• II Corinthians 4:1-15
  • II Corinthians 4:1 – See Ephesians 3:4-9; 6:12. Heavenly places is referring to places of power (rulers on earth) – not Heaven itself.
  • II Corinthians 4:3-4 – The gospel was veiled to those who chose not to understand it. A parallel to this idea is Jesus speaking in parables.
  • II Corinthians 4:5 – “We” here could be used in the editorial sense, meaning only Paul, or it could be used to mean all the apostles.
  • II Corinthians 4:7 – The apostles were the only ones who had the treasure (the gospel) in earthen vessels (their bodies) to share with others. Paul is contrasting the greatness of the gospel with the relative lack of value of the vessel used to distribute it.
  • II Corinthians 4:8 – See II Corinthians 11:24-28. They were hard-pressed with persecution.
  • II Corinthians 4:12 – Paul was facing death daily to spread the gospel.