2 Corinthians 4:6

Contextual Overview

¹Therefore, since through God's mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart. ¹ Therefore, since through God's mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart. ¹God has mercifully given us a spot on his outfit. He assigned us this work to do and we never give up. ¹ Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we received mercy, we do not lose heart, ¹Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we received mercy, we do not lose heart, ¹ For this reason, because we have been made servants of this new order, through the mercy given to us, we are strong: ¹ Therefore, having this ministry, as we have had mercy shewn us, we faint not. ¹ Therefore, since we have this ministry because we were shown mercy, we do not give up. ¹ Therefore seeing we have this ministry, even as we obtained mercy, we don't faint. ¹ Therefore having this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not: But have renounced the hidden things of shame,

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

who: Genesis 1:3, Genesis 1:14, Genesis 1:15, Psalms 74:16, Psalms 136:7-9, Isaiah 45:7

hath: Gr. is he who hath

shined: Ephesians 1:17, Ephesians 5:8, 2 Peter 1:19

the light: 2 Corinthians 4:4, 2 Corinthians 3:18, Exodus 33:18-23, Exodus 34:5-7, Psalms 63:2, Psalms 90:16, Isaiah 6:1-3, Isaiah 35:2, Isaiah 40:5, Isaiah 60:2, John 11:40, Acts 7:55, Acts 7:56, 1 Peter 2:9

in the: Luke 10:22, John 1:14, John 12:41, John 14:9, John 14:10, Philippians 2:6, Colossians 1:15, Hebrews 1:3, 1 Peter 1:12

Reciprocal: Genesis 32:30 - I have Exodus 24:16 - the glory Exodus 27:21 - Aaron Exodus 29:43 - sanctified Leviticus 24:2 - the lamps 1 Kings 8:11 - for the glory 1 Chronicles 28:9 - know thou 2 Chronicles 30:22 - the good Nehemiah 9:5 - thy glorious Job 22:21 - Acquaint Psalms 9:10 - know Psalms 25:8 - teach Psalms 27:4 - behold Psalms 36:9 - in thy Psalms 67:1 - cause Psalms 100:3 - Know Psalms 119:130 - entrance Psalms 119:144 - give me Psalms 138:5 - for great Proverbs 10:14 - lay Isaiah 4:2 - beautiful and glorious Isaiah 32:3 - General Isaiah 42:7 - open Isaiah 53:11 - by his Jeremiah 9:24 - knoweth Jeremiah 31:34 - for they Hosea 2:20 - and Micah 2:9 - my glory Micah 7:8 - the Lord Matthew 13:16 - General Mark 4:11 - Unto you Luke 2:9 - and the Luke 6:45 - treasure Luke 9:33 - it is Luke 11:36 - the whole John 2:11 - manifested John 6:40 - seeth John 7:28 - whom John 8:55 - ye have not John 9:30 - and yet John 10:14 - am John 12:45 - General John 14:7 - ye John 14:21 - and will John 16:14 - for John 17:3 - this John 17:6 - have manifested John 17:24 - may Acts 9:18 - immediately Acts 26:18 - open Romans 5:5 - shed Romans 10:2 - but not 1 Corinthians 1:5 - and in 1 Corinthians 1:30 - wisdom 2 Corinthians 1:20 - unto 2 Corinthians 3:14 - which veil 2 Corinthians 6:6 - knowledge Galatians 1:16 - reveal Galatians 4:9 - ye have Ephesians 1:18 - eyes Ephesians 4:13 - the knowledge Ephesians 5:14 - Christ Philippians 3:8 - the excellency Colossians 1:10 - increasing Colossians 1:27 - whom Colossians 3:10 - knowledge 1 Timothy 1:11 - glorious Titus 2:13 - the glorious Hebrews 10:32 - after James 1:17 - from the 2 Peter 1:2 - the knowledge 2 Peter 3:18 - knowledge 1 John 2:3 - we know 1 John 2:13 - ye have known 1 John 3:6 - whosoever 1 John 4:7 - and knoweth 1 John 5:20 - and hath

Cross-References

Genesis 4:1
Adam lay with his wife Eve, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain. She said, "With the help of the LORD I have brought forth a man."

Genesis 4:1
Adam made love to his wife Eve, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain. She said, "With the help of the Lord I have brought forth a man."

Genesis 4:1
Now the man knew his wife Eve, and she conceived and gave birth to Cain, and she said, "I have gotten a man with the help of Yahweh."

Genesis 4:1
Now the man had relations with his wife Eve, and she conceived and gave birth to Cain, and she said, "I have gotten a manchild with the help of the LORD."

Genesis 4:1
And Adam knewe Heua his wyfe, who conceauing bare Cain, saying: I haue gotten a man of the Lorde.

Genesis 4:1
Adam had sexual relations with his wife Eve. She became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Cain. Eve said, "With the Lord 's help, I have made a man!"

Genesis 4:1
Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, "I have gotten a man with the help of the LORD."

Genesis 4:1
Forsothe Adam knewe Eue his wijf, which conseyuede, and childide Cayn, and seide, Y haue gete a man bi God.

Genesis 4:1
And Adam knew Eue his wife, and shee conceiued, and bare Cain, and said, I haue gotten a man from the LORD.

Genesis 4:1
And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the Lord .

Gill's Notes on the Bible

For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness,.... The causal particle for, shows these words to be also a reason of the foregoing; either why they so clearly beheld the glory of the Lord, 2 Corinthians 4:18 or why they renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, 2 Corinthians 4:2 or why their Gospel could not be hid, 2 Corinthians 4:3 or why they did not preach themselves, but Christ, 2 Corinthians 4:5 because God had

shined in their hearts; and in this light, they saw the glory of Christ; could not bear any secret, hidden, scandalous practices; and held forth the word of light and life to others; and seeing so much of their own weakness, sinfulness, and unworthiness, dared not to preach themselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; in which may be observed the character of the true God, as opposed to Satan, the god of this world, who is said to blind the minds of men, 2 Corinthians 4:6 whereas the true God is represented as the author of "light", and as producing it by a word of "command", and that "out" of mere "darkness"; respect is here had to the creation of all things at the beginning, when "darkness was upon the face of the deep--and God said, let there be light and there was light", Genesis 1:2. Now this character of God, as creating light in this wonderful manner, is prefaced to his giving spiritual light unto his people; because of the agreement there is between light corporeal and spiritual, in their nature and production; for as there was darkness upon the earth before there was light, so there is a natural darkness in the minds of men, before any spiritual light is infused into them; and as light was the first production out of the dark and unformed chaos, so light is the first thing that is struck into the soul in conversion; moreover, as light was the effect of almighty power, so is the spiritual illumination, or the opening of the eyes of the understandings of men, who are naturally born blind; and as light was a creation of that which was not before, so the work of grace on the soul is not an increase of, or an addition to, or an improvement of the light of nature, but it is a new light, created in the understanding; add to all this, that both corporeal and spiritual light are good, and both called "day"; the influence that God has over the hearts of men, and the effect he produces there are, he

hath shined in our hearts. The hearts of men are like this dark terraqueous globe, having no light in them; God is as the sun, the fountain of light, which shines upon them and in them; so as to give them a true sight and sense of sin, and of their lost state and condition; so as to cause them to see the fulness and suitableness of Christ as a Saviour; so as to warm their affections, and draw out their desires after Christ, his ways, truths, ordinances, and people; and so as to give them light into the mysteries of the Gospel; particularly he so shines into the hearts of some, whom be makes ministers of the Gospel, as to give more light and knowledge into Gospel truths, than he does to others; and his end in doing this, is

to give: that is, that his ministering servants may give

the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ; men must be first made light in, and by the Lord, or they will never be fit and proper persons to hold forth the word of light, or to communicate light to others; God first shines into their hearts, and then they give light to others: by "the glory of God" is not meant the essential glory of God, or the perfections of his nature, though these are to be seen in the face, or person of Christ; but rather the glorious counsels of God, and scheme of salvation by Jesus Christ; or in other words, the glorious Gospel of God: and by "the knowledge" of it is designed, not a mere notional speculative knowledge of the Gospel, but an experimental one; a spiritual knowledge of the Gospel, of Christ in it, of God in Christ, and of an interest in God's salvation by Christ: now when the ministers of the word are said to give the light of this to men, or to enlighten them with this knowledge, it cannot be thought that they are the efficient causes, for such are only Jehovah, Father, Son, and Spirit; but only that they are instrumental, and are means in the hands of God, of bringing persons to see the fellowship of this mystery: all which is done, "in the face of Jesus Christ"; this denotes the clearness and perspicuity of their ministry, and of that knowledge which is communicated by it; see 2 Corinthians 3:12 and also the authority by which they act; it is in the name and person of Christ, in which sense the phrase is used, 2 Corinthians 2:10.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

For God, who commanded ... - The design of this verse seems to be, to give a reason why Paul and his fellow-apostles did not preach themselves, but Jesus Christ the Lord, 2 Corinthians 4:5. That reason was, that their minds had been so illuminated by that God who had commanded the light to shine out of darkness, that they had discerned the glory of the divine perfections shining in and through the Redeemer, and they therefore gave themselves. to the work of making him known among people. The doctrines which they preached they had not derived from people in any form. They had not been elaborated by human reasoning or science, nor had they been imparted by tradition. They had been communicated directly by the source of all light - the true God - who had shined into the hearts that were once benighted by sin. Having been thus illuminated, they had felt themselves bound to go and make known to others the truths which God had imparted to them.

Who commanded the light ... - Genesis 1:3. God caused it to shine by his simple command. He said, “let there be light, and there was light.” The fact that it was produced by “his saying so” is referred to here by Paul by his use of the phrase (ὁ εἰπὼν ho eipōn) “Who saying,” or speaking the light to shine from darkness. The passage in Genesis is adduced by Longinus as a striking instance of the sublime.

Hath shined in our hearts - Margin, “It is he who hath.” This is more in accordance with the Greek, and the sense is, “The God who at the creation bade the light to shine out of darkness, is he who has shined into our hearts; or it is the same God who has illuminated us, who commanded the light to shine at the creation.” “Light” is every where in the Bible the emblem of knowledge, purity, and truth; as darkness is the emblem of ignorance, error, sin, and wretchedness. See note, John 1:4-5. And the sense here is, that God had removed this ignorance, and poured a flood of light and truth on their minds. This passage teaches, therefore, the following important truths in regard to Christians - since it is as applicable to all Christians, as it was to the apostles:

(1) That the mind is by nature ignorant and benighted - to an extent which may be properly compared with the darkness which prevailed before God commanded the light to shine. Indeed, the darkness which prevailed before the light was formed, was a most striking emblem of the darkness which exists in the mind of man before it is enlightened by revelation, and by the Holy Spirit. For:

1. In all minds by nature there is deep ignorance of God, of His Law, and His requirements; and,

(b) This is often greatly deepened by the course of life which people lead; by their education; or by their indulgence in sin, and by their plans of life; and especially by the indulgence of evil passions.

The tendency of man if left to himself is to plunge into deeper darkness, and to involve his mind more entirely in the obscurity of moral midnight. “Light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil,” John 3:19.

(2) This verse teaches the fact, that the minds of Christians are illuminated. They are enabled to see things as they are. This fact is often taught in the Scriptures; see 1 John 2:20; 1 Corinthians 2:12-15. They have different views of things from their fellow-men, and different from what they once had. They perceive a beauty in religion which others do not see, and a glory in truth, and in the Saviour, and in the promises of the gospel, which they did not see before they were converted. This does not mean:

1. That they are superior in their powers of understanding to other people - for the reverse is often the fact; nor,
1. That the effect of religion is at once to enlarge their own intellectual powers, and make them different from what they were before in this respect.

But it means that they have clear and consistent views; they look at things as they are; they perceive a beauty in religion and in the service of God which they did not before. They see a beauty in the Bible, and in the doctrines of the Bible, which they did not before, and which sinners do not see. The temperate man will see a beauty in temperance, and in an argument for temperance, which the drunkard will not; the benevolent man will see a beauty in benevolence which the churl will not: and so of honesty, truth, and chastity. And especially will a man who is reformed from intemperance, impurity, dishonesty, and avarice, see a beauty in a virtuous life which he did not before see. There is indeed no immediate and direct enlargement of the intellect; but there is an effect on the heart which produces an appropriate and indirect effect on the understanding.

It is at the same time true, that the practice of virtue, that a pure heart, and that the cultivation of piety all tend to regulate, strengthen, and expand the intellect, as the ways of vice and the indulgence of evil passions and propensities tend to enfeeble, paralyze, darken, and ruin the understanding; so that, other things being equal, the man of most decided virtue, and most calm and elevated piety, will be the man of the clearest and best regulated mind. His powers will be the most assiduously, carefully, and conscientiously cultivated and he will feel himself bound to make the most of them. The influence of piety in giving light to the mind is often strikingly manifested among unlettered and ignorant Christians. It often happens, as a matter of fact, that they have by far clearer, and more just and elevated views of truth than people of the most mighty intellects, and most highly cultivated by science and adorned with learning. but who have no piety; and a practical acquaintance with their own hearts, and a practical experience of the power of religion in the days of temptation and trial is a better enlightener of the mind on the subject of religion than all the learning of the schools.

(3) This verse teaches, that it is the “same God” who enlightens the mind of the Christian that commanded the light at first to shine. He is the source of all light. He formed the light in the natural world; he gives all light and truth on all subjects to the understanding; and he imparts all correct views of truth to the heart. Light is not originated by man; and man on the subject of religion no more creates the light which beams upon his benighted mind than he created the light of the sun when it first shed its beams over the darkened earth. “All truth is from the sempiternal source of light divine;” and it is no more the work of man to enlighten the mind. and dissipate the darkness from the soul of a benighted sinner, than it was of man to scatter the darkness that brooded over the creation, or than he can now turn the shades of midnight to noonday. All this work lies beyond the proper province of man; and is all to be traced to the agency of God - the great fountain of light.

(4) It is taught here that it is the “same power” that gives light to the mind of the Christian which at first commanded the light to shine out of darkness. It requires the exertion of the same Omnipotence; and the change is often as remarkable, and surprising. Nothing can be conceived to be more grand than the first creation of light - when by one word the whole solar system was in a blaze. And nothing in the moral world is more grand than when by a word God commands the light to beam on the soul of a benighted sinner. Night is at once changed to day; and all things are seen in a blaze of glory. The works of God appear different; the Word of God appears different; and a new aspect of beauty is diffused over all things. If it be asked in what way God thus imparts light to the mind, we may reply:

1. By his written and preached word. All spiritual and saving light to the minds of people has come through his revealed truth. Nor does the Spirit of God now give or reveal any light to the mind which is not to be found in the Word of God. and which is not imparted through that medium.
2. God makes use of his providential dealings to give light to the minds of people. They are then, by sickness, disappointment, and pain, made to see the folly and vanity of the things of this world, and to see the necessity of a better portion.
3. It is done especially and mainly by the influences of the Holy Spirit. It is directly by his agency that the heart becomes affected, and the mind enlightened.

It is his province in the world to prepare the heart to receive the truth; to dispose the mind to attend to it: to remove the obstructions which existed to its clear perception; to enable the mind clearly to see the beauty of truth, and of the plan of salvation through a Redeemer. And whatever may be the means which may be used, it is still true that it is only by the Spirit of God that people are ever brought to see the truth clearly and brightly. The same Spirit that inspired the prophets and apostles also illuminates the minds of people now, removes the darkness from their minds, and enables them clearly to discover the truth as it is in Jesus. See the notes, 1 Corinthians 2:10-15.

To give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God - This shows the “object,” or the “effect” of enlightening the mind. It is that Christians may behold the divine glory. The meaning is, that it is for the purpose of enlightening and instructing them concerning the knowledge of the glory of God - Bloomfield. Doddridge renders it, “the luster of the knowledge of God’s glory.” Tyndale, “to give the light of the knowledge of the glorious God.” The sense is, that the purpose of his shining into their hearts was to give light (πρὸς pros φωτισμὸν phōtismon) that is, unto the enlightening; and the purpose of that light was to acquaint them with the knowledge of the divine glory.

In the face of Jesus Christ - That is, that they might obtain the knowledge of the divine glory as it shines in the face of Jesus Christ; or as it is reflected on the face, or the person of the Redeemer. There is undoubted allusion here to what is said of Moses 2 Corinthians 3:13 when the divine glory was reflected on his face, and produced such a splendor and magnificence that the children of Israel could not steadfastly look upon it. The sense here is, that in the face or the person of Jesus Christ the glory of God shone clearly, and the divinity appeared without a veil. The divine perfections, as it were, illuminated him, as the face of Moses was illuminated; or they shone forth through him, and were seen in him. The word rendered “face” here (προσώπον prosōpon) may mean either face or person; see the note, 2 Corinthians 2:10. The sense is not materially affected which ever translation is preferred. It is, that the divine perfections shone in and through the Redeemer. This refers doubtless to the following truths:

1. That the glory of the divine “nature” is seen in him, since he is “the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person.” Hebrews 1:3. And it is in and through him that the glory of the divine perfections are made known,
2. That the glory of the divine “attributes” are made known through him, since it is through him that the work of creation was accomplished John 1:3; Colossians 1:16; and it is by him that the mercy and goodness of God have been manifested to people.

(3)That the glory of the divine “moral character” is seen through him, since when on earth he manifested the embodied divine perfections; he showed what God is when incarnate; he lived as became the incarnate God - he was as pure and holy in human nature as God is in the heavens.

And there is not, that we know of, one of the divine attributes or perfections which has not at some period, or in some form, been evinced by Jesus Christ. If it be the prerogative of God to be eternal, he was eternal; Isaiah 9:6; Revelation 1:8, Revelation 1:18. If it be the prerogative of God to be the creator, he was also the creator John 1:3; if to be omniscient, he was omniscient Matthew 11:27; Luke 10:22; if to be omnipresent, he is omnipresent Matthew 18:20; if to be almighty, he was almighty Isaiah 9:6; if to raise the dead, to give life, he did it (John 5:21; John 12:43-44; if to still waves and tempests, he did it Mark 4:39; if to be full of benevolence, to be perfectly holy, to be without a moral stain or spot, then all this is found in Jesus Christ. And as the wax bears the perfect image of the seal - perfect not only in the outline, and in the general resemblance, but in the filling up - in all the lines, and features, and letters on the seal, so it is with the Redeemer. There is not one of the divine perfections which has not the counterpart in him, and if the glory of the divine character is seen at all, it will be seen in and through him.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 2 Corinthians 4:6. For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness — The apostle refers here to Genesis 1:3. For when God created the heavens and the earth DARKNESS was on the face of the deep; and God said, Let THERE BE LIGHT; and there was light. Thus he caused the light to shine out of darkness.

Hath shined in our hearts — He has given our hearts the glorious light of the Gospel, as he has given the world the glorious light of the sun. As sure, therefore, as God is the author of the light and the creator of the universe, so sure is he the author of the Gospel; it is no human invention; and is as far beyond the power of man's wisdom and might, as the creation of the world is beyond all created power, energy, and skill.

The light of the knowledge — To give us that light, that we might enlighten others; this appears to me to be the design of the apostle's προς φωτισμον της γνωσεως της δοξης του Θεου, or, as Dr. Whitby paraphrases it, to give us, and enable us to give to others, the light of the knowledge of God through Christ.

In the face of Jesus Christ. — It is in and through Jesus that we can receive the Divine light, and it is in and by him that we can be made partakers of the Divine glory. The light mercy, holiness, and glory of God, are reflected upon and communicated to us through Jesus the Christ; and it is εν προσωπω, in the appearance and person of Jesus Christ that these blessings are communicated to us.