I’d be interested in your thoughts about this. I think one of the best ways to study the Bible is to write your own paraphrase of it. I’m hoping to catch all the meaning and be true to the text. I don’t think I’ve nailed it, but I sure feel like I understand this chapter better now.
| Verse | KJV | Barlow Paraphrase |
|---|---|---|
| 2 Corinthians 4:1 | Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not; | God has commissioned us with this ministry to take the same mercy we’ve received from God and give it to others. The commission comes with the strength and ability to complete the work; so we’re not running out of energy here. |
| 2 Corinthians 4:2 | But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God. | You know all those things you try to hide, afraid that you’ll be found out? We can give all that up. And we do. We’ve got to bring forth this beautiful, pure Gospel through beautiful clean hearts. People can tell if you’re fake. |
| 2 Corinthians 4:3 | But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: | If this Gospel is hidden to anyone those people are lost, not found yet. Let’s not present anything in ourselves that would block their view of the Gospel. |
| 2 Corinthians 4:4 | In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. | Satan, the ‘god of this world’ works to blind the minds of those who haven’t seen the truth yet. Once they see the reality of Jesus, Satan loses them for sure, because the light has found them. |
| 2 Corinthians 4:5 | For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake. | We’re not the Savior, although we bring His salvation. Jesus Himself is the Lord. We serve Him and you so that He would be increased in this world. |
| 2 Corinthians 4:6 | For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. | The One who originally said, “Let there be light!” has performed the same miracle in our hearts. The light of knowing God is shining in our hearts as we behold Jesus’ face. |
| 2 Corinthians 4:7 | But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. | This light that shines in us, this treasure, is what we hold. It doesn’t come from us, it flows through us. So everyone knows this light is from God not from us. |
| 2 Corinthians 4:8 | We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; | Those are the spiritual realities, but in this world we deal with tons of difficulties; Satan makes sure of it. But because we hold the spiritual realities in view the opposition doesn’t wear us out. |
| 2 Corinthians 4:9 | Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; | The world cuts me down but God hasn’t given up on me. They might throw me down, but they can’t destroy me. |
| 2 Corinthians 4:10 | Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. | This substitution thing that Jesus did by dying for me seems to be having an effect on me. Its seems I constantly experience death but His life in me keeps me living. |
| 2 Corinthians 4:11 | For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh. | It seems we keep getting delivered to death but life keeps rescuing us keeping our mortal bodies alive! |
| 2 Corinthians 4:12 | So then death worketh in us, but life in you. | Because we keep surviving these death attacks that results in more life for you as we continue to minister more and more truth and you receive it. |
| 2 Corinthians 4:13 | We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak; | We are people of faith. That’s how we survive. And as such we speak as those who have faith. We follow the example of those written about in the scriptures. They believed and therefore spoke. We believe therefore we speak. |
| 2 Corinthians 4:14 | Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you. | We can see this with our faith, God raised Jesus He’ll raise us also. Together we’ll be presented before the Most High! |
| 2 Corinthians 4:15 | For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God. | This is amazing. This was all done for you. Abundant grace came to you. Thanksgiving rose up in you. God receives abundant glory. I love it. |
| 2 Corinthians 4:16 | For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. | We feel eternally energized by this work. Outwardly it seems we are wearing out but there is internal energy that keeps rising up day after day. |
| 2 Corinthians 4:17 | For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; | Seeing things from a spiritual perspective all of our difficulties seem pretty small and short lived. But everything we endure is remembered by God Himself; it will be glorious as we receive our reward. |
| 2 Corinthians 4:18 | 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 things which are not seen are eternal. | So let’s keep looking at the spiritual ‘unseen’ things; they last forever. The things we see with our eyes will all be gone someday soon. |
Joseph Barlow 
I got the concept of 1-9, with editing will become more clear.
I was stumped on verse 10, mind I was reading at 3am. It has dawned on me; Paul is using dying in a present tense and you are expressing it in the past tense. 10-12 the concept seems the unsaved observing the saved dealing with afflictions brings them to Christ/salvation. I think Paul is talking about himself, and talking about us. Paul was ready for death on a daily basis, see his resume, he dealt with a lot of affliction, afflictions, even those that result in death bring opportunity for Christ to manifest His life through us. Not an easy passage at 3am.
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