Humanitext Reader

New Testament · 2 Corinthians §4.1-4.18

Treasure in Jars of Clay and the Eternal Glory

Passage 4 of 13 · Greek

Summary

The apostle explains that his ministry manifests God's extraordinary power through human weakness ("jars of clay"), remaining undiscouraged by physical decay and afflictions while fixing his gaze on the unseen, eternal glory and daily inner renewal.

§4.1Διὰ τοῦτο, ἔχοντες τὴν διακονίαν ταύτην καθὼς ἠλεήθημεν, οὐκ ἐγκακοῦμεν,
Therefore, having this ministry as we have received mercy, we do not lose heart.
§4.2ἀλλὰ ἀπειπάμεθα τὰ κρυπτὰ τῆς αἰσχύνης, μὴ περιπατοῦντες ἐν πανουργίᾳ μηδὲ δολοῦντες τὸν λόγον τοῦ θεοῦ, ἀλλὰ τῇ φανερώσει τῆς ἀληθείας συνιστάνοντες ἑαυτοὺς πρὸς πᾶσαν συνείδησιν ἀνθρώπων ἐνώπιον τοῦ θεοῦ.
But we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways, not walking in craftiness or tampering with God's word, but by the open statement of the truth commending ourselves to everyone's conscience in the sight of God.
§4.3εἰ δὲ καὶ ἔστιν κεκαλυμμένον τὸ εὐαγγέλιον ἡμῶν, ἐν τοῖς ἀπολλυμένοις ἐστὶν κεκαλυμμένον, §4.4ἐν οἷς ὁ θεὸς τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου ἐτύφλωσεν τὰ νοήματα τῶν ἀπίστων εἰς τὸ μὴ αὐγάσαι τὸν φωτισμὸν τοῦ εὐαγγελίου τῆς δόξης τοῦ χριστοῦ, ὅς ἐστιν εἰκὼν τοῦ θεοῦ.
And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
§4.5οὐ γὰρ ἑαυτοὺς κηρύσσομεν ἀλλὰ Χριστὸν Ἰησοῦν κύριον, ἑαυτοὺς δὲ δούλους ὑμῶν διὰ Ἰησοῦν.
For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake.
§4.6ὅτι ὁ θεὸς ὁ εἰπών Ἐκ σκότους φῶς λάμψει, ὃς ἔλαμψεν ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις ἡμῶν πρὸς φωτισμὸν τῆς γνώσεως τῆς δόξης τοῦ θεοῦ ἐν προσώπῳ Χριστοῦ.
For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," is the one who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
§4.7Ἔχομεν δὲ τὸν θησαυρὸν τοῦτον ἐν ὀστρακίνοις σκεύεσιν, ἵνα ἡ ὑπερβολὴ τῆς δυνάμεως ᾖ τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ μὴ ἐξ ἡμῶν·
But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.
§4.8ἐν παντὶ θλιβόμενοι ἀλλʼ οὐ στενοχωρούμενοι, ἀπορούμενοι ἀλλʼ οὐκ ἐξαπορούμενοι, §4.9διωκόμενοι ἀλλʼ οὐκ ἐγκαταλειπόμενοι; , καταβαλλόμενοι ἀλλʼ οὐκ ἀπολλύμενοι, §4.10πάντοτε τὴν νέκρωσιν τοῦ Ἰησοῦ ἐν τῷ σώματι περιφέροντες, ἵνα καὶ ἡ ζωὴ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ ἐν τῷ σώματι ἡμῶν φανερωθῇ·
We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; utterly persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies.
§4.11ἀεὶ γὰρ ἡμεῖς οἱ ζῶντες εἰς θάνατον παραδιδόμεθα διὰ Ἰησοῦν, ἵνα καὶ ἡ ζωὴ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ φανερωθῇ ἐν τῇ θνητῇ σαρκὶ ἡμῶν.
For we who live are constantly being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.
§4.12ὥστε ὁ θάνατος ἐν ἡμῖν ἐνεργεῖται, ἡ δὲ ζωὴ ἐν ὑμῖν.
So death is at work in us, but life in you.
§4.13ἔχοντες δὲ τὸ αὐτὸ πνεῦμα τῆς πίστεως, κατὰ τὸ γεγραμμένον "Ἐπίστευσα, διὸ ἐλάλησα," καὶ ἡμεῖς πιστεύομεν, διὸ καὶ λαλοῦμεν, §4.14εἰδότες ὅτι ὁ ἐγείρας τὸν [κύριον] Ἰησοῦν καὶ ἡμᾶς σὺν Ἰησοῦ ἐγερεῖ καὶ παραστήσει σὺν ὑμῖν.
But since we have the same spirit of faith according to what is written, "I believed, and so I spoke," we also believe, and so we also speak, knowing that the one who raised the Lord Jesus will also raise us with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence.
§4.15τὰ γὰρ πάντα διʼ ὑμᾶς, ἵνα ἡ χάρις πλεονάσασα διὰ τῶν πλειόνων τὴν εὐχαριστίαν περισσεύσῃ εἰς τὴν δόξαν τοῦ θεοῦ.
For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.
§4.16Διὸ οὐκ ἐγκακοῦμεν, ἀλλʼ εἰ καὶ ὁ ἔξω ἡμῶν ἄνθρωπος διαφθείρεται, ἀλλʼ ὁ ἔσω ἡμῶν ἀνακαινοῦται ἡμέρᾳ καὶ ἡμέρᾳ.
So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.
§4.17τὸ γὰρ παραυτίκα ἐλαφρὸν τῆς θλίψεως καθʼ ὑπερβολὴν εἰς ὑπερβολὴν αἰώνιον βάρος δόξης κατεργάζεται ἡμῖν,
For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen.
§4.18μὴ σκοπούντων ἡμῶν τὰ βλεπόμενα ἀλλὰ τὰ μὴ βλεπόμενα, τὰ γὰρ βλεπόμενα πρόσκαιρα, τὰ δὲ μὴ βλεπόμενα αἰώνια.
For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

Notes

  1. §4.4εἰς τὸ μὴ αὐγάσαι — This is an infinitive construction with εἰς τό and the negative particle μή, expressing either purpose ("so that ... not") or result ("with the result that ... not"). The verb αὐγάζω can be interpreted either intransitively ("to shine") or transitively ("to see" or "to beam upon"). Here, it is understood intransitively, meaning "so that the light ... should not shine."
  2. §4.6ὅτι ὁ θεὸς ὁ εἰπών ... ὃς ἔλαμψεν — Syntactically, the clause is introduced by the causal conjunction ὅτι ("for"). The relative pronoun ὅς refers back to God (ὁ θεός), who is also described by the participial phrase ὁ εἰπών... ("the one who said..."), which quotes the creation of light in Genesis. The relative clause contains the main verb ἔλαμψεν ("shone"), indicating that the same Creator God has shone in our hearts.
  3. §4.15τὴν εὐχαριστίαν περισσεύσῃ — The verb περισσεύω is typically intransitive ("to abound"), but here it is used transitively in a causative sense with the accusative object τὴν εὐχαριστίαν, meaning "to cause thanksgiving to overflow." The subject is "the grace that has abounded" (ἡ χάρις πλεονάσασα), which causes thanksgiving to abound through many people.
  4. §4.18μὴ σκοπούντων ἡμῶν — This is a genitive absolute construction with ἡμῶν as the subject of the present participle σκοπούντων. Accompanied by the negative particle μή, it functions circumstantially or conditionally ("while we look not / if we look not"), describing the continuous attitude of believers who focus not on things seen but on things unseen.

Cite this passage

New Testament, 2 Corinthians §4.1-4.18. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0031.tlg008.humanitext-grc2:4.1-4.18

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