2 Corinthians 4:5

2 Corinthians 4:5 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake.
• New International Version (NIV)For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.
• English Standard Version (ESV)For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake.
• New King James Version (NKJV)For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bondservants for Jesus’ sake.

Context of 2 Corinthians 4:5

3So if the Good News that we tell others is covered with a veil, it is hidden from those who are dying. 4The god of this world has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. As a result, they don’t see the light of the Good News about Christ’s glory. It is Christ who is God’s image. Our message is not about ourselves. It is about Jesus Christ as the Lord. We are your servants for his sake. 6We are his servants because the same God who said that light should shine out of darkness has given us light. For that reason we bring to light the knowledge about God’s glory which shines from Christ’s face. 7Our bodies are made of clay, yet we have the treasure of the Good News in them. This shows that the superior power of this treasure belongs to God and doesn’t come from us.

2 Corinthians 4:5 word by word

Οὐ γὰρ ἑαυτοὺς κηρύσσομεν ἀλλ᾽ Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν κύριον, ἑαυτοὺς δὲ δούλους ὑμῶν διὰ Ἰησοῦν.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Forγάρgar · forG1063
• we preachκηρύσσωkērussō · to preachG2784
• notοὐou · noG3756
• ourselvesἑαυτοῦheautou · themselfG1438
• butἀλλάalla · butG235
• ChristΧριστόςChristos · ChristG5547
• JesusἸησοῦςIēsous · JesusG2424
• the Lordκύριοςkurios · lord: GodG2962
• andδέde · thenG1161
• yourσύsu · youG4771
• servantsδοῦλοςdoulos · slaveG1401
• forδιάdia · through/because ofG1223

Cross-references for 2 Corinthians 4:5

• Matthew 3:11I baptize you with water so that you will change the way you think and act. But the one who comes after me is more powerful than I. I am not worthy to remove his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
• John 1:21They asked him, “Well, are you Elijah?” John answered, “No, I’m not.” Then they asked, “Are you the prophet?” John replied, “No.”
• John 3:27John answered, “People can’t receive anything unless it has been given to them from heaven.
• John 7:18Those who speak their own thoughts are looking for their own glory. But the man who wants to bring glory to the one who sent him is a true teacher and doesn’t have dishonest motives.
• Acts 3:12When Peter saw this, he said to the people, “Men of Israel, why are you amazed about this man? Why are you staring at us as though we have made him walk by our own power or godly life?
• Acts 8:9A man named Simon lived in that city. He amazed the people of Samaria with his practice of magic. He claimed that he was great.
• Acts 10:25When Peter was about to enter Cornelius’ house, Cornelius met him, bowed down, and worshiped Peter.
• Acts 14:11The crowds who saw what Paul had done shouted in the Lycaonian language, “The gods have come to us, and they look human.”
• Romans 15:17So Christ Jesus gives me the right to brag about what I’m doing for God.
• 1 Corinthians 1:13Has Christ been divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized in Paul’s name?
• 1 Corinthians 3:5Who is Apollos? Who is Paul? They are servants who helped you come to faith. Each did what the Lord gave him to do.
• 1 Corinthians 10:33I try to please everyone in every way. I don’t think about what would be good for me but about what would be good for many people so that they might be saved.
• Philippians 1:15Some people tell the message about Christ because of their jealousy and envy. Others tell the message about him because of their good will.
• 1 Thessalonians 2:5As you know, we never used flattery or schemes to make money. God is our witness!
• 1 Peter 5:2Be shepherds over the flock God has entrusted to you. Watch over it as God does: Don’t do this because you have to, but because you want to. Don’t do it out of greed, but out of a desire to serve.
• 2 Peter 2:3In their greed they will use good-sounding arguments to exploit you. The verdict against them from long ago is still in force, and their destruction is not asleep.

Commentaries on 2 Corinthians 4:5

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 5For we preach not ourselves - We neither proclaim our own wisdom nor power; we have nothing but what we have received; we do not wish to establish our own authority, nor to procure our own emolument. But Christ Jesus the Lord - We proclaim the author of this glorious Gospel as Christ, ̔ , the same as המשיח hammashiach, the Messiah, the Anointed One; him of whom the prophets wrote; and who is the expectation, as he is the glory, of Israel, We proclaim him…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 5For we preach not ourselves - The connection here is not very apparent, and the design of this verse has been variously understood. The connection seems to me to be this. Paul gives here a reason for what he had said in the previous parts of the Epistle respecting his conduct in the ministry. He had said that his course had been open, and pure, and free from all dishonest arts and tricks, and that he had not corrupted the Word of God, or resorted to any…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 5we do not proclaim ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord: See also Romans 10:9–10; 1 Corinthians 12:3; Colossians 2:6.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 55. For--Their blindness is not our fault, as if we had self-seeking aims in our preaching. preach ... Christ ... the Lord--rather, "Christ as Lord," and ourselves as your servants, &c. "Lord," or "Master," is the correlative term to "servants."Read the comment

Topics related to 2 Corinthians 4:5

• Love
• Minister, Christian
• Zeal, Religious

In the dictionaries

• Christ
• Jesus
• Christ, Messiah
• Jesus, Jesus Christ, Christ Jesus
• Christ, Jesus
• Corinthians, Second Epistle to the
• Craftiness
• Despair
• Dishonesty
• Distress

Commentaries on 2 Corinthians 4

• 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
• 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