Chapter 4 of 2 Corinthians finishes what he starts in chapter 3 and begins what he discusses in chapter 5.
The chapter and verse divisions of your Bible were not put in there by God. In fact, Stephen Langton first divided the Bible into chapters in 1228. The Old Testament was first divided by verses in 1448. Robert Stephanus put the verse divisions in the New Testament in 1551. Stephanus and Langton are both Frenchmen. So you can thank the French for the chapters and verse divisions in your Bibles.
Today we are studying another chapter of the letter of 2 Corinthians that describes why we should keep going when things seem hopelessly difficult.
I have some handouts for you that will help you in this study. (At the bottom of this lesson).
As we read this chapter let’s notice the first person plural pronouns, “we, ourselves, our, us.” These personal pronouns pepper the page. Twenty-seven times in 18 verses! This is a clear clue as to what concerns the writer of this chapter. Here’s the text:
4:1 Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we do not lose heart.
2 But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.
3 But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing,
4 whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.
5 For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bondservants for Jesus’ sake.
6 For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.
8 We are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;
9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed;
10 always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.
11 For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus’ sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.
12 So then death is working in us, but life in you.
13 And since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, "I believed and therefore I spoke," we also believe and therefore speak,
14 knowing that He who raised up the Lord Jesus will also raise us up with Jesus, and will present us with you.
15 For all things are for your sakes, that grace, having spread through the many, may cause thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God.
16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.
17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory,
18 while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.
There are three headings woven through this chapter that might be labeled:
1. We have…
2. We are…/We are not…
3. We do not…
What does the writer claim in the “we have’s” that help us?
1. We have this ministry (1)
2. We have received mercy (1)
3. We have renounced hidden things of shame (2)
4. We have this treasure in jars of clay (7)
5. We have the spirit of confessing faith (13)
What is the situation that calls for help in the “we are/we are not” statements?
1. We are hard pressed/ we are not crushed
2. We are perplexed/ we are not despairing
3. We are persecuted/ we are not forsaken
4. We are struck down/ we are not destroyed
Listen to this prose about prayer:
I asked for health that I might do greater things;
I was given infirmity that I might do better things.
I asked God for strength that I might achieve;
I was made weak that I might learn to obey.
I asked for riches that I might be happy;
I was given poverty that I might be wise.
I asked for power and the praise of men;
I was given weakness to sense my need of God.
I asked for all things that I might enjoy life;
I was given life that I might enjoy all things.
I got nothing I asked for but everything I hoped for;
In spite of myself, my prayers were answered—
I am among all men most richly blessed.
Hardship tends to make us want to quit. But how many times does the word of God commend hardship for the Christian? Over and over the scriptures tell us that difficulty and hardships have redeeming value for those who walk in faith. We need not give up! We can look up and receive grace and strength in time of need. It is the quitters that never receive the fullness of God’s greatest blessings. And it is in the midst of hardship that God works to build the highest and best for us. Look at every character in the Bible! Show me the ones that we consider blessed by God the most and take a look at their lives! Can you find any without hardship?
This takes us to the “we do not” statements: The very first one is repeated near the end of the chapter. We do not… lose heart!
What does it look like to lose heart? I found these illustrations on the web:
1. The worst defeat in a college football game came on October 7, 1916, when Georgia Tech played Cumberland college of Kentucky and beat them 222 to 0! Wow! It’s on record! It’s a fact! It was said that Cumberland never made a first down. The much smaller Cumberland players were mauled. Halfway through the first half one of the Cumberland backs fumbled the ball.
As the ball rolled toward his teammate, he yelled out, "PICK IT UP! PICK IT UP!" The other player yelled back, "YOU PICK IT UP! YOU DROPPED IT."
2. Professor George Palmer of Harvard once told the story of a boy lying in bed until very late in the morning. His mother called to him and asked, "Aren’t you ashamed to be lying here so late in the morning?" He replied, "Yes, mother, I am ashamed, but I would rather be ashamed than get up."
3. There was a boxer who went to his corner after being knocked down in the first round. His trainer patted him on the back and said, "Go back out there and get him. He hasn’t laid a glove on you."
In the second round he was knocked down twice and saved by the bell on the count of nine. He barely made it back to his corner. His trainer patted him on the back again and said to him, "Go back out there and get him. He hasn’t laid a glove on you."
Then the boxer said to his trainer, "I’m going back out there and get him this next round. But you keep your eyes on that referee because somebody out there is beating the devil out of me!"
We do not lose heart! Why? It all has to do with what is our purpose and where we are focused!
The second “we do not” is in verse 5. See it? We do not… what? Preach ourselves! We aren’t in this for selfish purposes! We have high and holy purposes where the glory of God is at stake in our lives! After describing the situation of we are and we are not in verses 8-9 he goes on to talk about how they are servants for Jesus’ sake. This ministry has to do with the dying and living of Jesus. His death and his life are central to what suffering as a Christian is all about.
Let’s reflect for a moment on the power of Jesus on the cross. What is that power? We see a man beaten beyond recognition, nailed up between two thieves, crowned with a thorny crown, hanging in what appears to be powerlessness and utter hopelessness. The dying Jesus! Where is the power? Where is the purpose? What value could possibly be found in such a terrible and agonizing experience? Why does he endure? What could he possibly hope to accomplish in this?
Read with me verses 10-14 again. Paul is telling us that he is joining with Jesus. He has discovered that the greatest accomplishments in life are not free from burden and pain, but are found in the midst of difficulty and hardship for the cause of Christ.
Look again at verses 16-18. How does he look upon the pain and trouble? What does he call it? Light and momentary? Why continue in affliction? The purpose is to join with Jesus in suffering so that we may all join with Jesus in eternal glory!
The purpose is glory the focus is on what is unseen!
2 Corinthians 4 worksheet
4:1 Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we do not lose heart.
2 But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.
3 But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing,
4 whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.
5 For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bondservants for Jesus’ sake.
6 For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.
8 We are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;
9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed;
10 always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.
11 For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus’ sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.
12 So then death is working in us, but life in you.
13 And since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, "I believed and therefore I spoke," we also believe and therefore speak,
14 knowing that He who raised up the Lord Jesus will also raise us up with Jesus, and will present us with you.
15 For all things are for your sakes, that grace, having spread through the many, may cause thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God.
16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.
17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory,
18 while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.
Underline all the first person pronouns: “we” “ourselves” “our” “us” (27 occurrences in NKJV).
Circle these words: “we have” “we are” “we do not” (also circle the word “not” everywhere else it is found).
List the “we have” statements: (verses 1,2,7,13).
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
List what he says “we are” in verses 8-9. (Sometimes the words “we are” do not occur in English, but are understood in context).
1.
2.
3.
4.
List what he says we are “not” in verses 8-9.
1.
2.
3.
4.
List the “we do not” statements: (verses 1,5,16,18).
1.
2.
3.
4.
