Bibelkommentare

2Co 4:1-18.

HIS PREACHING IS OPEN AND SINCERE, THOUGH TO MANY THE GOSPEL IS HIDDEN.

For he preaches Christ, not himself: the human vessel is frail that God may have the glory; yet, though frail, faith and the hope of future glory sustain him amidst the decay of the outward man.

1. Therefore--Greek, "For this cause": Because we have the liberty-giving Spirit of the Lord, and with unveiled face behold His glory

(2Co 3:17, 18).

seeing we have this ministry--"The ministration of the Spirit"

(2Co 3:8, 9):

the ministry of such a spiritual, liberty-giving Gospel: resuming

2Co 3:6, 8.

received mercy--from God, in having had this ministry conferred on us

(2Co 3:5).

The sense of "mercy" received from God, makes men active for God

(1Ti 1:11-13).

we faint not--in boldness of speech and action, and patience in suffering

(2Co 4:2, 8-16,

&c.).

2. renounced--literally, "bid farewell to."

of dishonesty--rather, "of shame." "I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ"

(Ro 1:16).

Shame would lead to hiding

(2Co 4:3);

whereas "we use great plainness of speech"

(2Co 3:12);

"by manifestation of the truth." Compare

2Co 3:3,

"manifestly declared." He refers to the disingenuous artifices of "many" teachers at Corinth

(2Co 2:17; 3:1; 11:13-15).

handling . . . deceitfully--so "corrupt" or adulterate "the word of God"

(2Co 2:17;

compare

1Th 2:3, 4).

commending--recommending ourselves: recurring to

2Co 3:1.

to--to the verdict of.

every man's conscience--

(2Co 5:11).

Not to men's carnal judgment, as those alluded to

(2Co 3:1).

in the sight of God--

(2Co 2:17; Ga 1:10).

3. But if--Yea, even if (as I grant is the case).

hid--rather (in reference to

2Co 3:13-18),

"veiled." "Hid" (Greek,

Col 3:3)

is said of that withdrawn from view altogether. "Veiled," of a thing within reach of the eye, but covered over so as not to be seen. So it was in the case of Moses' face.

to them--in the case only of them: for in itself the Gospel is quite plain.

that are lost--rather, "that are perishing"

(1Co 1:18).

So the same cloud that was "light" to the people of God, was "darkness" to the Egyptian foes of God

(Ex 14:20).

4. In whom--Translate, "In whose case."

god of this world--The worldly make him their God

(Php 3:19).

He is, in fact, "the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that ruleth in the children of disobedience"

(Eph 2:2).

minds--"understandings": "mental perceptions," as in

2Co 3:14.

them which believe not--the same as "them that are lost" (or "are perishing"). Compare

2Th 2:10-12.

SOUTH quaintly says, "when the malefactor's eyes are covered, he is not far from his execution"

(Es 7:8).

Those perishing unbelievers are not merely veiled, but blinded

(2Co 3:14, 15):

Greek, not "blinded," but "hardened."

light of the glorious gospel of Christ--Translate, "The illumination (enlightening: the propagation from those already enlightened, to others of the light) of the Gospel of the glory of Christ." "The glory of Christ" is not a mere quality (as "glorious" would express) of the Gospel; it is its very essence and subject matter.

image of God--implying identity of nature and essence

(Joh 1:18; Col 1:15; Heb 1:3).

He who desires to see "the glory of God," may see it "in the face of Jesus Christ"

(2Co 4:6; 1Ti 6:14-16).

Paul here recurs to

2Co 3:18.

Christ is "the image of God," into which "same image" we, looking on it in the mirror of the Gospel, are changed by the Spirit; but this image is not visible to those blinded by Satan [ALFORD].

5. For--Their blindness is not our fault, as if we had self-seeking aims in our preaching.

preach . . . Christ . . . the Lord--rather, "Christ as Lord," and ourselves as your servants, &c. "Lord," or "Master," is the correlative term to "servants."

6. For--proof that we are true servants of Jesus unto you.

commanded the light--Greek, "By speaking the word, commanded light"

(Ge 1:3).

hath shined--rather, as Greek, "is He who shined." (It is God) who commanded light, &c., that shined, &c.,

(Job 37:15):

Himself our Light and Sun, as well as the Creator of light

(Mal 4:2; Joh 8:12).

The physical world answers to the spiritual.

in our hearts--in themselves dark.

to give the light--that is, to propagate to others the light, &c., which is in us (compare Note, see on

2Co 4:4).

the glory of God--answering to "the glory of Christ" (see on

2Co 4:4).

in the face of Jesus Christ--Some of the oldest manuscripts retain "Jesus." Others omit it. Christ is the manifestation of the glory of God, as His image

(Joh 14:9).

The allusion is still to the brightness on Moses' "face." The only true and full manifestation of God's brightness and glory is "in the face of Jesus"

(Heb 1:3).

7. "Lest any should say, How then is it that we continue to enjoy such unspeakable glory in a mortal body? Paul replies, this very fact is one of the most marvellous proofs of God's power, that an earthen vessel could bear such splendor and keep such a treasure" [CHRYSOSTOM, Homilies, 8.496, A]. The treasure or "the light of the knowledge of the glory of God." The fragile "earthen vessel" is the body, the "outward man"

(2Co 4:16;

compare

2Co 4:10),

liable to afflictions and death. So the light in Gideon's pitchers, the type

(Jud 7:16-20, 22).

The ancients often kept their treasures in jars or vessels of earthenware. "There are earthen vessels which yet may be clean; whereas a golden vessel may be filthy" [BENGEL].

that the excellency of the power, &c.--that the power of the ministry (the Holy Spirit), in respect to its surpassing "excellency," exhibited in winning souls

(1Co 2:4)

and in sustaining us ministers, might be ascribed solely to God, we being weak as earthen vessels. God often allows the vessel to be chipped and broken, that the excellency of the treasure contained, and of the power which that treasure has, may be all His

(2Co 4:10, 11; Joh 3:30).

may be of God . . . not of us--rather, as Greek, "may be God's (may be seen and be thankfully

[2Co 4:15]

acknowledged to belong to God), and not (to come) from us." The power not merely comes from God, but belongs to Him continually, and is to be ascribed to him.

8. Greek, "BEING hard pressed, yet not inextricably straitened; reduced to inextricable straits" (nominative to "we have,"

2Co 4:7).

on every side--Greek, "in every respect" (compare

2Co 4:10, "always";

2Co 7:5).

This verse expresses inward distresses;

2Co 4:9,

outward distresses

(2Co 7:5).

"Without were fightings; within were fears." The first clause in each member of the series of contrasted participles, implies the earthiness of the vessels; the second clause, the excellency of the power.

perplexed, but not in despair--Greek, "not utterly perplexed." As perplexity refers to the future, so "troubled" or "hard pressed" refers to the present.