2 Corinthians 4

2 Corinthians 4 belongs to a long section (2:14–7:4) in which Paul defends his apostolic ministry. Building on the ministry of the new covenant and the account of Moses' veil in 2 Corinthians 3, it speaks of "this ministry" and of the gospel that is "hid."

Outline

• Verses 1–6: Paul says that because he has received this ministry, he does not lose heart; he does not handle the word of God deceitfully but makes the truth manifest. If the gospel is hidden, he explains, it is because the god of this world has blinded the minds of those who do not believe. He declares that he and his companions do not preach themselves but Christ Jesus the Lord. The God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, he says, has shone in their hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
• Verses 7–12: Paul says that the treasure is held in earthen vessels so that it may be known that the power belongs to God. Four contrasting pairs follow, beginning with "We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed." He says that they bear about in the body the dying of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be made manifest.
• Verses 13–15: Paul quotes the psalm, "I believed, and therefore have I spoken." He expresses the hope of resurrection, that the One who raised up Jesus will also raise them up, and desires that grace, abounding through thanksgiving, may redound to the glory of God.
• Verses 16–18: Paul says that though the outward man perishes, the inward man is renewed day by day. He states that light affliction, which is but for a moment, works an eternal weight of glory, and closes the chapter by saying that believers look not at the things which are seen but at the things which are not seen.

Key Verses

• 2 Corinthians 4:7 "But we have this treasure in earthen vessels": the central image of the chapter, contrasting the weakness of the minister with the power of God.
• 2 Corinthians 4:16 "though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day": widely quoted as a confession of inner renewal in the midst of suffering.
• 2 Corinthians 4:18 "for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal": a summary of where the gaze of faith is directed.

People and Places

• Paul: the author of the letter. The "we" of the text is generally understood to refer to Paul and his co-workers. In 2 Corinthians 1:1, Timothy is named as co-sender.
• The church in Corinth: the "you" of the text, a church in Corinth, a port city in southern Greece.

Points for Reflection

• "The god of this world" (v. 4): Most commentaries take this as a reference to Satan and compare it with "the prince of this world" in John 12:31. In antiquity, when Marcionism linked the expression to the God of the Old Testament, some Church Fathers who opposed it reportedly punctuated the sentence differently so that it referred to God.
• The creation of light (v. 6): "Who commanded the light to shine out of darkness" recalls the creation of light in Genesis 1. Some interpreters also connect it with Paul's experience of seeing the light on the road to Damascus (the conversion of Paul).
• The psalm quotation (v. 13): Paul quotes Psalm 116:10 in wording close to the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Old Testament).
• The outward man and the inward man (v. 16): Rather than reading this as a dualism separating body and soul, many interpreters see it as a contrast between present life moving toward death and life being renewed by the Holy Spirit. It connects with "from glory to glory" in 2 Corinthians 3:18, and verse 17 expresses a thought similar to Romans 8:18.
• The statement in verse 4 that Christ "is the image of God" is frequently cited, together with Colossians 1:15–17, in Christology (the doctrine of Christ).

In the Korean Church

• The earthen-vessel image of verse 7 is frequently quoted in sermons about God working through weak people, especially at ordination services and in sermons on pastoral ministry.
• Verses 16–18, together with 2 Corinthians 5:1, which follows, are often read at funeral services.