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Texts -- 2 Corinthians 4:1-11 (NET)

Context
Paul’s Perseverance in Ministry
4:1 Therefore , since we have this ministry , just as God has shown us mercy , we do not become discouraged . 4:2 But we have rejected shameful hidden deeds , not behaving with deceptiveness or distorting the word of God , but by open proclamation of the truth we commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience before God . 4:3 But even if our gospel is veiled , it is veiled only to those who are perishing , 4:4 among whom the god of this age has blinded the minds of those who do not believe so they would not see the light of the glorious gospel of Christ , who is the image of God . 4:5 For we do not proclaim ourselves , but Jesus Christ as Lord , and ourselves as your slaves for Jesus ’ sake . 4:6 For God , who said “Let light shine out of darkness ,” is the one who shined in our hearts to give us the light of the glorious knowledge of God in the face of Christ .
An Eternal Weight of Glory
4:7 But we have this treasure in clay jars , so that the extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us . 4:8 We are experiencing trouble on every side, but are not crushed ; we are perplexed , but not driven to despair ; 4:9 we are persecuted , but not abandoned ; we are knocked down , but not destroyed , 4:10 always carrying around in our body the death of Jesus , so that the life of Jesus may also be made visible in our body . 4:11 For we who are alive are constantly being handed over to death for Jesus ’ sake , so that the life of Jesus may also be made visible in our mortal body .

Pericope

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Hymns

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  • Berlutut di PalunganMu [KJ.115]
  • Hai Mari Berhimpun [KJ.109] ( Adeste fideles / O Come, All Ye Faithful )
  • Kau Mutiara Hatiku [KJ.324]
  • Kita Harus Membawa Berita [KJ.426]
  • Lahir Kristus di Dunia [KJ.125]
  • Malam Kudus [KJ.92] ( Silent Night / Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht )
  • Sebelum Semua Jadi [KJ.136]
  • Setiap Pagi RahmatMu [KJ.321]
  • T'rang Bintang Fajar Berseri [KJ.139]
  • Ya Sumber Kasih, Roh Kudus [KJ.55]
  • [2Co 4:1] Since Through God’s Mercy
  • [2Co 4:6] Let The Blessed Sunlight In
  • [2Co 4:6] Let The Light Stream In
  • [2Co 4:7] How Rich Thy Bounty, King Of Kings!

Questions

Sermon Illustrations

Biblical Concepts with Counseling; Guidelines for Workers and Those Under Authority; Attention-Getter; A Servant’s Heart; World Originally Created Good; Thirty-one New Testament Descriptions of Sinful Mankind; Witnessing; The Source of Sin; Acts of Satan; Stragies of Satan with Unbelievers; Don’t Quit …

Resources/Books

Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

  • The Ammonites were Israel's enemies to the east. They were descendants of Lot whom Jephthah had defeated earlier (Judg. 11:12-33). Nahash evidently sought revenge for Jephthah's victory over his nation. Jabesh-gilead lay a fe...
  • In contrast to Ahaz, who refused to listen to and obey God, the Lord would raise up a faithful king who would be born and reign in the future (the Millennium). This pericope climaxes the present section (7:1-9:7) dealing with...
  • 43:1-2 Ezekiel's guide next led him to the east gate in the outer wall. This was the wall of the millennial temple that he had been seeing and continued to see, not the wall of the Solomonic temple. There the prophet saw the ...
  • 26:26 "And"introduces the second thing Matthew recorded that happened as Jesus and His disciples were eating the Passover meal, the first being Jesus' announcement about His betrayer (v. 21). Jesus took bread (Gr. artos, 4:4;...
  • Jesus now returned to develop a theme that He had introduced previously, namely the Father's testimony to the Son (vv. 19-20). Jesus proceeded to cite five witnesses to His identity, all of which came from the Father, since t...
  • The exact time of this miracle and Jesus' resultant discourse is unclear. Evidently these events transpired sometime between the feast of Tabernacles (7:2, 10; September 10-17, 32 A.D.) and the feast of Dedication (10:22-39; ...
  • In this pericope John stressed Jesus' deliberate purpose in allowing Lazarus to die and the reality of his death.11:1-2 "Lazarus"probably is a variant of "Eleazar"meaning "God helps."379The Synoptic writers did not mention hi...
  • 12:27 Anticipation of the death that had to precede the glory troubled Jesus deeply (Gr. tataraktai, cf. 11:33; 14:1; Mark 14:32-42). It troubled Him because His death would involve separation from His Father and bearing God'...
  • Luke devoted more space to Paul's evangelizing in Philippi than he did to the apostle's activities in any other city on the second and third journeys even though Paul was there only briefly. It was the first European city in ...
  • I. Introduction 1:1-11A. Salutation 1:1-2B. Thanksgiving for comfort in affliction 1:3-111. Thanksgiving for comfort 1:3-72. Thanksgiving for deliverance 1:8-11II. Answers to insinuations about the sincerity of Paul's commitm...
  • Paul's thanksgiving continues, but its focus shifts from the reason for thanksgiving to the situation that provided the occasion for it.1:8 We cannot identify the precise affliction to which Paul referred certainly. This text...
  • "The passage that follows (2:14-7:4) is the longest coherent section within 2 Corinthians and is, arguably, the centerpiece of the entire letter. Nonetheless, it is not freestanding, but continuous with what precedes it."109P...
  • 4:1 Paul now returned to the theme of being a minister of the New Covenant (3:6). Since we have a ministry in which the Spirit opens people's eyes and transforms their characters we can feel encouraged. Our job is not simply ...
  • Paul proceeded to explain further the nature of ministry under the New Covenant so his readers would understand his ministry and theirs better. The nature of Christianity is paradoxical. Second Corinthians explains more of th...
  • Paul presented many paradoxical contrasts involved in the sufferings and supports of the Christian to clarify for his readers the real issues involved in serving Jesus Christ."This passage, which is about suffering and death ...
  • 4:16 In view of the reasons just sited, the apostle restated that he did not lose heart (cf. v. 1). However, Paul's sufferings, while not fatal, were destroying his body. Nevertheless even this did not discourage him for even...
  • Paul continued to give reasons why we need not lose heart. The themes of life in the midst of death and glory following as a result of present suffering also continue.What about the believer who dies before he or she has foll...
  • The section of this epistle that expounds the glory of the Christian ministry (2:14-6:10) builds to a climax in the following verses (5:11-6:10). Here Paul clarified the driving motive, the divine mission, the dynamic message...
  • 5:11 Respect for the Lord since He would be his judge (v. 10) motivated Paul to carry out his work of persuading people to believe the gospel. A healthy sense of our accountability to God should move us to fulfill our calling...
  • This section and the first two verses of chapter 6 constitute the crux of Paul's exposition of the apostolic office (2:14-7:4) and of the entire letter.1895:18-19 The basis of this total change (new attitudes, v. 16, and new ...
  • On the basis of his preceding openness with the Corinthians, Paul exhorted them, on the ground of fair play, to respond toward him as he had behaved toward them. His open speech (cf. 3:12; 4:2) reflected his open heart. They ...
  • Paul returned to the subject of his meeting Titus in Macedonia (2:13), which he had left to expound new covenant ministry (2:14-6:10) and to urge acceptance of his ministry (6:11-7:4).7:5 When he had arrived in Macedonia Paul...
  • Paul was not only proud of the Corinthians but he also rejoiced over the Christians in Macedonia, the Corinthians' neighbors to the north. This joy connects the present section with the former one.8:1-2 Paul tactfully began h...
  • Paul defended his right to preach the gospel in Corinth and denied his critics' claim that they had been responsible for what God had done through Paul there. He did this to vindicate his former actions and to prepare for fut...
  • To answer his critics and prove the extent of his own service and sufferings for Christ, Paul related many of his painful experiences as an apostle.11:16 Paul apologized again for having to resort to mentioning these experien...
  • In these opening words Paul rebuked his readers for turning away from the gospel that he had preached to them and for turning toward a different "gospel."He accused them of being religious turncoats. He did so to impress them...
  • These verses are really preliminary to Paul's main point. They describe the Christian's condition as an unbeliever before God justified him or her. In the Greek text verses 1-7 are one sentence. The subject of this sentence i...
  • The apostle began by reminding his readers how not to walk, namely as they used to walk before their conversion to Christianity.4:17 The "therefore"in this verse is coordinate with the one in verse 1. Here we have more instru...
  • The concept of "image"involves three things: likeness (Christ is the exact likeness of God, a mirror image [cf. Heb. 1:3]), representation (Christ represents God to us), and manifestation (Christ makes God known to us [cf. Jo...
  • This section opens and closes with explicit references to the will of God.4:3-5 The will of God for the Christian is clear. Positively it is sanctification, namely a life set apart from sin unto God. Negatively it involves ab...
  • The writer pointed out the consequences of not pressing on to maturity to motivate his readers to pursue spiritual growth diligently.Christians have interpreted this passage in many different ways. Some believe that those who...
  • James now defended God before those who doubted His goodness or reliability or who had given up hope in a time of testing and had concluded that this was their "fate."551:16 James wanted his readers to have no doubt about God...
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