RSV ~ 2 Corinthians 4 Notes

2 Cor 4:1 | ISB Notes

we do not lose heart: God’s grace enables Paul to endure opposition and hardships no matter how difficult (12:9).

2 Cor 4:2 | ISB Notes

disgraceful, underhanded ways: Probably an allusion to the tactics of the “false apostles” (11:14). Paul appeals to the consciences of the Corinthians as proof that he has always been honest and straightforward in his preaching, despite false accusations of being “crafty” (12:16).

2 Cor 4:4 | ISB Notes

the god of this world: Satan, the chief enemy of God and his people. He is the unseen spirit that deceives men, hardens their hearts, and blinds them to the saving news of the gospel (1 Jn 5:19; Rev 20:2-3). Although defeated by Christ on the Cross (Heb 2:14), he still operates in the present age before his final demise at the end of time (Mt 25:41; Rev 20:10).

2 Cor 4:6 | ISB Notes

Let light shine out: A paraphrase of Gen 1:3.

• Paul views conversion as the beginning of a new creation (5:17). The transformation we experience in Christ thus parallels the transformation effected by the word of God when he first dispelled the darkness with light at the dawn of history. This was already hinted at by Isaiah, who developed the theme of light’s victory over darkness as a sign of salvation (Is 9:2; 49:6; 60:1-3). Paul experienced this firsthand when the blinding light of Christ knocked him to the ground on the Damascus road (Acts 9:3; 26:13) (CCC 2583).

2 Cor 4:7 | ISB Notes

in earthen vessels: At present, our human bodies are frail and corruptible, like jars made of clay. The difference between earthenware and treasure points to the distinction between the perishable nature of our bodies and the imperishable riches of grace they contain. Paul fills others with this treasure through his ministry of preaching and administering the Sacraments (CCC 1420).

• Paul is using a cultic expression from the OT that refers to the sacred vessels in which sin offerings were cooked (Lev 6:28). In a similar way, we carry the sacrificial “death of Jesus” (2 Cor 4:10) in our suffering bodies. See note on 2 Cor 5:21.

2 Cor 4:8-11 | ISB Notes

The grace of apostleship safeguards Paul against despair. Although in constant distress, he is not shattered or overcome by anxiety as a result of it. Hardships conform us to Christ when we follow his example of suffering (Phil 1:29; 1 Pet 2:21), while endurance is inspired by the hope of resurrection (2 Cor 4:14; Heb 11:35).

2 Cor 4:12 | ISB Notes

but life in you: The sacrifices of Paul are united with the sacrifice of Jesus and, for this reason, unleash the blessings of God (Col 1:24). As Christ’s death brought life to the world, so the apostle’s ministry of daily “dying” becomes a channel of life for others as well.

2 Cor 4:13 | ISB Notes

I believed, and so I spoke: A citation from the Greek I version of Ps 116:10.

• Psalm 116 is a hymn of thanksgiving in which David recalls his faith in Yahweh during times of distress and remembers how he was rescued. Paul and the other apostles share this faith that God will deliver them from mortal dangers—and even death itself—and expect to thank him in return. See note on 2 Cor 1:3-7.

2 Cor 4:16 | ISB Notes

wasting away: Although death gradually overtakes our body (outer man) through privations, injuries, and aging, our soul (inner man) is increasingly enlivened by the Spirit. Only at the future resurrection will our bodies share in this inward renewal when they too are made alive and glorious. See note on 1 Cor 15:42-44.

2 Cor 4:17 | ISB Notes

weight of glory: Alludes to the Hebrew notion of “glory” (kabod), which is conceptualized as the heaviness of God’s Divine Being.

beyond all comparison: The trials and tribulations of life, and even its most crushing misfortunes, will fade into nothing when the glory of heaven dawns on the saints (Rom 8:18).

• Paul endured many unbearable hardships as light burdens, not because they were light in themselves, but because he knew they were borne for the sake of the Lord. Joined with the expectation of future glory, the love of God lessens the intensity of our troubles and prevents us from having any sense of them (St. John Chrysostom, Homilies on Genesis 25, 17).

2 Cor 4:18 | ISB Notes

things that are unseen: The invisible blessings that await us in heaven are infinite and permanent, unlike the finite and perishable goods of this world. This glory is perceived by faith, yearned for with hope, and finally attained by our love for God and neighbor (Rom 5:1-5; 8:22-25; Heb 11:1).