5 for not ourselves do we preach, but Christ Jesus -- Lord, and ourselves your servants because of Jesus;
Who, then, is Paul, and who Apollos, but ministrants through whom ye did believe, and to each as the Lord gave? I planted, Apollos watered, but God was giving growth;
for being free from all men, to all men I made myself servant, that the more I might gain; and I became to the Jews as a Jew, that Jews I might gain; to those under law as under law, that those under law I might gain; to those without law, as without law -- (not being without law to God, but within law to Christ) -- that I might gain those without law; I became to the infirm as infirm, that the infirm I might gain; to all men I have become all things, that by all means I may save some. And this I do because of the good news, that a fellow-partaker of it I may become;
for at no time did we come with speech of flattery, (as ye have known,) nor in a pretext for covetousness, (God `is' witness!) nor seeking of men glory, neither from you nor from others, being able to be burdensome, as Christ's apostles.
feed the flock of God that `is' among you, overseeing not constrainedly, but willingly, neither for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind, neither as exercising lordship over the heritages, but patterns becoming of the flock, and at the manifestation of the chief Shepherd, ye shall receive the unfading crown of glory. In like manner, ye younger, be subject to elders, and all to one another subjecting yourselves; with humble-mindedness clothe yourselves, because God the proud doth resist, but to the humble He doth give grace;
and Jesus having called them near, said, `Ye have known that the rulers of the nations do exercise lordship over them, and those great do exercise authority over them, but not so shall it be among you, but whoever may will among you to become great, let him be your ministrant; and whoever may will among you to be first, let him be your servant;
And he said to them, `The kings of the nations do exercise lordship over them, and those exercising authority upon them are called benefactors; but ye `are' not so, but he who is greater among you -- let him be as the younger; and he who is leading, as he who is ministering;
And they questioned him, `What then? Elijah art thou?' and he saith, `I am not.' -- `The prophet art thou?' and he answered, `No.' They said then to him, `Who art thou, that we may give an answer to those sending us? what dost thou say concerning thyself?' He said, `I `am' a voice of one crying in the wilderness: Make straight the way of the Lord, as said Isaiah the prophet.'
John answered and said, `A man is not able to receive anything, if it may not have been given him from the heaven; ye yourselves do testify to me that I said, I am not the Christ, but, that I am having been sent before him; he who is having the bride is bridegroom, and the friend of the bridegroom, who is standing and hearing him, with joy doth rejoice because of the voice of the bridegroom; this, then, my joy hath been fulfilled. `Him it behoveth to increase, and me to become less; he who from above is coming is above all; he who is from the earth, from the earth he is, and from the earth he speaketh; he who from the heaven is coming is above all.
if then I did wash your feet -- the Lord and the Teacher -- ye also ought to wash one another's feet. `For an example I gave to you, that, according as I did to you, ye also may do;
and Peter having seen, answered unto the people, `Men, Israelites! why wonder ye at this? or on us why look ye so earnestly, as if by our own power or piety we have made him to walk? `The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, did glorify His child Jesus, whom ye delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate, he having given judgment to release `him',
and as it came that Peter entered in, Cornelius having met him, having fallen at `his' feet, did bow before `him'; and Peter raised him, saying, `Stand up; I also myself am a man;'
and the multitudes having seen what Paul did, did lift up their voice, in the speech of Lycaonia, saying, `The gods, having become like men, did come down unto us;' they were calling also Barnabas Zeus, and Paul Hermes, since he was the leader in speaking. And the priest of the Zeus that is before their city, oxen and garlands unto the porches having brought, with the multitudes did wish to sacrifice, and having heard, the apostles Barnabas and Paul, having rent their garments, did spring into the multitude, crying and saying, `Men, why these things do ye? and we are men like-affected with you, proclaiming good news to you, from these vanities to turn unto the living God, who made the heaven, and the earth, and the sea, and all the things in them;
for both, if we may live, to the Lord we live; if also we may die, to the Lord we die; both then if we may live, also if we may die, we are the Lord's; for because of this Christ both died and rose again, and lived again, that both of dead and of living he may be Lord.
And we ought -- we who are strong -- to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves; for let each one of us please the neighbor for good, unto edification,
I have, then, a boasting in Christ Jesus, in the things pertaining to God, for I will not dare to speak anything of the things that Christ did not work through me, to obedience of nations, by word and deed,
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on 2 Corinthians 4
Commentary on 2 Corinthians 4 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 4
In this chapter we have an account,
2Cr 4:1-7
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.'
2Cr 4:8-18
In these verses the apostle gives an account of their courage and patience under all their sufferings, where observe,