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 Living Translation (NLT)You see, we don’t go around preaching about ourselves. We preach that Jesus Christ is Lord, and we ourselves are your servants for Jesus’ sake.

Context of 2 Corinthians 4:5

3But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, 4whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them. For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bondservants for Jesus’ sake. 6For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 7But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of 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 indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
• John 1:21And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.”
• John 3:27John answered and said, “A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven.
• John 7:18He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory; but He who seeks the glory of the One who sent Him is true, and no unrighteousness is in Him.
• Acts 3:12So when Peter saw it, he responded to the people: “Men of Israel, why do you marvel at this? Or why look so intently at us, as though by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk?
• Acts 8:9But there was a certain man called Simon, who previously practiced sorcery in the city and astonished the people of Samaria, claiming that he was someone great,
• Acts 10:25As Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him and fell down at his feet and worshiped him.
• Acts 14:11Now when the people saw what Paul had done, they raised their voices, saying in the Lycaonian language, “The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!”
• Romans 15:17Therefore I have reason to glory in Christ Jesus in the things which pertain to God.
• 1 Corinthians 1:13Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?
• 1 Corinthians 3:5Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers through whom you believed, as the Lord gave to each one?
• 1 Corinthians 10:33just as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved.
• Philippians 1:15Some indeed preach Christ even from envy and strife, and some also from goodwill:
• 1 Thessalonians 2:5For neither at any time did we use flattering words, as you know, nor a cloak for covetousness—God is witness.
• 1 Peter 5:2Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly;
• 2 Peter 2:3By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words; for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber.

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