Chapter 4
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
(v. 1), their sincerity is vouched (v. 2), an objection is obviated (v. 3, 4),
and their integrity proved (v. 5-7). II. Of their courage and patience under
their sufferings. Where see what their sufferings were, together with their
allays (v. 8–12), and what it was that kept them from sinking and fainting
under them (v. 13 to the end).
Verses 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.’’
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.
1:5), 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. 1:12), 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. 15:10. 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 (Mt. 17:11), 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. 1:10. 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.
5:8. 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. 7:16. 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.
Verses 8-18
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. 116:10), 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. 15. 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. 1:6), 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. 11:27), 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. 11:1.
Excerpt from:
Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible
Matthew Henry (1662 - 1714)
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