Illumination-2 Cor 4:1-6

• When disheartened or discouraged, do you “lose heart” (2 Cor 4:1, 16)? Was Paul? Why?
• How do you live a life of personal integrity (2 Cor 4:2; 1:12)?
• What is “the god of this age” (2 Cor 4:3-4)? How does it blind you?
• What do you preach? Your own ideals or Christ (2 Cor 4:5)? How do you preach “Christ as Lord” (2 Cor 4:5)?
• Has God illuminated you (2 Cor 4:6; Ac 9:3; 22:6,9,11; 26:13)? How?

[What Your Face Shows] What does your face reveal? Strong cheekbones? Handsome features? Nice smile? Sultry skin? Kindness? Toughness? Playfulness? Seriousness? I want my face to not look like a wrinkled old man as I get older. Paul says that God’s light shining in our hearts gives Christians “the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ” (2 Cor 4:6). Do you shine the face of Jesus?

4:1-6 is one of the greatest passages Paul ever wrote, comparable with the end of Romans 8 and the opening of Ephesians–with each passage communicating the sheer wonder of the gospel. Paul’s ministry (4:1-6) is a ministry of the Spirit that brings life, righteousness and transformation of character to those who believe the gospel (3:7-18). It’s his great privilege to proclaim the gospel (4:1-6; 1 Cor 1:17, 23; 2:2). Those blind to the gospel (2 Cor 4:3-4) reject its essential content: Christ is Lord (2 Cor 4:5) and the glory of God shining in the face of Christ (2 Cor 4:6). It’s Paul’s own experience:

• He had been an unbeliever, blinded to the light of the gospel (2 Cor 4:4a). On the road to Damascus, however, Paul saw the glory of God in the face of Christ, who is the image of God (2 Cor 4:4b, 6). Having given him the ministry of the new covenant, God showed him mercy, illuminating his heart that he might give the light of the knowledge of God to others (2 Cor 4:1, 6). In proclaiming the word of God, the gospel of ‘Jesus Christ as Lord,’ Paul sets ‘forth the truth’ (2 Cor 4:2, 4, 5a) as their ‘slave’ for Jesus’ sake (2 Cor 4:5b).

“Therefore, since through God‘s mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart” (2 Cor 4:1). This ministry is of the Spirit under the new covenant (3:7-18). Paul was conscious that his ministry was only through God’s mercy, for he never forgot that he was formerly a persecutor of the church of God (1 Cor 15:9-10; 1 Tim 1:12-16). The awareness of the great privilege and responsibility involved enabled him not to lose heart, despite the many difficulties and sufferings in carrying out that ministry (2 Cor 11:23-28).

“Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways” (2 Cor 4:2a). How does Paul renounce shameful (disgraceful) ways? -ly: “We do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God” (2 Cor 4:2b). [2 Cor 11:3: ‘Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning.’] Paul doesnt attempt to deceive by cunning or to distort God’s word. ‘To distort’ [only here in NT]–the adulteration of wine equates with the distortion of God’s word, by mingling it with alien ideas, or removing its offence for acceptance, popularity or personal gain (2 Cor 2:17). He’s likely responding to criticisms of his ministry.

+ly: “On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God” (2 Cor 4:2c). Cf. deception/God’s word that’s distorted. [Conscience–human faculty by which people approve or disapprove their actions (intended and those already performed) and the actions of others (2 Cor 1:12).] Paul invites everyone to judge him in light of their own consciences. They’ll acknowledge that he acted with integrity. “…in the sight of God” is ultimately to minister in a way that God approves: ‘I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself. My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me’ (1 Cor 4:3-4).

“And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing” (2 Cor 4:3; 3:14-16). Likely Paul was criticized as his gospel was rejected by many of his own people (Acts 13:44-45; 17:5-9; 18:5-6, 12-13; 19:8-9). But the hiddenness of the gospel is due not to deficiencies in his ministry, but to them: it is veiled only to those who are perishing: “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God . . . Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling-block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God” (1 Cor 1:18, 22-24).”The god of this age [Satan] has blinded the minds of unbelievers” (2 Cor 4:4a) is why many reject Paul’s gospel. Satan is permitted a limited rule in the present age (Jn 12:31), which will be terminated with Christ’s return. The veil over their minds prevented the Jews from understanding their own Scriptures (2 Cor 3:14-16). Satan veils the minds of Jews, all unbelievers, and deceives/distracts believers from the gospel of Christ crucified (2 Cor 2:11; 11:3, 14). Satan is always seeking to hinder the work of God, but he can do so only with divine permission. The blindness of mind which he is allowed to impose can at any time be penetrated by a blaze of light if God so wills. This was Paul’s own experience. In his blindness, he persecuted God’s church until such time as it pleased God to reveal his Son to him (Acts 9:1-19; Gal 1:13-17).

“…so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God” 2 Cor 4:4b). The god of this age blinds people’s minds so that they cannot see the light–the light of the gospel, the gospel that displays the glory of Christ–the image of God. So when they hear the gospel they don’t get its truth: ”Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved” (Lk 8:12). Paul says the gospel he preaches concerns ‘Christ crucified‘ (1 Cor 1:23; 2:2; Gal 3:1), while here he describes the gospel as displaying the glory of Christ. But next he says that he preaches ‘Jesus Christ as Lord‘ (2 Cor 4:5) Also, he describes the content of the gospel as ‘Christ died for our sins . . . was buried . . . was raised’ (1 Cor. 15:3-4). The gospel is that the crucified One is the Lord who was raised from the dead, which justifies describing the gospel as displaying the glory of Christ.

The gospel concerns “the glory of Christ, who is the image of God” (2 Cor 4:4b) alludes to the creation of man [‘Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness’ (Gen 1:26)], for Paul speaks of Christ as the ‘last Adam’, comparing (and contrasting) him with the ‘first Adam’ (1 Cor 15:45-49; Rom 5:12-19). [In Israel’s wisdom literature Wisdom is personified and her glories celebrated: ‘For she is a reflection of eternal light, a spotless mirror of the working of God, and an image of his goodness’ (Wis 7:26)]. Elsewhere Paul ascribes to Christ that role in creation which Israel’s wisdom literature ascribes to Wisdom (Prov 8:22-31; Col 1:15-20). Thus, Christ is the image of God after the fashion of Adam as far as his humanity is concerned, and after the fashion of Wisdom as far as his transcendence is concerned. “For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’sake” (2 Cor 4:5). This concisely describes Paul’s ministry:

• his vocation–a preacher,
• the content of his preaching–Jesus Christ as Lord, and
• he ministers to people as their servant for Jesus ‘ sake.

The heart of the gospel: ‘we preach Christ crucified‘ (1 Cor 1:23) and “we preach…Jesus Christ as Lord” (2 Cor 4:5). The lordship of Christ means: Give your allegiance to him, who is the crucified One, the one who died for them and was raised as Lord of all. These 2 elements of the gospel must be held together; if not, the gospel is distorted (2 Cor 4:2).

“…ourselves as servants for Jesus‘ sake” (2 Cor 4:5b) cf. Paul promoting his own authority and importance (2 Cor 1:24). Paul has only 1 Master, and it is in obedience to him that he serves his converts – for Jesus’ sake. This is apologetic or polemic, or both–Apologetic if Paul is responding to criticism that in his preaching he puts himself forward (drawing attention to his own importance as an apostle than to proclaim the gospel); Polemic if Paul is implying that, unlike others who put themselves forward in their preaching, he preaches the lordship of Christ.

“For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ” (2 Cor 4:6; Gen 1:3). It’s the gracious work of God in Paul’s heart that motivates his preaching of the gospel. Paul likens the revelation to him of God’s glory to the creative act of God to banish the darkness of the primeval world by the light. Conversion is depicted as illumination revealing the true nature of Christ whose displays face the glory of God, like Paul’s own conversion (Gal 1:13-17; Acts 9:1-9). ‘There is an outward as well as an inward aspect. Outwardly, on the way to Damascus, Paul saw “the glory of God in the face of Christ;” inwardly, and as a consequence, “God has shone in our hearts” . . . While God’s outward revelation of his glory to Paul was unique, his inner enlightenment of the heart also describes the illumination of all who receive the gospel message.’ [Barnett] Note two things.

1. Very high view of the person of Christ: ‘the image of God‘ (2 Cor 4:4) and ‘God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ‘ (2 Cor 4:6). Man created in God’s image (Gen 1:26) but marred by sin is now restored by grace (2 Cor 3:18). But much more than that, clearly set out in Col 1:15-20 [Similar exalted views of Christ (Jn 1:1-4; Heb 1:1-4)]:
2. Christ is ‘the image of the invisible God’ (Col 1:15),
3. God’s agent in creation and providence (Col 1:16-17),
4. the Lord of the church (Col 1:18) and the one in whom
5. ‘God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell’ (Col 1:19).
6. All who minister in Christ’s name have their ministry only by the mercy of God (2 Cor 4:1) who made his light shine into their hearts to give the light of the knowledge of his glory in the face of Christ (2 Cor 4:6). Entrusted with such a treasure, they must:
   1. refuse to distort the gospel and must preach the truth plainly, commending themselves to people’s consciences (2 Cor 2:2), if not their prejudices.
   2. preach Jesus Christ as Lord (2 Cor 4:5), and
   3. be servants of those to whom they minister for Jesus’sake.
   4. know that not all will accept their message, for their minds are blinded, and that ONLY God who made his light shine into their own hearts can do likewise for those to whom they preach.

2:14-4:6 on Paul’s competence for ministry teaches the nature of authentic ministry, its validation and its conduct.

1. The ‘aroma‘ of the knowledge of God spread everywhere through gospel preaching [imagery of the Roman triumphal procession]. The gospel brings life to those who accept it, but death to those who reject it. Paul felt the heavy responsibility of this ministry because he refused to adulterate the gospel message to make it more acceptable, as ‘some’ did (2 Cor 2:14-17).
2. The validation of Paul’s ministry is the very existence of a church in Corinth. It’s his letter of recommendation–a letter whose ‘author’ was Christ, inscribed with the ‘ink’ of the Spirit in their hearts through Paul’s own ministry (2 Cor 3:1-3).
3. Competency in ministry is not from him but God, who made Paul an able minister of the new covenant (2 Cor 3:4-6)–is in response to ‘who is equal to such a task?’ The new covenant is far more glorious than the old: it’s a covenant of the Spirit–not one that brings death, it brings righteousness–not condemnation, and it lasts–not transitory (2 Cor 3:7-11). It’s an immense privilege and a weighty responsibility to participate in such a ministry.
4. A veil that blinds. Criticisms that many Jews don’t accept his message was due, not deficiencies in the gospel or his ministry, but that a veil blinds their minds from seeing the truth, removed only when they turn to the Lord. Then they’ll see the glory of the Lord displayed in the face of Christ and they’ll be transformed progressively into his image (2 Cor 3:12-18).
5. A ministry of integrity is to not use deception or distort the word of God by proclaiming the truth clearly (2 Cor 4:1). Ministry is authentic when Christ is proclaimed as Lord, and preachers see themselves as servants of those they minister, for Jesus’ sake (2 Cor 4:5).

Reference:

1. Charles Hodge. 1 & 2 Corinthians. A Geneva Series Commentary. The Banner of Truth Trust. 1857, 1859.
2. Colin Kruse. 2 Corinthians. Tyndale NT Commentaries. 1987, 2005.
3. Geoffrey Grogan. 2 Corinthians. The Glories & Responsibilities of Christian Service. 2007.
4. David Garland. 2 Corinthians. The New American Commentary. 1999.
5. Paul Barnett. The Message of 2 Corinthians. 1988.