2 Corinthians 6:4

2 Corinthians 6:4 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses,
• New International Version (NIV)Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses;
• English Standard Version (ESV)but as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: by great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities,
• New King James Version (NKJV)But in all things we commend ourselves as ministers of God: in much patience, in tribulations, in needs, in distresses,

Context of 2 Corinthians 6:4

2In the Bible God says: ‘I listened to your prayer at the right time for me to help you. I helped you on the right day for me to save you.’ Listen! The right time is now! The day for God to save you is now! 3We do not want anyone to think bad things about our work. So we do nothing that might cause trouble for anyone. Instead, in everything that we do, we want to show that we are God's servants. When people want to hurt us, we are patient and brave. We have many troubles. We become sad and upset. 5Sometimes people hit us. They put us in prison. They attack us. But we work hard. We cannot always sleep at night. We are often hungry. 6We serve God honestly and with clean thoughts. We know what is true. We are patient and kind. God's Holy Spirit helps us. We love people in an honest way.

2 Corinthians 6:4 word by word

ἀλλ᾽ ἐν παντὶ συνιστάντες ἑαυτοὺς ὡς θεοῦ διάκονοι ἐν ὑπομονῇ πολλῇ, ἐν θλίψεσιν, ἐν ἀνάγκαις, ἐν στενοχωρίαις,Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Butἀλλάalla · butG235
• inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• allπᾶςpas · allG3956
• approvingσυνίστημι, συνιστάωsunistaō sunistanō sunistēmi · to commendG4921
• ourselvesἑαυτοῦheautou · themselfG1438
• asὡςhōs · as/whenG5613
• the ministersδιάκονοςdiakonos · servantG1249
• of Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
• muchπολύςpolus polos · muchG4183
• patienceὑπομονήhupomonē · perseveranceG5281
• afflictionsθλῖψιςthlipsis · pressureG2347
• necessitiesἀνάγκηanagkē · necessityG318
• distressesστενοχωρίαstenochōria · hardshipG4730

Cross-references for 2 Corinthians 6:4

• 2 Corinthians 2:17Some people even tell God's message because they want to get a lot of money for themselves. But we are not like them. No, God himself has sent us to do this work. And he sees what we are doing. So we are honest and we speak God's message clearly, as Christ's servants should do.
• 2 Corinthians 7:11You became sad in the way that God wanted. And see what good results that has brought! It has made you work hard to do good things. You want to show people that you do what is right. You are angry against sin. You want to obey God. You want to make things right again. You want to please God. You want to punish anyone who does wrong things. In all these ways, you have shown that you are right. You have done everything that was necessary in this matter.
• Acts 2:22Peter then said, ‘People of Israel, listen to what I am saying! Jesus, the man from Nazareth, came with God's authority to do his work. God did many powerful and special things through him. These miracles showed you clearly that God had sent him. You know about all this. These things happened here, and you saw them.
• Romans 14:18If anyone serves Christ in that way, they will make God happy. And other people will respect them.
• Romans 16:10Say ‘hello’ to Apelles. He has shown that he trusts Christ very well. Say ‘hello’ to those people who belong to Aristobulus's family.
• 1 Corinthians 9:11Our spiritual work among you is like we have planted seeds. In return, you should give to us the food and clothes that we need to live. That is like the harvest that we should receive from our work.
• 1 Thessalonians 2:3When we tell people to obey God's message, we are not saying anything that is not true. We do not have a wrong purpose. We are not trying to deceive anyone.
• 1 Timothy 2:15But even as women give birth to children, God will save them. They must continue to trust God and to love other people. They must live in a way that shows they belong to God. They must think carefully about how they live. Then God will save them.
• 2 Corinthians 4:2We refuse to do anything secretly that we might be ashamed of. We do not tell lies. We do not change God's message to deceive people. No. We tell God's true message clearly. God himself sees that we teach people in an honest way. Everyone should understand that we only do what is right.
• Romans 5:8But God has shown us how much he loves us. Even when we still did not obey God, Christ died on our behalf.
• 2 Corinthians 3:6God has made us his servants. So we are able to tell people the message of his new agreement. This new agreement is not about rules. Rules tell people what they must do and they bring death. But God's new agreement comes from his Spirit. And the Spirit brings new life to us, not death.
• 2 Corinthians 11:23Are they Christ's servants? I serve him even better than they do! (Now I am speaking like a crazy person.) I work much more than they have worked. I have been in prison more often than they have. People have hit me with whips very many times. I have nearly died many times.
• Isaiah 61:6People will call you “The Lord's priests who are servants of our God”. You will enjoy valuable things from other nations. You will boast about all the riches that you receive from them.
• Joel 1:9There will be no more gifts of food or drink. They will not reach the house of the Lord. The priests, the servants of the Lord, are very, very sad.
• Joel 2:17There are priests who go in front of the Lord. They must cry as they go from the temple door to the altar. They must say to the Lord, ‘Do not hurt your people. Do not let the people in other countries laugh at your own people. They will point at them. And they will say that they have no value. They will say that we have no God.’
• 1 Corinthians 3:5Is Apollos important? Is Paul important? No! We are God's servants. We told you God's good news and you believed it. Each of us is doing the job which the Lord has given to us.

Commentaries on 2 Corinthians 6:4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4But in all things approving ourselves - The apostle now proceeds to show how conscientiously himself and his fellow laborers acted, in order to render the ministry of reconciliation effectual to the salvation of men. They not only gave no offense in any thing, but they labored to manifest themselves to be the genuine ministers of God, in much patience - bearing calmly up under the most painful and oppressive afflictions. In afflictions - . This may…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4But in all things - In every respect. In all that we do. In every way, both by words and deeds. How this was done, Paul proceeds to state in the following verses. Approving ourselves as the ministers of God - Margin, “Commending.” Tyndale renders it, “In all things let us behave ourselves as the ministers of God.” The idea is, that Paul and his fellowlaborers endeavored to live as became the ministers of God, and so as to commend the ministry to the…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3-10Paul provides a clear picture of the challenges in his ministry (compare 4:7–18). He lists nine trials, many of which are recorded in Acts (for example, Acts 14:5–6, 19–20; 16:19–24; 21:30–36). Through their unwavering suffering for the good news, Paul and Timothy (2 Corinthians 1:1) proved they were true ministers of God.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 44. Translate, to mark the true order of the Greek words, "in everything, as God's ministers recommending ourselves," that is, that our hearers may give our message a favorable hearing, through our consistency in every respect, not that they may glorify us. Alluding to 2Co 3:1, he implies, We commend ourselves, not like them by word, but by deed. patience--(2Co 12:12). Put first. "Pure-minded" follows (2Co 6:6). Three triplets of trials exercising the…Read the comment

Topics related to 2 Corinthians 6:4

• Afflictions and Adversities
• Holy Spirit
• Longsuffering
• Love
• Minister, Christian
• Obedience
• Paradox
• Patience
• Paul
• Persecution
• Resignation
• Zeal, Religious

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Agreement
• Care
• Cause
• Communion
• Concord
• Corinthians, Second Epistle to the
• Unequally
• Unrighteousness

Commentaries on 2 Corinthians 6

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings