2 Corinthian 4:1 Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we do not lose heart. 2 But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.
Therefore since we have this ministry-- "the ministry of the new covenant, of the Spirit, of righteousness, of glory.” (Ellicott Commentary) Since we have this ministry, instead of "we faint not," or "we do not lose heart," "'we act not wickedly,' is the reading of ADFG, and some others. Wakefield thinks it the genuine reading; it certainly makes a very good sense with what goes before and what follows. If we follow this reading the whole verse may be read thus: 'Wherefore, as we have obtained mercy, or been graciously entrusted, with this ministry, we do not act wickedly, but have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, etc.‘” (Sutcliffe Commentary)
Not walking in craftiness nor handling the word of God deceitfully... “Not using the doctrines of the Gospel to serve any secular or carnal purpose; not explaining away their force so as to palliate or excuse sin; not generalizing its precepts so as to excuse many in particular circumstances from obedience, especially in that which most crossed their inclinations. There were deceitful handlers of this kind in Corinth, and there are many of them still in the garb of Christian ministers; persons who disguise that part of their creed which, though they believe it is of God, would make them unpopular, affecting moderation in order to procure a larger audience and more extensive support; not attacking prevalent and popular vices; calling dissipation of mind, relaxation; and worldly and carnal pleasures, innocent amusements, etc. In a word, turning with the tide, and shifting with the wind of popular opinion, prejudice, fashion, etc.” (Sutcliffe Commentary)
3 But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, 4 whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.
Some would charge God with blinding the hearts of some of mankind. And there was a time when the Gospel was veiled in hidden, at least in part, in the types and figures of the Old Testament, until the fullness of the gentiles had come in, but no longer. They have come in. Men and women of all races and nations and religions only need to turn to the Lord Jesus and He will make all hidden things known to them. Man’s religion is works based, but the Gospel is All of Grace. It is freely dispensed to any who turn to Him.
PAUL RIGHTLY ATTRIBUTES the eternal demise of some to “the god of this age.” … “Satan is repeatedly styled by our Lord, the prince of this world. See John 12:31; John 14:30; John 16:11; that is, the prince of those who are men of the world, (Psalm 17:14,) and who freely subject themselves to him. Thus, (Ephesians 6:12,) he and his associates in rebellion against God are termed the rulers of the darkness of this world. Satan is termed by the apostle here, the god of this world, because he makes use of the things of this world, especially of its riches, honours, pleasures, and various vanities, to obtain and establish his dominion over a great part of mankind, even over all that continue under the power of unbelief and sin.” (Benson Commentary)
These be our gods that brought us out of the land of Egypt. “Now, in allusion to these causes of the blindness of the Israelites, the apostle told the Corinthians that the gospel had been so plainly preached, and so fully proved, that if its divine original and true meaning was veiled, it was veiled only to them who destroyed themselves [by choice]. It was not veiled by any veil lying on the gospel itself, but by a veil lying on the hearts of men, who would destroy themselves, by hearkening to their own prejudices and lusts.” (Macknight)
5 For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bondservants for Jesus’ sake. 6 For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
2 Corinthians 4:7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.
Yahweh God could have chosen Heavenly Messengers to make His glory known to the masses. but He chose weak and mortal man to herald the Good News. Thus the treasure is in earthen vessels— mortal hearts and souls and minds. "The glorious light which we have to show to the world is, like Gideon's torches, carried in earthen pitchers. The word skenos, vessel, is used in Mark 11:16, and 'vessels of earthenware' in Revelation 2:27… Man can never be more than an earthen vessel, being frail and humble, [dependent on grace of God in Christ Jesus]... and the metaphor specially suits an apostle of Christ (see 1 Cor 2:3-5; 2 Tim 2:20). But when he takes the Word of life from the earthen pitcher and waves it in the air, it illuminates all on whom the light shines." (Pulpit Commentary)
"PAUL GOES ON TO DESCRIBE "this Christian life, in which our infirmity is intermingled with God's glory, in a series of paradoxes." (William Barclay)
8a We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed;
"There are all kinds of pressure on us, but we are never in so tight a corner that there is no way out. It is characteristic of the Christian that, even if his body be confined in some difficult environment or some narrow circumstance, there is always an escape route for his spirit to the spaciousness of God… His body might be hemmed in in a slum but his soul reached out into the spaciousness of communion with Christ.” (William Barclay) It is not just communion with Him but the help that comes from Him which encourages us to continue the crusade.
8b we are perplexed, but not in despair;
“There are times when the Christian does not know what is to be done...There are times when he cannot well see where life is going, but he never doubts that it is going somewhere. If he must 'stoop into a dark, tremendous sea of cloud', he still knows that he will emerge. There are times when a Christian has to learn the hardest lesson of all, the very lesson which Jesus himself had to learn in Gethsemane--how to accept what he cannot understand and still to say, 'God, Thou art love; I build my faith on that.’… A man may be at his wit's end but he can never be at his hope's end while he has the presence of Christ.” (William Barclay)
9a persecuted, but not forsaken;
"One of the most notable things about the martyrs is that it was amidst their sorest times that they had their sweetest times with Christ. As Joan of Arc said when she was abandoned by those who should have stood by her, 'It is better to be alone with God. His friendship will not fail me, nor his counsel, nor his love. In his strength, I will dare and dare and dare until I die.' As the psalmist wrote, 'When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take me up.'(Psalms 27:10). Nothing can alter the loyalty of God.” (William Barclay)
9b struck down, but not destroyed— 10 always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. 11 For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus’ sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. 12 So then death is working in us, but life in you.
13 And since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, “I believed and therefore I spoke,”[Psalm 116:10] we also believe and therefore speak, 14 knowing that He who raised up the Lord Jesus will also raise us up with Jesus, and will present us with you. 15 For all things are for your sakes, that grace, having spread through the many, may cause thanksgivings to abound to the glory of God.
We might even be martyred for our faith, but we will yet rise on Resurrection Morn. THEN: "The apostle speaks of their sufferings as a counterpart of the sufferings of Christ, that people might see the power of Christ's resurrection, and of grace in and from the living Jesus. In comparison with them (the original apostles, notably Paul), other Christians were, even at that time, in prosperous circumstances.” (Matthew Henry) AND FINALLY, Paul goes into a stanza of praise by quoting one of the Hallel Psalms titled "Thanksgiving for Deliverance from Death.” It is about our deliverance from the sentence of eternal death at the resurrection of the just. It also speaks of present affliction and suffering. The key is believing now and making a vow TODAY not to remain silent but rather to be ever the more fervent in the sharing of our faith and finding our place in the Church.
Psalm 116: "I love the Lord, because He has heard my voice and my supplications. Because He has inclined His ear to me, therefore I will call upon Him as long as I live. The pains of death surrounded me, and the pangs of Sheol laid hold of me; I found trouble and sorrow. Then I called upon the name of the Lord: 'O Lord, I implore You, deliver my soul!’ Gracious is the Lord, and righteous; yes, our God is merciful. The Lord preserves the simple; I was brought low, and He saved me. Return to your rest, O my soul, for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you. For You have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, and my feet from falling. I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living. I BELIEVED, THEREFORE I SPOKE, 'I am greatly afflicted.’ I said in my haste, 'All men are liars.’ What shall I render to the Lord For all His benefits toward me? I will take up the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord. I will pay my vows to the Lord now in the presence of all His people. Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints. O Lord, truly I am Your servant; I am Your servant, the son of Your maidservant; You have loosed my bonds. I will offer to You the sacrifice of thanksgiving and will call upon the name of the Lord. I will pay my vows to the Lord now in the presence of all His people, in the courts of the Lord’s house, in the midst of you, O Jerusalem. Praise the Lord!”
2 Corinthians 4:16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. 17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, 18 while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.
"Paul’s exclaims that we do NOT lose heart. Our outward person may perish. Sickness may afflict us. Disease may ravage our frame. Old age may take its toll. Heart disease, cancer, or diabetes may devastate our body. In spite of what happens to us, Christ is working within us. He is our courage. He is our confidence. He is our comforter. He gives us hope for a brighter tomorrow. We do not lose heart. Christ lifts our spirits...Today and each day Jesus appeals to us: ‘Face toward Me. Fix your eyes upon Me. Look at Me. I am your sufficiency. I am your confidence. I am your vision. Rest in My arms. Be secure in My love. Be hopeful in My embrace.'" (Mark Finley. 'On Solid Ground,' 2003) Renew Your Spirit within me!
Whether we go to seminary, or not, or serve in another capacity in laity of the local Church or market place, we are called to be priest unto God- to proclaim the praises of Jesus who called us out of darkness into His marvelous light. If, we like Jesus and the apostle Paul, are indeed about our Father’s business: "The hope of this resurrection will encourage in a suffering day, and set us above the fear of death. Also, their sufferings were for the advantage of the church, and to God's glory... The prospect of eternal life and happiness was their support and comfort. What sense was ready to pronounce heavy and long, grievous and tedious, faith perceived to be light and short, and but for a moment. The weight of all temporal afflictions was lightness itself, while the glory to come was a substance, weighty, and lasting beyond description... Faith enables to make this right judgment of things. There are unseen things, as well as things that are seen. And there is this vast difference between them; unseen things are eternal, seen things but temporal, or temporary only. Let us then look off from the things which are seen; let us cease to seek for worldly advantages, or to fear present distresses. Let us give diligence to make our future happiness sure.” (Matthew Henry)
Moreover, the THINGS of this world are temporary; they will perish.
So: "These are the things of this world, such as riches, honours, pleasures, profits, &c. which are visible to, and strike the senses of a natural man, and are temporal, endure but for a time, are transitory, fleeting, and quickly gone. To ‘look' at these things is to desire them, set the affections on them, and to make the enjoyment of them a man's chief scope and aim… but when and while he looks off of these to Christ, and to what he has done and suffered, and to the glories of another world, and to the recompense of reward, he not only finds himself supported under his present afflictions, which he does not so overlook as to despise; but he also finds his heart seeking after, and his affections set upon, and his faith, hope, and expectation raised in the views of things above, where Christ is: and so he is kept looking at the things which are not seen…” (Gill's Exposition)
"The design of this is, to show in what way the afflictions which they endured became in their view light and momentary. It was by looking to the glories of the future world, and thus turning away the attention from the trials and sorrows of this life. If we look directly at our trials; if the mind is fixed wholly on them, and we think of nothing else, they often appear heavy and long. Even comparatively light and brief sufferings will appear to be exceedingly difficult to bear. But if we can turn away the mind from them and contemplate future glory; if we can compare them with eternal blessedness, and feel that they will introduce us to perfect and everlasting happiness, they will appear to be transitory, and will be easily borne. And Paul here has stated the true secret of bearing trials with patience. It is to look at the things which are unseen. To anticipate the glories of the heavenly world. To fix the eye on the eternal happiness which is beyond the grave; and to reflect how short these trials are, compared with the eternal glories of heaven; and how short they will seem to be when we are there.” (Barnes Notes) This is only done by meditation on the Bible; but it is made effective by the Holy Spirit. Pray and meditate on these things!