2 Korintus 4:6-10

4:6 For God, who said “Let light shine out of darkness,” ¹  is the one who shined in our hearts to give us the light of the glorious knowledge ²  of God in the face of Christ. ³ 

An Eternal Weight of Glory

4:7 But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that the extraordinary power ⁴  belongs to God and does not come from us. 4:8 We are experiencing trouble on every side, ⁵  but are not crushed; we are perplexed, ⁶  but not driven to despair; 4:9 we are persecuted, but not abandoned; ⁷  we are knocked down, ⁸  but not destroyed, 4:10 always carrying around in our body the death of Jesus, ⁹  so that the life of Jesus may also be made visible ¹⁰  in our body.

[4:6]  ¹ sn An allusion to Gen 1:3; see also Isa 9:2.

[4:6]  ² tn Grk “the light of the knowledge of the glory”; δόξης (doxhs) has been translated as an attributive genitive.

[4:6]  ³ tc ‡ Most witnesses, including several early and important ones (Ì⁴⁶ א C H Ψ 0209 1739^c Ï sy), read ᾿Ιησοῦ Χριστοῦ (Ihsou Cristou, “Jesus Christ”), while other important witnesses, especially of the Western text (D F G 0243 630 1739* 1881 lat Ambst), have Χριστοῦ ᾿Ιησοῦ. The reading with just Χριστοῦ is found in A B 33 {sa} Tert {Or Ath Chr}. Even though the witnesses for the shorter reading are not numerous, they are weighty. And in light of the natural scribal proclivity to fill out the text, particularly with reference to divine names, as well as the discrepancy among the witnesses as to the order of the names, the simple reading Χριστοῦ seems to be the best candidate for authenticity. NA²⁷ reads ᾿Ιησοῦ Χριστοῦ with ᾿Ιησοῦ in brackets, indicating doubts as to its authenticity.

[4:7]  ⁴ tn Grk “the surpassingness of the power”; δυνάμεως (dunamew") has been translated as an attributed genitive (“extraordinary power”).

[4:8]  ⁵ tn Grk “we are hard pressed [by crowds] on every side.”

[4:8]  ⁶ tn Or “at a loss.”

[4:9]  ⁷ tn Or “forsaken.”

[4:9]  ⁸ tn Or “badly hurt.” It is possible to interpret καταβαλλόμενοι (kataballomenoi) here as “badly hurt”: “[we are] badly hurt, but not destroyed” (L&N 20.21).

[4:10]  ⁹ tn The first clause of 2 Cor 4:10 is elliptical and apparently refers to the fact that Paul was constantly in danger of dying in the same way Jesus died (by violence at least). According to L&N 23.99 it could be translated, “at all times we live in the constant threat of being killed as Jesus was.”

[4:10]  ¹⁰ tn Or “may also be revealed.”