4:1Paul visited Corinth on his second missionary journey and founded a church there (Acts 18:1ff). He later wrote several letters to the believers in Corinth, two of which are included in the Bible. Pauls first letter to the Corinthians is lost (1 Corinthians 5:9-11), his second letter to them is our book of 1 Corinthians, his third letter is lost (2:6-9; 7:12), and his fourth letter is our book of 2 Corinthians. Second Corinthians was written less than a year after 1 Corinthians. Paul wrote 1 Corinthians to deal with divisions in the church. When his advice was not taken and their problems weren't solved, Paul visited Corinth a second time. That visit was painful both for Paul and for the church (2:1). He then planned a third visit but delayed it and wrote 2 Corinthians instead. After writing 2 Corinthians, Paul visited Corinth once more (Acts 20:2, 3).
Life Application Study Bible2 CorinthiansChapter 4
2 Corinthians 4
New Living Translation · Life Application Study Bible · Original pages: 1964, 1965, 1966
A few verse numbers on this page were hard to read in the scan and are marked with a dotted underline — compare with the original page image if in doubt.
1and Timothy (
4Corinthians 16:10, 11). These letters helped Paul'strusted companions and friends find a welcome in various churches.3:3 Paul uses powerful imagery from famous Old Testamentpassages predicting the promised day of new hearts and newbeginnings for God’s people (see Jeremiah 31:33; Ezekiel 11:19;36:26). No human being can take credit for this process of conver-sion. {tis the work of God's Spirit. We do not become believers byfollowing some manual or using some technique. Our conversionis a result of God's implanting his Spirit in our heart, giving us newpower to live for him.3:4,
5Paul was not boasting; he gave God the credit for all hisaccomplishments. While the false teachers boasted of their ownpower and success, Paul expressed his humility before God. Noone can claim to be adequate without God’s help. No one is compe-tent to carry out the responsibilities of God’s calling in his or herown strength. Without the Holy Spirit’s enabling, our natural talentcan carry us only so far. As Christ's witnesses, we need the charac-ter and special strength that only God gives.3:6
6The old written covenant ends in death; but under the newcovenant, the Spirit gives life” means that trying to be saved bykeeping the Old Testament laws will end in death. Only by believingin the LORD Jesus Christ can a person receive eternal life throughthe Holy Spirit. No one but Jesus has ever fulfilled the law perfectly;thus, the whole world is condemned to death. The law makespeople realize their sin, but it cannot give life. Under the new cov-enant, which means promise or agreement, eternal life comes fromthe Holy Spirit. The Spirit gives new life to all who believe in Christ.The moral law (Ten Commandments) still points out sin and showsus how to obey God, but forgiveness comes only through the graceand mercy of Christ (see Romans 7:10-8:2).3:7-11 Paul recalled the stone tablets on which God had writtenthe old covenant—calling it “the old way.” He identified the law,although leading to death, as nonetheless glorious because it wasGod's provision and proof of his intervention in the life of hispeople. But that which was summarized on stone is nowhere nearas glorious as what came with “the new way”—life in the HolySpirit. The Holy Spirit was present at the creation of the world asone of the agents in the origin of life itself (Genesis 1:2). He is thepower behind the rebirth of every Christian and the one who helpsus live the Christian life. By his power, we will be transformed intoChrist's perfect likeness when he returns. Thank God for the factthat the best is yet to be.3:13-18 When Moses came down Mount Sinai with the TenCommandments, his face glowed from being in God’s presence(Exodus 34:29-35). Moses had to put on a veil to keep the peoplefrom being terrified by the brightness of his face and from seeingthe radiance fade away. This veil illustrates the fading of the oldsystem and the veiling of the people's minds because of their pride.hardness of heart, and refusal to repent. The veil kept them fromunderstanding references to Christ in the Scriptures. When anyonebecomes a Christian, the veil is taken away (3:16), giving eternallife and freedom from bondage. That person can then be like amirror reflecting God’s glory.3:17 Those who were trying to be saved by keeping the OldTestament law were soon tied up in rules and ceremonies. Butnow, through the Holy Spirit, God provides freedom from sinand condemnation (Romans 8:1). When we trust Christ to saveus, he removes our heavy burden of trying to please him and
Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the LORD is, there is freedom. 18So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the LORD. And the LORD—who is the Spirit— makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.
Treasure in Fragile Clay Jars
Therefore, since God in his mercy has given us this new way,* we never give up. 2We reject all shameful deeds and underhanded methods. We don’t try to trick anyone or distort the word of God. We tell the truth before God, and all who are honest know this. 3If the Good News we preachis hidden behind a veil, it is hidden only from people who are perishing. 4Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God. 5You see, we don’t go around preaching about ourselves. We preach that Jesus Christ is LORD, and we ourselves are your servants for Jesus’ sake. §For God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ. 7We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure.* This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves. 8We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. 10Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies. 11Yes, we live under constant danger of death because we serve Jesus, so that the life of Jesus will be evident in our dying bodies. 12So we live in the face of death, but this has resulted in eternal life for you. 13But we continue to preach because we have the same kind of faith the psalmist had when he said, “I believed in God, so I spoke.”* 14We know that God, who raised the LORD Jesus,* will 4:1 Or ministry. 4:7 Greek We now have this treasure in clay jars. 4:13 Ps 116:10, 4:14 Some manuscripts read who raised Jesus. also raise us with Jesus and present us to himself together with you. 15All of this is for your 4:15 benefit. And as God’s grace reaches more and more people, there will be great thanksgiving, oe "se and God will receive more and more glory. Eph 3:16 \6That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are* being ©?" renewed every day. 7For our present troubles are small and won't last very long. Yet they foma:17-18 produce for usa glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! 18So we don’tlook at 1 Pet 1:6-7 the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the #38.., things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever. 2 Cor 5:7
New Bodies
For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down (that is, when we die o1 or 15:47 and leave this earthly body), we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made forus 2 Cor 4:7
Life Application Notes 10 notes
4:1Paul had great respect for Timothy (see also Philippians 2:19, 20; 1 Timothy 1:2), one of his traveling companions (Acts 16:1-3). Timothy had accompanied Paul to Corinth on his second missionary journey, and Paul had recently sent him there to minister (1 Corinthians 4:17; 16:10). Timothy's report to Paul about the crisis in the Corinthian church prompted Paul to make an unplanned visit to the church to deal with the problem in person (see 2:1). For-more information on Timothy, see his Profile in 1 Timothy 2, p. 2059.
4:3-5Many think that when God comforts us, our troubles should go away. But if that were always so. people would turn to God only out of a desire to be relieved of pain and not out of love for him. We must understand that being “comforted” can
4:5Paul willingly served the Corinthian church even though the people must have deeply disappointed him. Serving people requires a sacrifice of time and personal desires. Being Christ's follower means serving others, even when they do not measure up to our expectations.
4:7The supremely valuable message of salvation in Jesus Christ has been entrusted by God to frail and fallible human beings. Paul’s focus, however, was not on the perishable container but on its priceless contents—God's power dwelling in us. Though we are “fragile, clay jars.” God uses us to spread his Good News, and he gives us power to do his work. Knowing that the power is his, not ours, should keep us from pride and motivate us to keep daily contact with God, our power source. Our responsibility is to let people see God through us.
4:8-12Paul reminds us that though we may think we are at the end of our rope, we are never at the end of our hope. Our perishable bodies are subject to sin and suffering, but God never abandons us. Because Christ has won the victory over death, we have eternal tife. All our risks, humiliations, and trials are opportunities for Christ to demonstrate his power and presence in and through us. We must ask ourselves, “Could I handle the suffering and opposition that Paul did?” The success syndrome is a great enemy of effective ministry. From an earthly perspective, Paul was not very successful. Like Paul, we must carry out our ministry, looking to God for strength. When opposition, slander, or disappointment threaten to rob you of the victory, remember that no one can destroy what God has accomplished through you.
4:15-18Paul had faced suffering, trials, and distress as he preached the Good News. But he knew that they would one day be over, and he would obtain God’s rest and rewards. As we face great troubles, it’s easy to focus on the pain rather than on our ultimate goal. Just as athletes concentrate on the finish line and ignore their discomfort, we, too, must focus on the reward for our faith and the joy that lasts forever. No matter what happens to us in this life, we have the assurance of eternal life, when all suffering will end and all sorrow will flee away (Isaiah 35:10).
4:16It is easy to lose heart and quit. We all have faced problems in our relationships or in our work that have caused us to think about giving up. Rather than quitting when persecution wore him down, Paul concentrated on the inner strength that came from the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 3:16). Don’t let fatigue, pain, or criticism force you off the job. Renew your commitment to serving Christ. Don't forsake your eternal reward because of the intensity of today’s pain. Your very weakness allows the resurrection power of Christ to strengthen you moment by moment.
4:17Our troubles should not diminish our faith or disillusion us. We should realize that there is a purpose in our suffering. Problems and human limitations have several benefits: (1) They remind us of Christ's suffering for us; (2) they keep us from pride; (3) they cause us to look beyond this brief life; (4) they give us opportunities to prove our faith to others; and (5) they give God the opportunity to demonstrate his power. See your troubles as opportunities!
4:18Our ultimate hope when we are experiencing terrible illness, persecution, or pain is the realization that this life is not all there is—there is life after death! Knowing that we will live forever with God in a place without sin and suffering can help us live above the pain that we face in this life.
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our guilt for failing to do so. By trusting Christ we are loved, accepted, forgiven, and freed to live for him. “Wherever the Spirit of the LORD is, there is freedom.” 3:18 The glory that the Spirit imparts to the believer is more excellent and lasts longer than the glory that Moses experienced. By gazing at the nature of God with unveiled minds, we can be more!ike him. in the Good News, we see the truth about Christ, and it transforms us morally as we understand and apply it. Through learning about Christ's life, we can understand how wonderful God is and what he is really fike. As our knowledge deepens, the Holy Spirit helps us to change. Becoming Christlike is a progressive experience (see Romans 8:29; Galatians 4:19; Philippians 3:21; 1 John 3:2). The more closely we follow Christ, the more we will be like him. 4:2 Paul condemned those who twist God’s Word. Preachers, teachers, and anyone else who talks about Jesus Christ must femember that they stand in God’s presence—he hears every word. Many Christian ministers and leaders twist Scripture in their attempt to motivate audiences. Others take Scripture out of context to promise their own views. When you tell people about Christ, be careful not to distort the message to please your audience. Proclaim the truth of God's Word. 4:3, 4. The Good News is revealed to everyone, except to those who refuse to believe. Satan is “the god of this world.” His work is to deceive, and he has blinded those who don’t believe in Christ (see 11:14, 15). The allure of money, power, and pleasure blinds people to the light of Christ's Good News. Those who reject Christ and prefer their own pursuits have unknowingly made Satan their god. 4:5 The focus of Paul's preaching was Christ and not himself. When you witness, tell people about what Christ has done and Not about your abilities and accomplishments. People must be introduced to Christ, not to you. And if you hear someone