S
E C O N D C O R I N I T H I A N S
CHAP. IV.
In
this chapter we have an account, I. Of the constancy of the apostle and his
fellow-labourers in their work. Their constancy in declared (ver. 1), their
sincerity is vouched (ver. 2), an objection is obviated (ver. 3, 4), and their
integrity proved, ver. 5-7. II. Of their courage and patience under their
sufferings. Where see what their sufferings were, together with their allays
(ver. 8-12), and what it was that kept them from sinking and fainting under
them, ver. 13, to the end.
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Constancy
and Sincerity of the Apostles; The Apostle's Integrity.
A. D. 57.
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1 Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we
have received mercy, we faint not; 2 But have renounced the hidden
things of dishonesty, 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 if our gospel be hid,
it is hid to them that are lost: 4 In whom the god of this world
hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the
glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto
them. 5 For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord;
and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake. 6 For God, who
commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined 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
excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.
The apostle had, in the foregoing chapter, been magnifying his office,
upon the consideration of the excellency or glory of that gospel about which
he did officiate; and now in this chapter his design is to vindicate their
ministry from the accusation of false teachers, who charged them as deceitful
workers, or endeavoured to prejudice the minds of the people against them on
account of their sufferings. He tells them, therefore, how they believed, and
how they showed their value for their office as ministers of the gospel. They
were not puffed up with pride, but spurred on to great diligence: "Seeing
we have this ministry, are so much distinguished and dignified, we do not
take state upon ourselves, nor indulge in idleness, but are excited to the
better performance of our duty."
I. Two things in general we have an account of:--Their constancy and sincerity
in their work and labour, concerning which observe, 1. Their constancy and
perseverance in their work are declared: "We faint not (v.
1) under the difficulty of our work, nor do we desist from our labour."
And this their stedfastness was owing to the mercy of God. From the
same mercy and grace from which they received the apostleship (Rom. i. 5),
they received strength to persevere in the work of that office. Note, As it is
great mercy and grace to be called to be saints, and especially to be counted
faithful, and be put into the ministry (1 Tim. i. 12), so it is owing to
the mercy and grace of God if we continue faithful and persevere in our work
with diligence. The best men in the world would faint in their work, and under
their burdens, if they did not receive mercy from God. By the grace of God
I am what I am, said this great apostle in his former epistle to these
Corinthians, ch. xv. 10. And that mercy which has helped us out, and
helped us on, hitherto, we may rely upon to help us even to the end. 2. Their
sincerity in their work is avouched (v. 2) in several expressions: We
have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty. The things of dishonesty
are hidden things, that will not bear the light; and those who practise them
are, or should be, ashamed of them, especially when they are known. Such
things the apostle did not allow of, but did renounce and avoid with
indignation: Not walking in craftiness, or in disguise, acting with art
and cunning, but in great simplicity, and with open freedom. They had no base
and wicked designs covered with fair and specious pretences of something that
was good. Nor did they in their preaching handle the word of God
deceitfully; but, as he said before, they used great plainness of
speech, and did not make their ministry serve a turn, or truckle to base
designs. They had not cheated the people with falsehood instead of truth. Some
think the apostle alludes to the deceit which treacherous gamesters use, or
that of hucksters in the market, who mix bad wares with good. The apostles
acted not like such persons, but they manifested the truth to every man's
conscience, declaring nothing but what in their own conscience they
believed to be true, and what might serve for the conviction of their
consciences who heard them, who were to judge for themselves, and to give an
account for themselves. And all this they did as in the sight of God,
desirous thus to commend themselves to God, and to the consciences of men, by
their undisguised sincerity. Note, A stedfast adherence to the truths of the
gospel will commend ministers and people; and sincerity or uprightness will
preserve a man's reputation, and the good opinion of wise and good men
concerning him.
II. An objection is obviated, which might be thus formed: "If it be thus,
how then does it come to pass, that the gospel is hid, and proves ineffectual,
as to some who hear it?" To which the apostle answers, by showing that
this was not the fault of the gospel, nor of the preachers thereof. But the
true reasons of this are, 1. Those are lost souls to whom the gospel is
hid, or is ineffectual, v. 3. Christ came to save that which was
lost (Matt. xvii. 11), and the gospel of Christ is sent to save such; and,
if this do not find and save them, they are lost for ever; they must never
expect any thing else to save them, for there is no other method or means of
salvation. The hiding of the gospel therefore from souls is both an evidence
and cause of their ruin. 2. The god of this world hath blinded their minds,
v. 4. They are under the influence and power of the devil, who is here
called the god of this world, and elsewhere the prince of this
world, because of the great interest he has in this world, the homage that
is paid to him by multitudes in this world, and the great sway that, by divine
permission, he bears in the world, and in the hearts of his subjects, or
rather slaves. And as he is the prince of darkness, and ruler of the darkness
of this world, so he darkens the understandings of men, and increases their
prejudices, and supports his interest by keeping them in the dark, blinding
their minds with ignorance, and error, and prejudices, that they should not behold
the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God.
Observe, (1.) Christ's design by his gospel is to make a glorious discovery of
God to the minds of men. Thus, as the image of God, he demonstrates the power
and wisdom of God, and the grace and mercy of God for their salvation. But,
(2.) The design of the devil is to keep men in ignorance; and, when he cannot
keep the light of the gospel out of the world, he makes it his great business
to keep it out of the hearts of men.
III. A proof of their integrity is given, v. 5. They made it their
business to preach Christ, and not themselves: We preach not ourselves.
Self was not the matter nor the end of the apostles' preaching: they did not
give their own notions and private opinions, nor their passions and
prejudices, for the word and will of God; nor did they seek themselves, to
advance their own secular interest or glory. But they preached Christ Jesus
the Lord; and thus it did become them and behove them to do, as being
Christ's servants. Their business was to make their Master known to the world
as the Messiah, or the Christ of God, and as Jesus, the only Saviour of men,
and as the rightful Lord, and to advance his honour and glory. Note, All the
lines of Christian doctrine centre in Christ; and in preaching Christ we
preach all we should preach. "As to ourselves," says the
apostle, "we preach, or declare, that we are your servants for
Jesus' sake." This was no compliment, but a real profession of a
readiness to do good to their souls, and to promote their spiritual and
eternal interest, and that for Jesus' sake; not for their own sake or
their own advantage, but for Christ's sake, that they might imitate his great
example, and advance his glory. Note, Ministers should not be of proud
spirits, lording it over God's heritage, who are servants to the souls
of men: yet, at the same time, they must avoid the meanness of spirit implied
in becoming the servants of the humours or the lusts of men; if they should
thus seek to please men, they would not be the servants of Christ, Gal.
i. 10. And there was good reason, 1. Why they should preach Christ. For by
gospel light we have the knowledge of the glory of God, which shines in
the face of Jesus Christ, v. 6. And the light of this Sun of
righteousness is more glorious than that light which God commanded to
shine out of darkness. It is a pleasant thing for the eye to behold the sun in
the firmament; but it is more pleasant and profitable when the gospel shines
in the heart. Note, As light was the first-born of the first creation, so it
is in the new creation: the illumination of the Spirit is his first work upon
the soul. The grace of God created such a light in the soul that those who were
sometimes darkness are made light in the Lord, Eph. v. 8. 2. Why they
should not preach themselves: because they were but earthen vessels, things of
little or no worth or value. Here seems to be an allusion to the lamps which
Gideon's soldiers carried in earthen pitchers, Jud. vii. 16. The treasure of
gospel light and grace is put into earthen vessels. The ministers of the
gospel are weak and frail creatures, and subject to like passions and
infirmities as other men; they are mortal, and soon broken in pieces. And God
has so ordered it that the weaker the vessels are the stronger his power may
appear to be, that the treasure itself should be valued the more. Note, There
is an excellency of power in the gospel of Christ, to enlighten the mind, to
convince the conscience, to convert the soul, and to rejoice the heart; but
all this power is from God the author, and not from men, who are but
instruments, so that God in all things must be glorified.
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The Apostles' Sufferings and Supports.
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A. D. 57.
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8 We are troubled on every side, yet not
distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; 9
Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; 10
Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life
also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. 11 For we which
live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of
Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh. 12 So then death
worketh in us, but life in you. 13 We having the same spirit of
faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we
also believe, and therefore speak; 14 Knowing that he which raised
up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us
with you. 15 For all things are for your sakes, that the
abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of
God. 16 For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man
perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. 17 For
our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more
exceeding and eternal weight of glory; 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.
In these verses the apostle gives an account of their courage and patience
under all their sufferings, where observe,
I. How their sufferings, and patience under them, are declared, v.
8-12. The apostles were great sufferers; therein they followed their Master:
Christ had told them that in the world they should have tribulation,
and so they had; yet they met with wonderful support, great relief, and many
allays of their sorrows. "We are," says the apostle, "troubled
on every side, afflicted many ways, and we meet with almost all sorts of
troubles; yet not distressed, v. 8. We are not hedged in nor
cooped up, because we can see help in God, and help from God, and have liberty
of access to God." Again, "We are perplexed, often uncertain,
and in doubt what will become of us, and not always without anxiety in our
minds on this account; yet not in despair (v. 8), even in our
greatest perplexities, knowing that God is able to support us, and to deliver
us, and in him we always place our trust and hope." Again, "We are persecuted
by men, pursued with hatred and violence from place to place, as men not
worthy to live; yet not forsaken of God," v. 9. Good men
may be sometimes forsaken of their friends, as well as persecuted by their
enemies; but God will never leave them nor forsake them. Again, "We are
sometimes dejected, or cast down; the enemy may in a great measure
prevail, and our spirits begin to fail us; there may be fears within, as well
as fightings without; yet we are not destroyed," v. 9.
Still they were preserved, and kept their heads above water. Note, Whatever
condition the children of God may be in, in this world, they have a "but
not" to comfort themselves with; their case sometimes is bad, yea
very bad, but not so bad as it might be. The apostle speaks of their
sufferings as constant, and as a counterpart of the sufferings of Christ, v.
10. The sufferings of Christ were, after a sort, re-acted in the sufferings of
Christians; thus did they bear about the dying of the Lord Jesus in
their body, setting before the world the great example of a suffering Christ, that
the life of Jesus might also be made manifest, that is, that people might
see the power of Christ's resurrection, and the efficacy of grace in and from
the living Jesus, manifested in and towards them, who did yet live, though
they were always delivered to death (v. 11), and though death
worked in them (v. 12), they being exposed to death, and ready to
be swallowed up by death continually. So great were the sufferings of the
apostles that, in comparison with them, other Christians were, even at this
time, in prosperous circumstances: Death worketh in us; but life in you,
v. 12.
II. What it was that kept them from sinking and fainting under their
sufferings, v. 13-18. Whatever the burdens and troubles of good men may
be, they have cause enough not to faint.
1. Faith kept them from fainting: We have the same spirit of faith (v.
13), that faith which is of the operation of the Spirit; the same faith by
which the saints of old did and suffered such great things. Note, The grace of
faith is a sovereign cordial, and an effectual antidote against fainting-fits
in troublous times. The spirit of faith will go far to bear up the spirit of a
man under his infirmities; and as the apostle had David's example to imitate,
who said (Ps. cxvi. 10), I have believed, and therefore have I spoken,
so he leaves us his example to imitate: We also believe, says he, and
therefore speak. Note, As we receive help and encouragement from the good
words and examples of others, so we should be careful to give a good example
to others.
2. Hope of the resurrection kept them from sinking, v. 14. They knew
that Christ was raised, and that his resurrection was an earnest and assurance
of theirs. This he had treated of largely in his former epistle to these
Corinthians, ch. xv. And therefore their hope was firm, being well
grounded, that he who raised up Christ the head will also raise up all his
members. Note, The hope of the resurrection will encourage us in a suffering
day, and set us above the fear of death; for what reason has a good Christian
to fear death, that dies in hope of a joyful resurrection?
3. The consideration of the glory of God and the benefit of the church, by
means of their sufferings, kept them from fainting, v. 15. Their
sufferings were for the church's advantage (ch. i. 6), and thus did
redound to God's glory. For, when the church is edified, then God is
glorified; and we may well afford to bear sufferings patiently and cheerfully
when we see others are the better for them--if they are instructed and
edified, if they are confirmed and comforted. Note, The sufferings of Christ's
ministers, as well as their preaching and conversation, are intended for the
good of the church and the glory of God.
4. The thoughts of the advantage their souls would reap by the sufferings of
their bodies kept them from fainting: Though our outward man perish, our
inward man is renewed day by day, v. 16. Here note, (1.) We have
every one of us an outward and an inward man, a body and a soul. (2.) If the
outward man perish, there is no remedy, it must and will be so, it was made to
perish. (3.) It is our happiness if the decays of the outward man do
contribute to the renewing of the inward man, if afflictions outwardly are
gain to us inwardly, if when the body is sick, and weak, and perishing, the
soul is vigorous and prosperous. The best of men have need of further renewing
of the inward man, even day by day. Where the good work is begun there is more
work to be done, for carrying it forward. And as in wicked men things grow
every day worse and worse, so in godly men they grow better and better.
5. The prospect of eternal life and happiness kept them from fainting, and was
a mighty support and comfort. As to this observe, (1.) The apostle and his
fellow-sufferers saw their afflictions working towards heaven, and that they
would end at last (v. 17), whereupon they weighed things aright in the
balance of the sanctuary; they did as it were put the heavenly glory in one
scale and their earthly sufferings in the other; and, pondering things in
their thoughts, they found afflictions to be light, and the glory of heaven to
be a far more exceeding weight. That which sense was ready to pronounce
heavy and long, grievous and tedious, faith perceived to be light and short,
and but for a moment. On the other hand, the worth and weight of the crown of
glory, as they are exceedingly great in themselves, so they are esteemed to be
by the believing soul--far exceeding all his expressions and thoughts; and it
will be a special support in our sufferings when we can perceive them
appointed as the way and preparing us for the enjoyment of the future glory.
(2.) Their faith enabled them to make this right judgment of things: We
look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen,
v. 18. It is by faith that we see God, who is invisible (Heb. xi. 27),
and by this we look to an unseen heaven and hell, and faith is the evidence
of things not seen. Note, [1.] There are unseen things, as well as things
that are seen. [2.] There is this vast difference between them: unseen things
are eternal, seen things but temporal, or temporary only. [3.] By faith we not
only discern these things, and the great difference between them, but by this
also we take our aim at unseen things, and chiefly regard them, and make it
our end and scope, not to escape present evils, and obtain present good, both
of which are temporal and transitory, but to escape future evil and obtain
future good things, which though unseen, are real, and certain, and eternal;
and faith is the substance of things hoped for, as well as the evidence
of things not seen, Heb. xi. 1.
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