Focused Passage

2 Corinthians 4:1-6

Merciful Ministry, Treasure in Jars of Clay, and Unseen Eternal Glory

Because Paul has received mercy, he refuses manipulative ministry, proclaims Christ rather than himself, carries gospel treasure in fragile humanity, and interprets affliction through resurrection hope and unseen eternal glory.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

1Therefore, since God in His mercy has given us this ministry, we do not lose heart.

2Instead, we have renounced secret and shameful ways. We do not practice deceit, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by open proclamation of the truth, we commend ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.

3And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing.

4The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

5For we do not proclaim ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.

6For 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 the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 1

Original words

ThereforeΔιὰG1223Preposition. . .τοῦτοG3778Demonstrative Pronoun - Accusative Neuter Singular[since God] in HisκαθὼςG2531AdverbmercyἠλεήθημενG1653Verb - Aorist Indicative Passive - 1st Person Pluralhas given usἔχοντεςG2192Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine PluralthisταύτηνG3778Demonstrative Pronoun - Accusative Feminine Singular-τὴνG3588Article - Accusative Feminine SingularministryδιακονίανG1248Noun - Accusative Feminine SingularvvvοὐκG3756Adverbwe do not lose heartἐγκακοῦμενG1573Verb - Present Indicative Active - 1st Person Plural

BSB notes

  • Literally Therefore, having this ministry, as we have received mercy,
Verse 2

Original words

InsteadἀλλὰG235Conjunctionwe have renouncedἀπειπάμεθαG550Verb - Aorist Indicative Middle - 1st Person Plural-τὰG3588Article - Accusative Neuter PluralsecretκρυπτὰG2927Adjective - Accusative Neuter Plural-τῆςG3588Article - Genitive Feminine Singular[and] shameful [ways]αἰσχύνηςG152Noun - Genitive Feminine SingularvvvμὴG3361AdverbWe do not practiceπεριπατοῦντεςG4043Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Plural. . .ἐνG1722PrepositiondeceitπανουργίᾳG3834Noun - Dative Feminine SingularnorμηδὲG3366Conjunctiondo we distortδολοῦντεςG1389Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine PluraltheτὸνG3588Article - Accusative Masculine SingularwordλόγονG3056Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular-τοῦG3588Article - Genitive Masculine Singularof GodΘεοῦG2316Noun - Genitive Masculine SingularOn the contraryἀλλὰG235Conjunction-τῇG3588Article - Dative Feminine Singularby open proclamationφανερώσειG5321Noun - Dative Feminine Singularof theτῆςG3588Article - Genitive Feminine SingulartruthἀληθείαςG225Noun - Genitive Feminine Singularwe commendσυνιστάνοντεςG4921Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine PluralourselvesἑαυτοὺςG1438Reflexive Pronoun - Accusative Masculine 3rd Person PluraltoπρὸςG4314PrepositioneveryπᾶσανG3956Adjective - Accusative Feminine Singularman’sἀνθρώπωνG444Noun - Genitive Masculine PluralconscienceσυνείδησινG4893Noun - Accusative Feminine Singularin the sight ofἐνώπιονG1799Preposition-τοῦG3588Article - Genitive Masculine SingularGodΘεοῦG2316Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular
Verse 3

Original words

AndδὲG1161ConjunctionevenκαὶG2532ConjunctionifΕἰG1487ConjunctionourἡμῶνG1473Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 1st Person Plural-τὸG3588Article - Nominative Neuter SingulargospelεὐαγγέλιονG2098Noun - Nominative Neuter SingularisἔστινG1510Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingularveiledκεκαλυμμένονG2572Verb - Perfect Participle Middle or Passive - Nominative Neuter Singularit isἐστὶνG1510Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingularveiledκεκαλυμμένονG2572Verb - Perfect Participle Middle or Passive - Nominative Neuter SingulartoἐνG1722Prepositionthose whoτοῖςG3588Article - Dative Masculine Pluralare perishingἀπολλυμένοιςG622Verb - Present Participle Middle or Passive - Dative Masculine Plural
Verse 4

Original words

TheG3588Article - Nominative Masculine SingulargodθεὸςG2316Noun - Nominative Masculine Singularof thisτούτουG3778Demonstrative Pronoun - Genitive Masculine Singular-τοῦG3588Article - Genitive Masculine SingularageαἰῶνοςG165Noun - Genitive Masculine Singularhas blindedἐτύφλωσενG5186Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingulartheτὰG3588Article - Accusative Neuter PluralmindsνοήματαG3540Noun - Accusative Neuter PluralofτῶνG3588Article - Genitive Masculine Plural-ἐνG1722Preposition-οἷςG3739Personal / Relative Pronoun - Dative Masculine PluralunbelieversἀπίστωνG571Adjective - Genitive Masculine PluralsoεἰςG1519PrepositionvvvμὴG3361AdverbvvvτὸG3588Article - Accusative Neuter Singularthey cannot seeαὐγάσαιG826Verb - Aorist Infinitive ActivetheτὸνG3588Article - Accusative Masculine SingularlightφωτισμὸνG5462Noun - Accusative Masculine Singularof theτοῦG3588Article - Genitive Neuter SingulargospelεὐαγγελίουG2098Noun - Genitive Neuter Singularof theτῆςG3588Article - Genitive Feminine SingulargloryδόξηςG1391Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular-τοῦG3588Article - Genitive Masculine Singularof ChristΧριστοῦG5547Noun - Genitive Masculine SingularwhoὅςG3739Personal / Relative Pronoun - Nominative Masculine SingularisἐστινG1510Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular[the] imageεἰκὼνG1504Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular-τοῦG3588Article - Genitive Masculine Singularof GodΘεοῦG2316Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular
Verse 5

Original words

ForγὰρG1063ConjunctionvvvΟὐG3756Adverbwe do not proclaimκηρύσσομενG2784Verb - Present Indicative Active - 1st Person PluralourselvesἑαυτοὺςG1438Reflexive Pronoun - Accusative Masculine 3rd Person PluralbutἀλλὰG235ConjunctionJesusἸησοῦνG2424Noun - Accusative Masculine SingularChristΧριστὸνG5547Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular[as] LordΚύριονG2962Noun - Accusative Masculine SingularandδὲG1161ConjunctionourselvesἑαυτοὺςG1438Reflexive Pronoun - Accusative Masculine 3rd Person Plural[as] yourὑμῶνG4771Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 2nd Person PluralservantsδούλουςG1401Noun - Accusative Masculine Pluralfor Jesus’ἸησοῦνG2424Noun - Accusative Masculine SingularsakeδιὰG1223Preposition
Verse 6

Original words

ForὅτιG3754Conjunction-G3588Article - Nominative Masculine SingularGodΘεὸςG2316Noun - Nominative Masculine SingularwhoG3588Article - Nominative Masculine SingularsaidεἰπώνG2036Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular{Let} lightφῶςG5457Noun - Nominative Neuter SingularshineλάμψειG2989Verb - Future Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singularout ofἘκG1537PrepositiondarknessσκότουςG4655Noun - Genitive Neuter Singular-ὃςG3739Personal / Relative Pronoun - Nominative Masculine Singularmade His light shineἔλαμψενG2989Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingularinἐνG1722PrepositionourἡμῶνG1473Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 1st Person Plural-ταῖςG3588Article - Dative Feminine PluralheartsκαρδίαιςG2588Noun - Dative Feminine Pluralto give usπρὸςG4314Preposition[the] lightφωτισμὸνG5462Noun - Accusative Masculine Singularof theτῆςG3588Article - Genitive Feminine SingularknowledgeγνώσεωςG1108Noun - Genitive Feminine Singularof theτῆςG3588Article - Genitive Feminine SingulargloryδόξηςG1391Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular-τοῦG3588Article - Genitive Masculine Singularof GodΘεοῦG2316Noun - Genitive Masculine SingularinἐνG1722Preposition[the] faceπροσώπῳG4383Noun - Dative Neuter Singularof JesusἸησοῦG2424Noun - Genitive Masculine SingularChristΧριστοῦG5547Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular

BSB notes

  • Genesis 1:3
  • SBL, NE, and WH in the face of Christ

Berean Standard Bible (BSB): CC0 Public Domain Scripture text. Focused passages are drawn from the same reader contract as the full chapter. Reference sources explains external study-link sources.