Prefer to watch instead of read? Check out this video 2 Corinthians Chapter 4 Explained.
If you prefer reading, continue below for a full breakdown of 2 Corinthians Chapter 4.
Paul’s Gospel Ministry in 2 Corinthians 4 Explained
Paul’s Defense Against Accusations
In 2 Corinthians Chapter 4, Paul continues to deflect the criticism aimed at him and his fellow Gospel ministers, insisting that he would not grow weary or quit. Someone had been whispering to the Corinthian church that Paul had ulterior motives in preaching the Gospel and perhaps had even distorted the truth.
Paul addresses this criticism earlier in his letter, assuring the Corinthians that his writing had no hidden meanings (2 Cor. 1:13) and that he was not “selling” God’s Word for profit (2 Cor. 2:17). Here, he clearly states he openly proclaims the truth (2 Cor 4:2) and if anyone cannot understand the Gospel’s message, it is because they are spiritually blind.
Spiritual Blindness and Its Causes
The Role of Satan in Spiritual Blindness
In 1 Corinthians, Paul said spiritual blindness occurs when someone without the Spirit cannot accept what comes from God’s Spirit. Such a person considers these things foolishness and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit (1 Cor. 2:14 NIV). Paul attributes this spiritual blindness to Satan’s schemes, saying, “The ‘god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers so they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ'” (2 Cor. 4:4).
Hope Through God’s Grace
Just because someone is spiritually blind does not mean there is no hope – there is always hope. Paul clarifies that this blindness is not beyond the reach of God’s grace.
The Transformative Power of the Gospel
Paul’s Encounter on the Road to Damascus
Paul’s life testifies to God’s grace and the Gospel’s transformative power. He once was spiritually blind, unable to see the truth until he encountered the light of the Gospel of Christ’s glory on the road to Damascus (Acts 26:12). There, Christ removed the veil covering Paul’s heart, enabling him to see and understand the truth. Paul believed and his life was forever changed.
In that encounter, Jesus appointed Paul as a servant and minister of the Gospel. Jesus said to Paul: “I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me” (Acts 26:17-18). From that moment on, Paul boldly preached Christ crucified. He did so not for his glory but for Christ’s. Paul understood that to unbelievers, that message was foolishness, but to those being saved, it was the light of the knowledge of the glory of God (2 Cor. 4:6).
Treasures in Jars of Clay Explained in 2 Corinthians 4
Ending Suffering in Christ
Paul’s teachings on suffering and its role in his ministry show us how to endure hardships in our lives as Christ-followers. He teaches we carry around this knowledge of God’s glory in our bodies, which Paul compares to clay jars. Our bodies, like these jars, are fragile. God displays His glory in our weakness, showing that the surpassingly great power is from Him and not from us (2 Cor. 4:7).
Paul’s life is a testament to this truth. When Saul (Paul) was still persecuting Christians on the Road to Damascus, a great light blinded him, and Jesus spoke to him, telling him to go to Damascus and wait for his assignment. At about the same time, Ananias, Jesus’ disciple, had a vision in which Jesus told Ananias to go to Paul and lay his hands on him to restore his sight. In that vision, Jesus told Ananias, “I will show him how much he must suffer for My name”(Acts 9:16).
Paul indeed suffered for Jesus’ name. But through all his troubles, Paul was “hard pressed on all sides, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down but not destroyed.” Paul’s suffering did not distance him from Christ. Instead, it deepened his conviction that nothing could separate him from Christ’s love – not trouble, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, danger, or sword (Romans 8:35).
Paul suffered for Jesus’ sake, and the message of the Gospel, and he knew that this suffering was worth it. He knew that some things could only be accomplished through suffering, and his ministry was more effective because of it.
Light and Momentary Troubles Compared to Eternal Glory
Paul’s Faith in the Unseen and Eternal
Paul had faith that no matter his troubles, no matter his suffering, he would be raised with Jesus and that the fruit of his ministry, the Corinthians, would one day be presented with Paul to Christ (2 Cor. 4:14). Because of his faith, Paul could see the spiritual reality before him. Although his outer self was wasting away, his inner self was being renewed daily. These troubles were nothing compared to what was waiting for him in heaven. Paul called these troubles, persecution, distress, famine, and nakedness “light and momentary.” He could do this because he was fixing his eyes on the unseen, not the seen. Because of what he sees around him, his body wasting away is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. Paul understood that the physical world was temporary, while the spiritual and unseen were eternal.
Embracing Paul’s Attitude Towards Suffering and Opposition
If Christians today embraced Paul’s attitude, we could change the world. Paul did not let his opposition cause him to lose heart. No, it made him even more bold. Paul knew that opposition to him was opposition to the Gospel. But he also knew his commission: to open eyes and turn people from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God. And he would not let anyone thwart his plans.
Paul didn’t view his troubles and suffering as negatives but as opportunities to glorify Jesus and minister to others. As we face opposition in our ministries (we all have them), let’s remember why we face them. There is a reason. Some of the most significant works in our lives can only happen through enduring hardship. So let us accept them as Paul did as light and momentary, and don’t fix our eyes on the physical but on the spiritual, which is eternal.
For the Rest of the Series on 2 Corinthians:
- 2 Corinthians Chapter 1 Explained: Key Insights
- 2 Corinthians Chapter 2 Explained: Love, Forgiveness, Triumph in Christ
- 2 Corinthians Chapter 3 Explained: The Transformative Power of the New Covenant
Make sure to check out these posts to follow along with the full study of 2 Corinthians!
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Making Him Known February 28, 2025 9:13 am