Verses 1-4. The apostle wrote (chap. 3:6) that God made them able ministers of the spirit of the new covenant, and that their sufficiency was of God. Here he tells that they received mercy to carry it out, and therefore could say, “We faint not.” Sustained by divine power, they gave out the Word in the same purity in which they had received it. They rejected the hidden things of shame; they did not walk in deceit, nor falsify the Word of God, but by manifestation of the truth in doctrine and practice, commended themselves to every conscience of man in the sight of God. The truth had its full force in going out from him. It was not veiled; if men did not see it, they had put a veil on their hearts.
“If our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost;” the god of this world, that is Satan, hath blinded the minds of them that believe not, lest the light of the good news of the glory of Christ who is the image of God, should shine forth for them. The glory of Christ risen and ascended, tells of God’s righteousness and love, shining out for guilty, ruined sinners. His delight is seen in the glory in which the Lord Jesus now is seen and known to faith.
Verses 5, 6. The apostles therefore did not preach about themselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and themselves servants for Jesus’ sake. To be such, God had wrought in them. As at the beginning, God had said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. So now God had shined into their hearts, and this shining in, was that the light might shine forth—the light of the knowledge of the glory of God as revealed in the face of Jesus Christ.
Verses 7-14. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not from us. A vessel needs to be empty. An instrument needs to have no will of its own, so God must deal with the vessel to reduce it to nothingness, and this is done by circumstances of trial with the teaching of the Word by the Holy Spirit, to bring the flesh in the vessel into the place of death. This is what we have in verses 8 to 11:
“We are troubled on every side,” that is, the vessel; “yet not distressed,” because God was with it. “Perplexed,” that is, the vessel; “but not in despair,” for God is there. “Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed.” Submission to the will of God, even unto death, is wrought thus in the soul. It was found in its perfection in Jesus. And so it is, “always bearing about in the body the dying of Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.” Wonderful that such a life could be produced in sinful men with mortal bodies. “For we who live are always delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.” We see how this was the actual experience of the apostle (2 Cor. 1:88For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life: (2 Corinthians 1:8) to 10). He realized in his heart, as the Lord’s servant, what death is, and his life preserved was from God who raises the dead.
The more that the man is set aside as nothing, the more the life of Jesus is seen in the submission to God’s will, the dependence on God, and obedience to His Word, and thus the life of Jesus is seen in his mortal flesh. This is conformity to Christ in the heart by God’s power made good in man’s weakness. So death worked in the servants, that life might work in the converts. What a difference between the prophets of the Old Testament who searched their own prophecies seeking to understand them; and the apostles who knew, understood and felt the truth and taught it, walking in it before God and men. The apostle could quote Psalm 116:1010I believed, therefore have I spoken: I was greatly afflicted: (Psalm 116:10): “I believe, therefore have I spoken.” It was all a living reality to him. We having the same spirit of faith, we also believe, and therefore speak.
It is the same with us all; we cannot rightly minister beyond what we have received. If we go further, we are but a clanging cymbal.
This lesson is meant to teach us that we must have the glory of Christ before our souls, subduing our wills, thus bringing in the power of God, and thus death morally in the servant produced life in the hearers. Death had lost its terror to the apostles, “Knowing that He which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and present us with you.” Blessed assurance of hope given by the resurrection of Christ Jesus to the apostles and also to us.
Verse 15. “For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God.” What God passed the apostles through in their service in testimony for Christ, was all for the elect’s sake (see Col. 1:2424Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body's sake, which is the church: (Colossians 1:24) and 2 Tim. 2:1010Therefore I endure all things for the elect's sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. (2 Timothy 2:10)), giving the character of a rejected One on earth, now glorified at God’s right hand. To serve such a Master, the servant must be like Him.
The Lord suffered also in atonement in which none can share. Sufferings from man, and in testimony for God we all who are believers may have part in. “Unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on Him, but also to suffer for His sake.” (Phil. 1:2929For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake; (Philippians 1:29)). The Lord said about Paul (Acts 9:1616For I will show him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake. (Acts 9:16)), “I will show him how great things he must suffer for My name’s sake.” Paul knew that the end was glory with Christ above, both for him and for them, and he unites their thanksgivings with his own (2 Cor. 1:1111Ye also helping together by prayer for us, that for the gift bestowed upon us by the means of many persons thanks may be given by many on our behalf. (2 Corinthians 1:11)). “For this cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day,” for the trials of the present moment were only temporary, and would soon be over; and besides, as he says, “Our light affliction, which is but for a moment,” in comparison to eternity, “worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.” The knowledge of this comforted and sustained the soul to go through the trials and sufferings that God saw fit to allow to come upon His servants.
In all this, the apostles show us the way, as examples that in our path of suffering and service, this truth might comfort and sustain our souls, amid the discouragements of a Christ-rejecting world, which after all he calls “light,” and “but for a moment,” and working, for all His saints, a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. It must be so, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen, for the things which are seen, are temporal, but the unseen things are eternal. The power of divine life, with its consequences, were developed in their souls by faith. They knew the result of everything on God’s part.