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2Cor.4:1. Therefore, having such a ministry by the grace of God, we do not lose heart, Since he expressed many and great things, saying that we, the apostles, are higher than Moses (for if everything is higher, then even more so are they), he moderates his word and says: all this belongs to God. For we are only ministers, and the fact that we have been appointed ministers is not ours, but, he says, this also belongs to the mercy of God. The words “therefore we do not lose heart” refer to both, that is, since we have been rewarded with such great blessings, we do not shy away from danger and sorrow, because, having once been pardoned, we are put into service. 2Cor.4:2. but, having rejected secret shameful deeds, without resorting to cunning, Points to false apostles who pretended in everything. They took the gifts and presented themselves as unbelievers; They seemed holy, but they were unclean. We, he says, have rejected those deeds that, when revealed, cover the one who does them with shame, that is, those that are committed hypocritically. For he adds: “without resorting to cunning,” so that what is done with deceit is what brings shame. However, if you understand this about shameful deeds, then there will be nothing new in this: for this is also characteristic of the false apostles. and without distorting the word of God, Not only, he says, is our life simple, pure and free from lawlessness, but there is no deception in our teaching and in our word. For we do not mix into them anything from external wisdom or anything flattering, we do not collect money from preaching, and we do not say one thing today and another tomorrow, applying it to times and persons, as false apostles do. and by revealing the truth, we present ourselves to the conscience of every person before God. False apostles present themselves outwardly and for show, and appear to be different from what they really are. And I imagine myself “discovering the truth,” that is, I use the deeds themselves as evidence. So, I say that I do not take anything, and I have you as witnesses of this; I do the same in everything else. This is how I present myself to all people, believers and unbelievers, that is, by revealing my life and preaching openly to everyone, so that everyone can understand. And since people can be deceived, he adds: “before God,” Whom the false apostles do not accept as witnesses. 2 Cor.4:3. But if our gospel is hid, it is hid to those who are perishing, Having said above that although the Israelites are veiled, and we believers look with uncovered faces, he now says that if the Gospel is closed, it is closed to unbelievers. For what happened then to the Jews regarding Moses, the same thing now happens to unbelievers regarding the Gospel. But they are to blame for this, and not the Gospel, for if they had believed, they would have seen the glory of God without veil. 2 Cor.4:4. for those who do not believe, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ should shine upon them, Among those who perish, he says, who are many and varied, are also unbelievers. It is to them that “the god of this age has blinded the minds.” The Marcionites claim that this is said about the demiurge, whom they call just (see St. John Chrysos, Conversation 8), but not good, and the Manichaeans attribute this to the devil, whom they also call the creator of the world. But neither one nor the other is fair, and this is said about our God. If He is called the God of this age, then there is nothing new in this; for He is also called the God of heaven, although He is not the God of heaven alone; He is also called the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, although He is not the God of them alone, but of all. Is it strange if Paul now appropriately called Him the God of this age, in order to better show the unbelievers that He created these visible things, enjoying which they reject the Creator? This passage can also be explained in such a way that God has blinded the minds of the unbelievers of this age, for in the next age there are no unbelievers. What does “blinded” mean? This means that he allowed them to be blind, just as “God gave them over to a depraved mind” (Rom. 1:28). For after they fell away from Him, He left them to Himself, left them, because He does not force them to salvation. Notice that he did not say that he blinded them so that they would not believe, but so that unworthy eyes would not see the splendor of the glory of Christ. The brilliance lies in believing that He was crucified, ascended, and will give us future blessings. Just as a sick person is not allowed to see the sun’s rays with his eyes, lest they be damaged, so they too became unbelievers of their own accord. And when they became like this, God hid the rays of the glory of the gospel from them, just as he hid the face of Moses from the Israelites. So he commanded us “not to cast pearls before swine” (Matthew 7:6). He said beautifully: “to shine,” for now we have a moderate light, and not complete sanctification, which he above called a fragrance and a deposit, showing that there is something more there. Who is the image of the invisible God. This shows that they do not know not only the glory of Christ, but also the glory of the Father. For if Christ is the image of the Father, then he who does not see Christ does not know the Father. 2 Cor.4:5. For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and we are your servants for Jesus, Above he said that we “do not resort to cunning,” then he added about the unbelievers, how they were covered. Now he says: we do not deceive, for we do not preach ourselves, like the false apostles. For they inspired their disciples to call themselves by their names, as he showed in the first epistle: “I am Apollos, I am Cephas” (1 Cor. 1:12). Otherwise: do not think, those who attack us, that you are attacking us, for we do not preach ourselves, but Christ, why do you rebel against what we preach. We preach not ourselves to such an extent that we do not refuse to be your slaves for Christ, that is, for the sake of the fact that He loved us so much and did everything for us. 2 Cor.4:6. because God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, has shined in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. Why, he says, don’t we preach ourselves? Because God shone in our hearts, as in ancient times on the face of Moses, so now on us. Just as he spoke at the first creation, and light appeared out of darkness, so now he spoke, and light appeared. However, He Himself became light for us, for He shone for us “in the face of Christ,” that is, through Christ, because the Father shines in us through Christ and gives “enlightenment with knowledge,” not of His essence, but of glory. Notice that here too Paul has a theology about the Trinity. For he says about the Spirit: “beholding the glory of the Lord,” for the Spirit is the Lord; about the Son: “the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ,” and now about the Father: “to enlighten us with the knowledge of His glory.” 2 Cor.4:7. But we carry this treasure in earthen vessels, Since he said many great and lofty things about the ineffable glory, lest anyone say: how can we, having received such blessings as you say, remain in a mortal body? - says: an earthen vessel contains such treasures by the power of God. so that the superabundant power is attributed to God and not to us. So that the superabundant power that appears in us is God’s and so that they do not think that we do anything on our own, but so that everyone who sees says that it is all God’s. Hints at the false apostles who attributed everything to themselves. 2 Cor.4:8. We are oppressed from everywhere, but not constrained, To such an extent, he says, everything is a work of God’s power, that although we are meager vessels and are subjected to so many and such varied temptations, we are not broken and do not lose the treasure that is within us. For we are subject to tribulation at every time, in every place and in every thing, between friends, between enemies, “but we are not oppressed,” because God enlarges our hearts. we are in desperate circumstances, but we do not despair, That is, although we are subjected to adversity and oppression, yet, standing firm, we do not despair and are not overcome, but in God we find help and overcome. 2 Cor.4:9. we are persecuted, but not abandoned, People persecute us, but God does not abandon us. For this is allowed so that we can practice fighting, and not so that we fall. we are cast down, but we do not perish. Opponents, he says, overthrow us in the body and in external things, but we do not perish, we are complacent and enjoy the constancy of the spirit, and at the same time we preserve the body itself with the help of God. 2 Cor.4:10. We always carry in our body the death of the Lord Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. That is, daily being exposed to death and always imitating the death of the Lord, we thus testify to His life or resurrection with our body. For if anyone does not believe that the Lord has risen, he will have no excuse for unbelief when he sees that we die daily and remain alive daily. 2 Cor.4:11. For we who are alive are continually being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our mortal flesh, This explains the words "death of Jesus" which were unclear. For he usually explains what is not clearly said. The word “so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed,” in addition to the previous interpretation, should also be interpreted this way: just as we now undergo the death of Christ and decide to die alive for Him, so He will deign to revive those who have died then. The apostle says this in another place: “if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with Him” (Rom. 6:8). 2 Cor.4:12. so that death works in us, and life in you. Here he calls temptations death, saying: we are in dangers, and you enjoy the life that arises from these dangers, precisely as a result of the proclamation of the Gospel to you, through which you live eternal life. 2 Cor.4:13. But having the same spirit of faith, as it is written: I believed, and therefore I spoke, and we believe, therefore we speak, Above he mentioned temptations and death, then he said that Jesus delivered us from them, and gave the reason that he delivered us precisely for this purpose, in order to assure us of His resurrection. Now he claims that this should be based on faith, and not on mere speculation, and says: just as David, who was in temptations and freed from them only by God, said: “I believed and therefore I spoke,” so we, having the same spirit of faith that he had, believe and therefore say that just as Jesus was resurrected, so we will overcome dangers and will be resurrected again. Notice that in the Old and New Testaments it is the same Spirit; note this for those who blaspheme the law. 2 Corinthians 4:14. Knowing that He who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us through Jesus and place us before Him with you. 2 Cor.4:15. For everything is for you, so that the abundance of grace may produce greater gratitude in many to the glory of God. What, he says, do we believe and what do we know? The fact that the One who raised Jesus will now rescue us from dangers, and will finally raise us up and present you and me to the enjoyment of blessings. Excites them to faith and good life. Hinting at the false apostles, who said that through their mediation good things were communicated to their disciples from God, he says: “everything is for you,” and the resurrection itself, and not for the sake of this or that. God does this and gives grace to many, so that with the abundance of grace, the gratitude brought by many to the glory of God will also abound. Why do the false apostles, attributing the grace of God to themselves, darken its glory? 2 Cor.4:16. Therefore we do not lose heart; but if our outer man is decaying, then our inner man is being renewed day by day. Since, he says, we know the power of God and the fact that God will now free us from dangers and then raise us up enlightened, we do not lose heart and do not despair in the midst of suffering. Next, the “outer man”, that is, the body, smolders. How? When he suffers scourging and persecution. The “inner”, that is, the spirit and soul, is renewed. How? Having good hope and boldness, as one who endures and rejoices for God’s sake. 2 Corinthians 4:17. For our momentary light affliction produces eternal glory in abundance, He explains how the inner man is renewed, and says: by reflection, that sorrow is short, that is, temporary, and light because it is temporary, but glory is eternal, and has weight, that is, greatness to the highest degree, for this is the meaning of the words: “in immeasurable abundance.” 2 Cor.4:18. when we look not at the visible, but at the invisible: for the visible is temporary, but the invisible is eternal. Shows how easy grief is. Everything visible, he says, is temporary, therefore, both sorrow and peace itself, for this too is visible. For he said “the visible” in order to embrace peace. So, let us not lose heart in sorrow, nor relax in peace. If so, then the “invisible”, that is, the Kingdom and torment, are eternal. Therefore, look for the first and run away from the last. You might be interested in: