2 Corinthians 4


2 Corinthians 4 is the fourth chapter of the Second Epistle to the Corinthians in the New Testament of the Christian Bible. It was written by Paul the Apostle and Timothy from Macedonia in 55–56 CE. This chapter is part of a section which deals with Paul's authority as an apostle. Twice in this chapter this sentence occurs: "Therefore, we do not lose heart".

Text

The original text was written in Koine Greek. Chapters and [verses of the Bible|This chapter is divided into] 18 verses.

Textual witnesses

Some early manuscripts containing the text of this chapter are:
The Greek οὐκ ἐγκακοῦμεν is a Pauline phrase used twice in this chapter, derived from the verb ἐκκακέω, meaning "to faint". The word is used in three of the other Pauline epistles, and in one other New Testament text: "the example outside the Pauline corpus is found at. Jesus spoke a parable concerning the constant necessity of prayer and that the Christians should not grow weary of prayer".

Verse 2

As "an honourable apostle", Paul renounces "handling the word of God deceitfully", or "adulterating the word of God". The, , indicates "falsifying the word of God". At 2 Corinthians 2:17 Paul asserted that he and his companions "speak as men of sincerity".

Verse 4

"The god of this age" is Satan, who is given "a great but awful description". In John 12:31 he is called "the prince of this world", and in Ephesians 2:2 he is called "the prince of the power of the air".

Verse 7

Baptist theologian John Gill reflects that the Christian Gospel is a "treasure" because "it contains rich truths" which are placed in "earthen vessels", i.e. "ministers of the word". It alludes either to the "earth", where hidden treasures are to be dug, or to "pots and vessels made of earth", or to "earthen pitchers", formerly to carry lights or lamps ; the latter may represent the Gospel as a "glorious light, shining in darkness".
The Greek word ὀστρακίνοις also refers to "shells of fishes", which Philo compared to the human body: I am very little concerned for this mortal body which is about me, and cleaves to me, "like the shell of a fish"; though it is hurt by everyone. This reference may point to pearls, which are found in shells, particularly in oysters, expressing the "frail mortal bodies of the ministers of the Gospel" as they work under persecutions, for Gospel's sake.