Second Corinthians Chapter 4/Commentary

Second Corinthians Chapter 4

Outline: I.

The openness of Paul's ministry: 4:1-6

II.

Divine treasure in earthen vessels: 4:7-15

III.

Momentary affliction and eternal glory: 4:16-18

“It is hard to believe that a man like Paul could have been accused of dishonesty, of duplicity, and of deceit. Yet such was the case and a large part of this epistle is an endeavor on the part of the apostle to establish his sincerity, his truthfulness, and his honesty of purpose” (Erdman p. 51). In this section of Scripture, we are given some of the ramifications that came to Paul and his other assistants. The consequences and benefits of being involved in preaching such a glorious message, as that previously described in chapter three. (1) Motivation for moral purity, honesty and courage (4:1-2). (2) A frankness about why people reject it (4:3-4). (3) Physical persecution and suffering (4:8-15). (4) Undefeatable hope (4:16-18).

2 Corinthians 4:1 “Therefore seeing we have this ministry, even as we obtained mercy, we faint not” “Therefore”: Drawing a conclusion from the comments about the glorious New Covenant described in chapter three. “Seeing we have this ministry”: This area of 1

service in preaching the New Covenant (3:6). “We”: Paul, Timothy and their other fellow-workers (1:1). “Even as we obtained mercy”: “Which we owe entirely to God's mercy” (NEB). “Even as we were mercifully granted it” (Gr. Ex. N.T. p. 59). This expression implies a previous unworthiness on the part of Paul (and every other gospel preacher). No one has earned the right to preach the gospel (1 Timothy 1:13-16). “Gratitude for a mercy so undeserved makes us fearless and vigorous in a ministry so glorious (Acts 20:23-24)” (P.P. Comm. p. 88). “We faint not”: “Do not lose heart” (NASV). “We do not play the coward” (Knox). “I never give up” (Wms). “We do not get discouraged” (Amp). “We feel no timidity, or shame, and are not compelled to take refuge in silence and inactivity” (Erdman p. 51). Paul said this, in spite of the many circumstances and situations which would and have caused others to get discouraged, including all those who rejected the gospel (4:3-4), and the sufferings which come upon those who preach it (4:8ff).

“Having a ministry of such splendor (as detailed in chapter three), there is no place for faint-heartedness or concealment, but only for boldness and outspokenness.

However severe the opposition, and however intense the conflict, Paul is ever urged forward by the stimulus an exhilaration of the task committed to him of making known Christ. For him who ministers the eternal riches of the gospel there can be no question of abandoning the struggle. This great theme is developed more fully from verse 7 onwards, leading up to verse 16 where Paul repeats his affirmation ‘therefore we faint not’, and from there on into chapter 5 where, with eye fixed on the future consummation, he confidently proclaims that he is always of good courage (5:6), which is the opposite of being faint” (Hughes p. 121). So if we get discouraged, if we feel like giving up, if draw back in silence and inactivity, it must mean that we have lost sight of the glorious message that God has given us to proclaim.

2 Corinthians 4:2 “but we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by the manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God” “But”: In contrast to giving up. “Have renounced”: To disown. “Hidden things of shame”: “All underhanded, disgraceful methods” (Wms). “The deeds that men hide for very shame” (NEB). “The secret ways that anybody should feel ashamed of” (Beck). See Romans 13:12; Ephesians 5:11-12. “I have said farewell for ever to 2

everything for which a good man would blush” (P.P. Comm. p. 89). “This does not necessarily indicate that he had previously practiced such things, but that there are certain things to which every Christian has said a decided no” (Hughes p. 123). o Paul conversion meant an once for all death to the world. (Galatians 2:20; 6:14; Colossians 3:1-5).

“Not walking in craftiness”: “Refusing to adopt crafty ways” (TCNT). “We don't use trickery” (Beck). “The word signifies a cunning readiness to adopt any device or trickery for the achievement of ends which are anything but altruistic (selfless)” (Hughes p. 123). “Paul's methods, he insists, are always open and above-board. Not for him the subtleties of the unscrupulous politician or the subterfuges of the ingratiating salesman” (Tasker p. 69). “Nor handling the word of God deceitfully”: “Or to tamper with God's Message” (TCNT). “No dishonest manipulation” (Phi).

“Primarily, to ensnare; then to corrupt. Used of adulterating gold, wine, etc” (Vincent p. 310). Evidently, Paul is responding to accusations that had been leveled against him by his opponents in Corinth. “They had said that he used underhanded methods, that he exercised an unscrupulous cleverness to get his own way” (Barclay p. 218). This infers that one can handle the Word of God deceitfully, and other texts equally admit that the Word of God can be perverted (2 Peter 3:16), yet it can also be handled accurately (2 Timothy 2:15). “He does not, for example, dilute its severity to make himself popular with his hearers; nor does he confound it with human philosophies, but proclaims it for what in fact it is, the (revealed) truth” (Tasker p. 69). “Some preachers, like hucksters, are ready to dicker about the Word of God as thought they can discount something to make a sale, as though the deal is between them and men alone” (Lenski p. 957).

“But by the manifestation of the truth”: “But openly setting forth the truth” (Con).

“I state the truth openly” (Mof). “So far from being marked by subterfuge, selfinterest, and deceit. Paul's ministry was one in which the truth was manifested, openly displayed, outspokenly proclaimed (3:12; Acts 20:20, 27)” (Hughes p. 124).

“Paul on the contrary had taught nothing in private which he did not teach in public” (McGarvey p. 187). “Commending ourselves to every man's conscience”: “To every possible variety of the human conscience” (Gr. Ex. N.T. p. 59). “I state the truth openly and so commend myself to every man's conscience before God” (Wey). “And the preacher who presents such truth directly and faithfully commends it to every man's conscience, for while the intellects of men and women may be attracted by the sophistries and subtleties of ‘the essayist in the pulpit’, it is the plain 3

unadulterated gospel that alone strikes home to his conscience. ‘Repent and believe the gospel’ must ever be the burden of one who is preaching in the sight of God” (Tasker pp. 69-70). True gospel preaching always has an element of "conviction" in it (2 Timothy 4:2).

The gospel is veiled to some: 4:3-4 “At this point Paul turns to the objection that the gospel, for which he claims so unique a power, has patently been ineffective in the case of many, no doubt the majority, of those to whom he proclaimed it. This Paul concedes. The fault, however, is not in the gospel, but in those who have failed to discern its glory” (Hughes pp.

124-125). “He insists that he has proclaimed the gospel in such a way that any man with any kind of conscience at all is bound to admit its claim and its appeal” (Barclay p. 218).

2 Corinthians 4:3 “And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled in them that perish” “Is veiled”: “If the meaning of my preaching of the good news is veiled at all” (Gspd). “In them that perish”: The phrase in them reveals that the fault is not in the gospel message, but rather in the hearer. This section teaches the same truth found in the Parable of the Sower (Matthew 13:19-23). “How can a ‘veiled gospel’ be a ‘manifested truth’? The answer is that the gospel is bright, but the eyes that should gaze on it are willfully closed” (P.P. Comm. p. 89). See Matthew 13:15 “And they have closed their eyes”. “That perish”: “Who are on the way to destruction” (Gspd).

Why are they perishing? Because this is the path they have chosen (Matthew 7:13 “and many are those who enter by it”). People are not predestined for destruction, rather they chose it when they stubbornly refuse to accept the gospel (Romans 2:45). “The unveiled gospel, openly proclaimed, has been veiled to them because it is veiled in them: the veil is over their hearts and minds not over the gospel. It is not Paul's gospel but they who stand condemned” (Hughes p. 125). How can anyone successfully argue that the gospel message is too confusing, in light of the fact, that is was a message designed for all nations and all cultures? (Matthew 28:19) 2 Corinthians 4:4 “in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should not dawn upon them”

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“In whom”: The perishing. “The god of this world”: “God of this age” (TCNT). The god of this world is Satan (John 12:31; 16:11; 14:30; 1 John 5:19). “How, then, is it possible to ascribe the name of ‘god’ to him who is the great adversary of Almighty God? The answer is that Satan wishes, albeit vainly, to set himself up as God, and sinners, in rebelling against the true God, subject themselves to him who is the author of their rebellion. The unregenerate serve Satan as though he were their God” (Hughes p. 127). “Hath blinded the minds of the unbelieving”: Here we see the terrible consequence that unbelief brings with it. The same truth is taught in Matthew 13:19. Unbelief is not an intellectual problem, rather it is a moral problem (Matthew 13:15; Hebrews 3:12-13). Such blindness is the result of a choice (Matthew 13:15; Ephesians 4:18-19; Romans 1:20-28; John 3:19-21). “Paul replies that their failure to acknowledge the truth may indeed form an exception, but does not weaken his general assertion, since the obscurity lies in their own bigotry-closed eyes and not in the truth presented to them” (McGarvey p. 188). What all this means, is that selfishness is the greatest obstacle that stands in the way to a correct understanding of the Scriptures (2 Thessalonians 2:10-12; 2 Timothy 3:2; Acts 13:4546). “Selfish ambition can not be removed by rules of interpretation. Sound exegesis can have but little effect on such conditions of the heart” (Hermeneutics. Dungan p.

6). “That the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ”: The gospel is the glorious revelation of Jesus Christ, because it reveals the magnificence of Christ (John 1:1-3; Philippians 2:5-9). “Who is the image of God”: See John 14:9; Hebrews 1:3; Philippians 2:6. “When Paul preached he did not say, ‘Look at me!’ He said, ‘Look at Jesus Christ! And there you will see the glory of God come to earth in a form that a man can understand (John 1:18)” (Barclay p. 220). “Image”: A likeness, representation, resemblance. “Should not dawn upon them”: To beam forth or shine.

2 Corinthians 4:5 “For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake” “For”: Paul has called the gospel "our" gospel, but this in no way infers that the gospel is about Paul and his co-workers. “Not ourselves”: “To be sure, if we preached ourselves we might well faint and give up in discouragement (4:1) and admit that we are beaten by Satan. If it were a case of getting as much as possible out of preaching for our own selves, we might well think of using craftiness and adulteration of the word of God. Since the days of Paul the ministry has had men who, in the last analysis, preached themselves. They offered their own thoughts and 5

their own doctrines, reshaped the Word and what it says about Christ Jesus our Lord according to their own notions so as to gain favor, following, honor and personal advantage for themselves” (Lenski p. 965). “But Christ Jesus as Lord”: Preaching Christ as Lord demands that one preach that all must submit to Christ, and that His word on any subject settles the matter (Matthew 28:18). That Christ is the only Savior (John 14:6), and that any teaching that conflicts with the teaching of Christ, is false (2 John 9). “The business of a preacher is to draw attention not to himself, but to Christ; to proclaim the Lord who demands total allegiance and obedience of the believer” (Tasker p. 71). See Matthew 10:38.

“And ourselves as your servants”: 1 Corinthians 9:19. “Paul is a minister, not a master” (Hughes p. 131). “For Jesus' sake”: “Paul is not suggesting, however, that those to whom he ministers are his masters. There is but one Master, and so he affirms that it is for Jesus' sake that he assumes the role of the servant of others” (Hughes p. 132). Paul could serve the Corinthians who had caused him so much pain because the Lord who gave Himself for Paul, commanded it. We will have an easier time serving others, when we realize that the important thing about such service is that it brings glory to God. Let us always remember that the best Bible knowledge and the most outstanding abilities are useless when the heart is focused on self.

2 Corinthians 4:6 “Seeing it is God, that said, Light shall shine out of darkness, who shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” “Seeing it is God”: “For God, who said” (NASV). “Light shall shine out of darkness”: Genesis 1:3. Paul did not preach himself, but rather preached the gospel revealed unto him, because the gospel message is just as powerful as the word spoken to bring light into the universe in the beginning (Romans 1:16; Hebrews 4:12). The God who spoke the universe into existence is the same God who revealed the gospel message. “Who shined in our hearts”: The opposite of 4:4. “Has flooded our hearts with His light” (Phi). This is what happens when a person submits freely to the truth of the gospel. A whole realm of truth, previously ignored is discovered (Acts 26:18). Truly, Christians are the "enlightened" ones in the world (Hebrews 6:4). “To give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God”: The contents of the gospel do not confuse receptive hearts. Before we move on, we need to carefully examine Paul's personal motivation to preach the gospel, even in the face of rejection and persecution. He just had to share this message with others. Why? 6

Because the gospel reveals God in all His glory to mankind. He did not preach for the money, nor for personal fame, rather Paul just had to share God with people.

This was Paul's favorite subject to talk about.

Divine treasure in earthen vessels 2 Corinthians 4:7 “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the exceeding greatness of the power may be of God, and not from ourselves” “But we have this treasure”: “To know the glory of God and to be called to spread this knowledge is the most treasured of all possessions” (Tasker p. 72). “Treasure”: Deposit, wealth. The same truth is expressed often in the Psalms (Psalm 19; 119).

“In earthen vessels”: A figurative expression referring, especially to the physical bodies of the messengers of the gospel. “In a body of fragile clay” (Con). “This priceless treasure we hold, so to speak, in a common earthenware jar” (Phi). What a contrast, the most valuable possession on the face of the earth, the knowledge of God, entrusted to mere men to spread and proclaim (Jeremiah 9:23-24). “This striking paradox makes it clear that the gospel is no product of human ingenuity, no clever discovery of the human intellect, no bright idea of some outstanding genius, but a revelation of the power of the sovereign God. He may choose learned or unlearned men to be ministers of this gospel” (Tasker p. 72). The apostles (as are all Christians) were expendable (12:15), the gospel message is indestructible (1 Peter 1:23-25). Paul's accusers had hoped that their attacks on his personal appearance would discredit him in the eyes of the Corinthians. (10:10) “But it is one of the main purposes of this epistle to show that this immense discrepancy between the treasure and the vessel serves simply to attest that human weakness presents no barrier to the purposes of God, indeed, that God's power is made perfect in weakness (12:9), as the brilliance of a treasure is enhanced and magnified by comparison with a common container in which it is placed” (Hughes p. 135). “We talk a great deal about the power of man, and about the vast forces which he now controls. But the real characteristic of man is not his power but his weakness. As Pascal said, ‘A drop of water or a breath of air can kill him’” (Barclay p. 221). We must never make the mistake of rejecting a message because of what the speaker personally looks like. Earthen vessels preach this glorious message of salvation, and some of those earthen vessels are very unimpressive (1 Timothy 4:12).

“That”: The reason why God has allowed mere mortals to preach the one and only 7

message that truly reveals His glory. “The exceeding greatness of the power may be of God, and not from ourselves”: “Exceeding greatness”: “Lit., a throwing beyond, hence preeminence, excellence” (Vincent p. 312). “The superlative power with which no comparison of any kind can be made” (Lenski p. 975). An application needs to be made to personal evangelism. We need to stop worrying about a professional or polished image. In fact, many of us might be really surprised if we found out what Paul, Timothy, Silas, Barnabas, and yes, even what Jesus really looked like (Isaiah 53:2-3).

2 Corinthians 4:8 “we are pressed on every side, yet not straitened; perplexed, yet not unto despair” “We are”: “No one troubles to handle a cheap piece of earthen-ware with specially tender care” (F.F. Bruce p. 197). In the following verses, Paul seems to offer additional proof that the message he preaches is not of his own invention, because a humanly devised message could not have sustained him in all the various hardships that he found himself in as a preacher of the gospel. Paul never used hardship as an excuse why he couldn't faithfully serve God. In fact, he served God despite all his personal handicaps. “Pressed on every side”: “The Apostle is speaking the language of experience, and, what is more, of constant experience (as the present tenses and the always of v. 10 show). Hostile forces press in upon him from all sides and threaten to crush and immobilize him, but a way out of the desperate straits is always provided” (Hughes p. 138). “Which seems to be that of a combatant who gives his opponent little room for action, but is nevertheless unable to drive him into a corner where no movement is possible” (Tasker p. 73). “Yet not straitened”: “I am hard pressed, yet not crushed” (Con). “Though hard pressed on every side, we are never hemmed in” (TCNT). “Perplexed”: To have no way out, be at a loss (mentally). “Yet not unto despair”: “Being at a loss but not being utterly at a loss” (Lenski p. 978). “Bewildered, but never at our wit's end” (NEB). “Are hard put to it, but never at a loss” (Knox).

2Corinthians 4:9 “pursued, yet not forsaken; smitten down, yet not destroyed” “Pursued”: “Persecuted” (NASV). “Paul speaks of being hunted. He knew very well the intense agony of being hated and pursued like a quarry by his fellow-men” (Hughes p. 139). See Acts 14:19. “Yet not forsaken”: “To leave behind, to leave in the lurch” (Robertson p. 226). “The figure is, pursued by enemies, but not left to 8

their power” (Vincent p. 313). “Not abandoned to the enemy, nor left solely to his own resources. Persecuted in one city, he often has to escape to another (see Matthew 10:23), but only to find fresh opportunities” (Tasker p. 73). Paul did find himself forsaken by his brethren (2 Timothy 4:10,16), yet never forsaken by God (Hebrews 13:5). “We are persecuted by men by never abandoned by God as Joan of Arc said when she was abandoned by those who should have stood by her, ‘It is better to be alone with God’. As the psalmist wrote, ‘When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take me up’ (Psalm 27:1)” (Barclay p. 222).

“Smitten down”: “Struck down” (NASV). “Always getting knocked down, but never a knock out” (Wms). Paul had been literally struck down in Lystra (Acts 14:19). “The supreme characteristic of the Christian is not that he does not fall, but that every time he falls he rises again. It is not that he is never beaten, but he is never ultimately defeated” (Barclay p. 223). "We are hard pressed on every side, says Paul, ‘Yet not hemmed in and driven to surrender’; in desperate plight, yet not in despair; perplexed, yet not baffled; pursued by men, yet not deserted by God; struck to the ground, yet never slain” (Erdman p. 54).

2 Corinthians 4:10 “always bearing about in the body the dying of Jesus, that the life also of Jesus may be manifested in our body” “Always bearing about in the body”: “Always exposed to death as Jesus was” (Wms). “In the body”: What the persecutors tried to harm and destroy. “The dying of Jesus”: “Our body is constantly exposed to the same putting to death which Jesus suffered. The daily liability to a violent death is something which we carry about with us” (Vincent p. 313). 1 Corinthians 15:30 “Why are we also in danger every hour?” “As Paul, well knew, Jesus had to spend much physical strength and spiritual energy in the service of others; He was relentlessly hunted down by His political and religious opponents; He experienced sleepless nights and exhausting days with nowhere to lay His head” (Tasker pp. 74-74). “He was well aware that if a man would share the life of Christ he must share the risks of Christ, that if a man wished to live with Christ he must be ready to die with Christ” (Barclay p. 223). See Romans 8:17; 2 Timothy 2:12-13; 4:5. “That the life also of Jesus may be manifested in our body”: “So that the life of Jesus may be visible in my mortal nature” (Gspd). “That”: “In order that” (Vincent p. 313).

Paul is referring to something that others can see in him. They see him suffering for 9

the sake of Jesus (4:11 “for Jesus' sake”), yet they also see something else. It seems to me that Paul is saying, “When people see what I endure, and how I face such trials, it is evident that a mere human cause or conviction is not sustaining me”.

They see the example of Christ (1 Peter 2:21) demonstrated in my life. Thus refusing to give up in the face of opposition is being Christ-like. “It has become fashionable in modern theology to make a distinction between ‘the historic Jesus’ and ‘the risen Christ’, as though the history of Jesus ended with the cross and the tomb. But, as Plummer observes, from the repetition of the words ‘of Jesus’ in the expressions ‘the dying of Jesus’ and the ‘life of Jesus’ we see that ‘Paul does not separate the historic Jesus from the glorified Christ. To him it is the same Jesus’ (Acts 2:32 'This Jesus did God raise up’)” (Hughes p. 144).

2 Corinthians 4:11 “For we who live are always delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus may be manifested in our mortal flesh” This verse simply repeats the thought of 4:11 in slightly different language. The phrase "for Jesus' sake", explains the phrase in 4:11, "the dying of Jesus".

2 Corinthians 4:12 “So then death worketh in us, but life in you” “So then death worketh in us”: “In me death is active” (Mof). “We are always facing death” (Phi). “Death keeps working in us” (Lenski p. 983). “During the whole of his life as a minister of the gospel Paul was daily experiencing something of the feelings that come to men under sentence of death. Never could he be sure that he would be alive tomorrow” (Tasker p. 74). “But life in you”: “The Corinthian believers are themselves an assurance to the Apostle that his severe sufferings, his constant ‘dying’, are not fruitless. Through his endurance the gospel had been brought to them. To see repentant sinners entering into newness of life in Christ makes every affliction borne for Jesus' sake and in His service a thousand times worth-while” (Hughes p. 145). While we cannot keep other Christians from experiencing trials, temptations and suffering. We can lighten their load by living lives that let them know that their efforts are not in vain.

2 Corinthians 4:13 “But having the same spirit of faith, according to that which is written, I believed, and therefore did I speak; we also believe, and therefore also we speak”

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“But having the same spirit of faith”: “Our faith is like that mentioned in the Scripture” (Phi). “According to that which is written, I believe, and therefore did I speak”: See Psalm 116:10. “Having the same spirit of faith which was in the Psalmist who proclaimed his faith despite his afflictions, we preach right on despite all opposition” (McGarvey pp. 190-191). “But this deliverance to death does not make us sad and silent. We are like the psalmist, who was inspired by his trust in God. He wrote, ‘I believed and therefore did I speak’. We have the 'same spirit of faith'. 'We also believe, and therefore also we speak.' We declare with confidence that although our sufferings may end in death, we shall experience a glorious resurrection” (Erdman p. 55). “Therefore also we speak”: “He cannot envisage the possibility of an inarticulate believer. Not all believers are to be teachers and preachers, but all are to be confessors” (Tasker p. 75). See Acts 4:20. The Christian must speak, he must talk about what God has done, he cannot remain silent.

Therefore timidity and fear are not part of the spirit of faith that the faithful in times past manifested.

2 Corinthians 4:14 “knowing that he that raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also with Jesus, and shall present us with you” “Knowing”: Paul had no doubts about this. Sadly, in some circles it is viewed as "spiritual" to express doubts about what the Bible says. God is not impressed by those who cannot trust Him. “It is not bravado that animates Paul's words. Men often laugh at death and imagine that they are heroes when they plunge into it” (Lenski p. 986). “Shall raise up us also with Jesus”: “Paul too has again and again been rescued from what seemed to be the jaws of death (1:8-10). One day, however, death will lay his icy hand upon him, as it does upon all mankind. But he remains undaunted by the prospect, for it is an essential element of his faith that the power of God, shown in the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, will be manifested again in himself and in all believers” (Tasker p. 75). “Shall present us with you”: “Set me at your side in his presence” (Mof). “The communion of saints cannot be destroyed by death. Paul cannot contemplate his own future blessedness apart from that of his converts” (Tasker p. 75). Here is great motivation to treat our brethren right and remain faithful to God. The fellowship of God's people will continue, despite death. Note: Paul desires that all those in Corinth end up saved.

Despite the heartaches that the Corinthians have caused him, he greatly looks forward to the day when all of them together than stand in the presence of God.

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2 Corinthians 4:15 “For all things are for your sakes, that the grace, being multiplied through the many, may cause the thanksgiving to abound unto the glory of God” “For all things are for your sakes”: “It is all in your interests” (Mof). “For it is all for your benefit” (Gspd). “All this is to help you” (Beck). 1 Corinthians 3:22; 2 Timothy 2:10 “For this reason I endure all things for the sake of those who are chosen”. “All his experience has as its ultimate object the eternal welfare of his converts” (Tasker p. 76). “Being multiplied through the many”: “n order that grace may increase with the increased number who receive it” (Wey). “In order that as God's favor reaches greater and greater numbers, it may result in more and more thanksgiving in praise of God” (Gspd). “That the grace which is spreading to more and more people” (NASV). “For the more people who come to know the grace of God through the gospel Paul preaches, the more numerous will be the thanksgivings that will be evoked, and the greater the praise that will be offered to God” (Tasker p. 76).

Momentary Affliction and Eternal Glory 2 Corinthians 4:16 “Wherefore we faint not; but though our outward man is decaying, yet our inward man is renewed day by day” “Therefore”: In view of the glorious message he has been allowed to preach (4:1); the sufferings that God has enabled him to endure (4:8-9); the glorious hope Paul has (4:14); and the great results (4:15). “We faint not”: “No wonder we do not lose heart!” (NEB). “So I never give up” (Wms). “That is why we are not discouraged” (Beck). “But though our outward man”: The physical body. “A unique and comprehensive expression including all that is implied in earthen vessel (7); our body (10); and mortal flesh (11)” (Tasker p. 76). “Is decaying”: “The idea is that of progressive decay” (Vincent p. 314). “Outwardly we are wasting away” (TCNT). “The outward man does indeed suffer wear and tear” (Phi). The persecution that Paul faces does take a toll upon his physical body. “Our inward man”: Paul knew that his existence involved more than just a physical body (Matthew 10:28). This verse presents an interesting problem for those religious groups which deny that man has a dual nature. If as they claim, man does not have a soul, then what is being "renewed" in this verse? “Is renewed day by day”: “Our inner life is refreshed from day to day” (Knox). “But every day the inward man receives fresh strength” (Phi).

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“The very sufferings which may leave a man with a weakened body may be the very things which strengthen the sinews of his soul. It was the prayer of the poet, ‘Let me grow lovely growing old’. No man need fear the years, for they bring him nearer, not to death, but to God” (Barclay p. 225). When suffering and hardship are allowed to move us away from God, such suffering has been in vain (Romans 5:3-4; James 1:2-4). “With perfect calmness Paul can watch the destruction of his outer man.

What if his enemies hasten the process, yea, bring it to a sudden end by means of a violent death! He loses nothing. This inner man is not hindered but is only helped by the tribulation that assails the outer man” (Lenski p. 990). Paul did not feel he had reached perfection, for Paul, this renewal will not cease until he dies. Therefore, spiritual growth is expected during one’s entire lifetime.

2 Corinthians 4:17 “For our light affliction, which is for the moment, worketh for us more and more exceedingly an eternal weight of glory” “For our light affliction”: Paul calls all that he suffers in 4:8-9, "light affliction".

“The light burden of our momentary trouble” (TCNT). “The slight trouble of the passing hour” (Mof). “Our troubles are slight and short-lived” (NEB). This reveals why some Christians fail to overcome their own personal trials. Their mind is not on heavenly things, rather their hopes, dreams, and love is tethered to this earth (Colossians 3:1-2). “Because of this daily renewal, the glory of heaven seems to transfigure the apostle's afflictions and to make them appear comparatively light and of brief duration. Viewed from any other standpoint his sufferings would seem exceedingly grievous and far from temporary. It was only by bringing these sufferings into comparison with eternal glory that they dwindled into insignificance” (Tasker pp. 76-77). “Which is for the moment”: Compared to the eternity that awaits us. “Every moment and its pain are over in a moment. It is never anything but momentary. The moments keep flying away, they never amass and concentrate” (Lenski p. 992).

“Worketh for us”: Suffering does not unconditionally lead to spiritual renewal. It must be allowed to produce faith and patience (James 1:4). “More and more exceedingly”: “In excess unto excess” (P.P. Comm. p. 91). The same idea is found in Romans 8:18. That eternal life will by far outweigh any suffering that we have experienced in the pursuit of being faithful to God (Matthew 5:12; 1 Peter 5:10).

“Eternal weight of glory”: “And the outcome an eternal glory which outweighs them far” (NEB).

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2 Corinthians 4:18 “while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal” “We look not at the things which are seen”: That is, the troubles that are his present lot (Tasker p. 77). “Look”: “To regard or to fix the eyes upon watchfully” (Lenski p. 57). See Hebrews 11:27; Colossians 3:1-2. “If afflictions are viewed with regard to temporal affairs, they seem heavy and profitless” (McGarvey p. 192). “Are temporal”: “What we can see, lasts but for a moment” (Knox). “To regard them and to let them fill our eyes and our hearts is folly, for what when their brief season is over?” (Lenski pp. 993-994). “In the world's estimation the Apostle's life was an unenviable failure--his conversion when in the full course of a brilliant career, his counting as loss the things that had been gain to him, his labors, journeyings, hardships, persecutions, and, finally, his ignominious death as a despised martyr--for it is only the outward man that the world beholds. But Paul's estimate is totally different, because his values are the direct antithesis of the world's values. So far from being a disappointed man, his way is one of joy and power and hope beyond description” (Hughes p. 159).

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