but commending ourselves to every person’s conscience in God’s sight by an open display of the truth. # 2Co 5:11-12; 6:7; 7:14 3But if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. 4In their case, the god of this age # Lk 16:8 has blinded the minds of the unbelievers so they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, # Or the gospel of the glorious Christ, or the glorious gospel of Christ # Mk 10:37 who is the image of God. # Gn 1:27 5For we are not proclaiming ourselves but Jesus Christ as Lord, # Php 2:11 and ourselves as your slaves because of Jesus. 6For God who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” # Gn 1:3; Mt 6:23 has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge # Php 3:8; 1Jn 4:8 of God’s glory # Mk 10:37; Lk 9:32; Jn 17:24; 2Co 3:18; 2Pt 3:18 in the face of Jesus Christ.
Treasure in Clay Jars
7Now we have this treasure in clay jars, so that this extraordinary power # Mk 5:30; Lk 1:35; 6:19; Ac 19:11; 2Co 13:4; Rv 11:17 may be from God and not from us. 8We are pressured in every way but not crushed; we are perplexed but not in despair; 9we are persecuted but not abandoned; we are struck down but not destroyed. 10We always carry the death of Jesus # Lk 9:23; Rm 5:6-8; 6:5-8; 8:34-36; Gl 6:17 in our body, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. 11For we who live are always given over to death # Mt 10:21; Jn 8:51; Php 3:10 because of Jesus, so that Jesus’ life may also be revealed in our mortal flesh. 12So death works in us, but life in you. 13And since we have the same spirit of faith in keeping with what is written, I believed, therefore I spoke, # Ps 116:10 LXX # Ps 116:10 LXX we also believe, and therefore speak. 14We know that the One who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus # 1Th 4:14 and present us with you. 15Indeed, everything is for your benefit, so that grace, extended through more and more people, may cause thanksgiving # 2Co 9:11 to increase to God’s glory.
16Therefore we do not give up. # 2Th 3:13 Even though our outer person is being destroyed, our inner person # Rm 7:22 is being renewed day by day. 17For our momentary light affliction # See note at 2Co 1:4. # Gl 6:2 is producing for us an absolutely incomparable eternal weight of glory. # Lk 24:26; 1Pt 5:1,4 18So we do not focus on what is seen, # Rm 8:24 but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
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