Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
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2 Corinthians
Book: 2 Corinthians
Chapter: 4
Overview:
The apostles laboured with much diligence, sincerity, and
faithfulness.
(1-7) Their sufferings for the
Gospel were great,
yet with rich supports.
(8-12) Prospects of eternal
Glory keep
believers from fainting under troubles.
(13-18)
1-7 The best of men would faint, if they did not receive
Mercy
from
God. And that
Mercy which has helped us out, and helped us
On, hitherto, we may rely upon to help us even to the
End. The
apostles had
No base and wicked designs, covered with fair and
specious pretences. They did not try to make their ministry
serve a turn. Sincerity or uprightness will keep the favourable
opinion of
Wise and good men.
Christ By his
Gospel makes a
glorious discovery to the minds of men. But the design of the
Devil is, to keep men in ignorance; and when he cannot keep the
Light of the
Gospel of
Christ out of the world, he spares
No
pains to keep men from the
Gospel, or to set them against it.
The rejection of the
Gospel is here traced to the wilful
blindness and wickedness of the human
Heart. Self was not the
matter or the
End of the apostles' preaching; they preached
Christ as
Jesus, the
Saviour and Deliverer, who saves to the
uttermost all that come to
God through him. Ministers are
servants to the souls of men; they must avoid becoming servants
to the humours or the lusts of men. It is pleasant to behold the
Sun in the
Firmament; but it is more pleasant and profitable for
the
Gospel to shine in the
Heart. As
Light was the beginning of
the first
Creation;
So, in the new
Creation, the
Light of the
Spirit is his first work upon the soul. The treasure of
Gospel
Light and
Grace is
Put into earthen vessels. The ministers of
the
Gospel are subject to the same passions and weaknesses as
other men.
God could have sent angels to make known the glorious
doctrine of the
Gospel, or could have sent the most admired sons
of men to teach the nations, but he chose humbler, weaker
vessels, that his power might be more glorified in upholding
them, and in the blessed change wrought
By their ministry.
8-12 The apostles were great sufferers, yet they met with
wonderful support. Believers may be forsaken of their friends,
as
Well as persecuted
By enemies; but their
God will never leave
them nor forsake them. There may be fears within, as
Well as
fightings without; yet we are not destroyed. 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, other Christians were, even at that time,
in prosperous circumstances.
13-18 The
Grace of
Faith is an effectual remedy against
fainting in times of trouble. They knew that
Christ was raised,
and that his resurrection was an
Earnest and
Assurance of
theirs. 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 sufferings of
Christ's ministers, as
Well as their
preaching and
Conversation, are for the good of the
Church and
the
Glory of
God. 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.
If the
Apostle could
Call his heavy and long-continued trials
Light, and but for a moment, what must our trifling difficulties
be!
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.