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Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers 2 Corinthians 4:8–18. His four-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
In these verses the apostle gives an account of their courage and patience under all their sufferings, where observe,
I.How their sufferings, and patience under them, are declared, Co2 4:8-12.
The apostles were great sufferers; therein they followed their Master: Christ had told them that in the world they should have tribulation, and so they had; yet they met with wonderful support, great relief, and many allays of their sorrows. "We are," says the apostle, "troubled on every side, afflicted many ways, and we meet with almost all sorts of troubles; yet not distressed, Co2 4:8. We are not hedged in nor cooped up, because we can see help in God, and help from God, and have liberty of access to God." Again, "We are perplexed, often uncertain, and in doubt what will become of us, and not always without anxiety in our minds on this account; yet not in despair (Co2 4:8), even in our greatest perplexities, knowing that God is able to support us, and to deliver us, and in him we always place our trust and hope." Again, "We are persecuted by men, pursued with hatred and violence from place to place, as men not worthy to live; yet not forsaken of God," Co2 4:9. Good men may be sometimes forsaken of their friends, as well as persecuted by their enemies; but God will never leave them nor forsake them. Again, "We are sometimes dejected, or cast down; the enemy may in a great measure prevail, and our spirits begin to fail us; there may be fears within, as well as fightings without; yet we are not destroyed," Co2 4:9. Still they were preserved, and kept their heads above water. Note, Whatever condition the children of God may be in, in this world, they have a "but not" to comfort themselves with; their case sometimes is bad, yea very bad, but not so bad as it might be. The apostle speaks of their sufferings as constant, and as a counterpart of the sufferings of Christ, Co2 4:10. The sufferings of Christ were, after a sort, re-acted in the sufferings of Christians; thus did they bear about the dying of the Lord Jesus in their body, setting before the world the great example of a suffering Christ, that the life of Jesus might also be made manifest, that is, that people might see the power of Christ's resurrection, and the efficacy of grace in and from the living Jesus, manifested in and towards them, who did yet live, though they were always delivered to death (Co2 4:11), and though death worked in them (Co2 4:12), they being exposed to death, and ready to be swallowed up by death continually. So great were the sufferings of the apostles that, in comparison with them, other Christians were, even at this time, in prosperous circumstances: Death worketh in us; but life in you, Co2 4:12.
II.What it was that kept them from sinking and fainting under their sufferings, Co2 4:13-18.
Whatever the burdens and troubles of good men may be, they have cause enough not to faint.
1.Faith kept them from fainting: We have the same spirit of faith (Co2 4:13), that faith which is of the operation of the Spirit; the same faith by which the saints of old did and suffered such great things. Note, The grace of faith is a sovereign cordial, and an effectual antidote against fainting-fits in troublous times. The spirit of faith will go far to bear up the spirit of a man under his infirmities; and as the apostle had David's example to imitate, who said (Psa 116:10), I have believed, and therefore have I spoken, so he leaves us his example to imitate: We also believe, says he, and therefore speak. Note, As we receive help and encouragement from the good words and examples of others, so we should be careful to give a good example to others.
2.Hope of the resurrection kept them from sinking, Co2 4:14. They knew that Christ was raised, and that his resurrection was an earnest and assurance of theirs. This he had treated of largely in his former epistle to these Corinthians, Co1 15:1. And therefore their hope was firm, being well grounded, that he who raised up Christ the head will also raise up all his members. Note, The hope of the resurrection will encourage us in a suffering day, and set us above the fear of death; for what reason has a good Christian to fear death, that dies in hope of a joyful resurrection?
3.The consideration of the glory of God and the benefit of the church, by means of their sufferings, kept them from fainting, Co2 4:15. Their sufferings were for the church's advantage (Co2 1:6), and thus did redound to God's glory. For, when the church is edified, then God is glorified; and we may well afford to bear sufferings patiently and cheerfully when we see others are the better for them - if they are instructed and edified, if they are confirmed and comforted. Note, The sufferings of Christ's ministers, as well as their preaching and conversation, are intended for the good of the church and the glory of God.
4.The thoughts of the advantage their souls would reap by the sufferings of their bodies kept them from fainting: Though our outward man perish, our inward man is renewed day by day, Co2 4:16. Here note,
(1.)We have every one of us an outward and an inward man, a body and a soul.
(2.)If the outward man perish, there is no remedy, it must and will be so, it was made to perish.
(3.)It is our happiness if the decays of the outward man do contribute to the renewing of the inward man, if afflictions outwardly are gain to us inwardly, if when the body is sick, and weak, and perishing, the soul is vigorous and prosperous. The best of men have need of further renewing of the inward man, even day by day. Where the good work is begun there is more work to be done, for carrying it forward. And as in wicked men things grow every day worse and worse, so in godly men they grow better and better.
5.The prospect of eternal life and happiness kept them from fainting, and was a mighty support and comfort. As to this observe,
(1.)The apostle and his fellow-sufferers saw their afflictions working towards heaven, and that they would end at last (Co2 4:17), whereupon they weighed things aright in the balance of the sanctuary; they did as it were put the heavenly glory in one scale and their earthly sufferings in the other; and, pondering things in their thoughts, they found afflictions to be light, and the glory of heaven to be a far more exceeding weight. That which sense was ready to pronounce heavy and long, grievous and tedious, faith perceived to be light and short, and but for a moment. On the other hand, the worth and weight of the crown of glory, as they are exceedingly great in themselves, so they are esteemed to be by the believing soul - far exceeding all his expressions and thoughts; and it will be a special support in our sufferings when we can perceive them appointed as the way and preparing us for the enjoyment of the future glory.
(2.)Their faith enabled them to make this right judgment of things: We look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen, Co2 4:18. It is by faith that we see God, who is invisible (Heb 11:27), and by this we look to an unseen heaven and hell, and faith is the evidence of things not seen. Note,
[1.]There are unseen things, as well as things that are seen.
[2.]There is this vast difference between them: unseen things are eternal, seen things but temporal, or temporary only.
[3.]By faith we not only discern these things, and the great difference between them, but by this also we take our aim at unseen things, and chiefly regard them, and make it our end and scope, not to escape present evils, and obtain present good, both of which are temporal and transitory, but to escape future evil and obtain future good things, which though unseen, are real, and certain, and eternal; and faith is the substance of things hoped for, as well as the evidence of things not seen, Heb 11:1.
Historical interpretation
Three Centuries of Reception
7 surviving comments on this verse. Each one is dated, so this reads as a timeline rather than a list.
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You may learn this, too, from the following passage, where the apostle says: "For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for as a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; while we look not at the things which are seen," that is, our sufferings, "but at the things which are not seen," that is, our rewards: "for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal." For the afflictions and injuries wherewith the outward man is worn away, he affirms to be only worthy of being despised by us, as being light and temporary; preferring those eternal recompenses which are also invisible, and that "weight of glory" which will be a counterpoise for the labours in the endurance of which the flesh here suffers decay.
It was not a light, momentary affliction to everyone, but it was to Paul and to people like him, because they had the perfect loving affection of God in Christ Jesus through the Holy Spirit poured into their hearts.
Paul is saying that our present afflictions are light because they are happening within time and space. In return for this light tribulation, we shall gain a degree of glory beyond measure. Commentary on Paul’s Epistles.
"For the light affliction," he saith, "which is for the moment, worketh more and more exceedingly an eternal weight of glory; while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen."
Having closed the question by a reference to hope, (and, as he said in his Epistle to the Romans, "We are saved by hope, but hope that is seen is not hope;" establishing the same point here also,) he sets side by side the things present with the things to come, the momentary with the eternal, the light with the weighty, the affliction with the glory. And neither is he content with this, but he addeth another expression, doubling it and saying, "more and more exceedingly." Next he also shows the mode how so great afflictions are light. How then light? "While we look not at the things that are seen, but at the things that are not seen." So will both this present be light and that future great, if we withdraw ourselves from the things that are seen.
Such, after all, is the way with good people: when they endure something for his sake, far from attending to the appearance of what occurs, they understand the reason behind it and thus bear everything with equanimity. Likewise Paul, the teacher of the Gentiles, identified imprisonment, arraignment, daily peril, all those many unbearable hardships as light burdens, not because they really were so by nature but because the reason behind their happening produced such an attitude in him that he would not turn back in the face of these oncoming threats. Listen, after all, to what he says: “For the light weight of our passing distress produces in us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison”; expectation of the glory we are destined to attain, he is saying, and of that unceasing enjoyment makes us bear without difficulty these hardships one after another and consider them of no consequence. Do you see how love of God reduces the intensity of troubles and prevents our having any sense of them as they befall us? On this account, of course, this blessed man, too, bore everything with equanimity, sustained by faith and hope in God.
The human patience which is good, praiseworthy and deserving the name of virtue is said to be that by which we endure evils with equanimity so as not to abandon, through a lack of equanimity, the good through which we arrive at the better. By their unwillingness to suffer evil, the impatient do not effect their deliverance from it; instead, they bring upon themselves the suffering of more grievous ills. But the patient, who prefer to bear wrongs without committing them rather than to commit them by not enduring them, both lessen what they suffer in patience and escape worse things by which, through impatience, they would be submerged. In yielding to evils that are brief and passing, they do not destroy the good which is great and eternal, for “the sufferings of the present time are not worthy to be compared,” the apostle says, “with the glory to come that will be revealed in us.” And he also says: “Our present light affliction, which is for the moment, prepares for us an eternal weight of glory that is beyond all measure.”
Syncletica also said, ‘If you are troubled by illness, do not be miserable, even if you are so ill that you cannot stand to pray or use your voice to say psalms. We need these tribulations to destroy the desires of our body; they serve the same purpose as fasting and austerity. If your senses are dulled by illness, you do not need to fast. In the same way that a powerful medicine cures an illness, so illness itself is a medicine to cure passion. A great deal is gained spiritually by bearing illness quietly and giving thanks to God. If we go blind, let us not be upset. We have lost one means to excellence, yet we can contemplate the glory of God with the inward eyes of the soul. If we go deaf let us remember that we shall no longer hear a lot of silly talk. If suffering has weakened the strength of your hands, you still have inner strength against the enemy’s attacks. If the whole body is afflicted by disease, your spiritual health is still increasing.’
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Summary
The Apostle Paul, in 2 Corinthians 4:17, offers a profound theological perspective on suffering, contrasting the fleeting, superficial nature of present afflictions with the immeasurable, enduring reality of eternal glory. This verse serves as a powerful encouragement, reframing hardship not as an end in itself, but as a divinely appointed means through which God orchestrates an unparalleled, weighty, and everlasting experience of His glorious presence and reward for believers.
Context
Literary Context
This verse is the climactic statement in a section of 2 Corinthians where Paul passionately defends his apostolic ministry and the integrity of the gospel he proclaims, despite immense personal suffering. Beginning in 2 Corinthians 4:7, Paul introduces the metaphor of "jars of clay" holding the "treasure" of the gospel, emphasizing that God's power is displayed through human weakness. He then details a litany of his trials—"perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed" (2 Corinthians 4:8-9). This culminates in the declaration that "though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day" (2 Corinthians 4:16), setting the stage for the ultimate contrast between temporary suffering and eternal glory in 2 Corinthians 4:17. The passage concludes with a focus on the unseen and eternal, providing the theological bedrock for enduring trials.
Historical & Cultural Context
Paul's ministry, particularly in the Greco-Roman world, was fraught with peril. He faced constant opposition from Jewish religious authorities, Roman officials, and even false teachers within the nascent Christian communities. His letters frequently recount shipwrecks, beatings, imprisonments, hunger, and sleepless nights, as seen in 2 Corinthians 11:23-27. The Corinthian church itself was a complex mix of pagan converts and Jewish believers, grappling with internal divisions, moral issues, and skepticism towards Paul's authority. In this environment, suffering was not an abstract concept but a tangible, daily reality for Paul and many early Christians. The Roman Empire, while providing a degree of stability, also posed a constant threat to those who would not conform to imperial cults or traditional Roman religion. Paul's words would have resonated deeply with a community familiar with hardship, offering a counter-cultural perspective that found meaning and hope in suffering rather than despair.
Key Themes
2 Corinthians 4:17 powerfully articulates several core themes prevalent throughout Paul's epistles. Firstly, the sovereignty of God in suffering is evident, as afflictions are not random but "worketh for us" a divine purpose. Secondly, the theme of eschatological hope is central, emphasizing that the Christian life is lived with an eternal perspective, where present realities are weighed against future glory. This is a recurring motif, as seen in Romans 8:18, where Paul states that "the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us." Thirdly, the verse highlights the transformative power of trials, suggesting that hardship is not merely endured but actively shapes and prepares believers for their ultimate destiny. Finally, the contrast between the temporal and the eternal is a foundational Pauline concept, urging believers to fix their gaze not on "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" (2 Corinthians 4:18).
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
This word, meaning 'easy' or 'light to bear,' is strategically chosen to minimize the perceived burden of affliction, especially when contrasted with the "weight" of glory. It suggests that from an eternal perspective, even severe earthly trials are comparatively trivial in their impact and duration.
Derived from a root meaning 'to press' or 'to crush,' this term denotes intense pressure, tribulation, distress, or persecution. It encompasses a wide range of hardships, from physical suffering to emotional anguish and social oppression. Paul uses this word frequently to describe the very real and often severe trials he and other believers faced.
This verb signifies 'to work fully,' 'to accomplish,' or 'to produce.' It implies an active, purposeful process. The affliction is not merely happening to us, but it is actively producing or fashioning something for us. This highlights the teleological nature of suffering in God's plan—it has a designed outcome.
This rich term refers to splendor, honor, praise, or divine radiance. In a theological context, it often points to the manifest presence and majesty of God. Here, it describes the future state of believers, implying a participation in God's own radiant splendor, marked by honor, dignity, and ultimate fulfillment.
Verse Breakdown
"For our light affliction"
Paul begins with a causal conjunction ("For"), linking this statement to the preceding truth about the renewal of the inner man. He characterizes the suffering of believers as "light" (elaphrós), not diminishing its reality or pain, but relativizing its significance when viewed through an eternal lens. This "affliction" (thlîpsis) encompasses all forms of pressure, tribulation, and distress experienced for Christ's sake.
"which is but for a moment"
This phrase further qualifies the nature of the affliction, emphasizing its temporal brevity. The Greek word (parautíka) means "at the very instant" or "momentary," starkly contrasting with the endless duration of the "eternal" glory. It underscores the transient nature of earthly suffering compared to the perpetuity of heavenly reward.
"worketh for us"
This is a crucial active verb (katergázomai), indicating that the affliction is not passive or meaningless. Instead, it is actively "producing" or "accomplishing" something beneficial for believers. This implies a divine purpose and a transformative process, where God uses the trials to shape and prepare His people.
"a far more exceeding [and] eternal weight of glory;"
This is the culmination of Paul's contrast. The suffering, though real, is producing something immeasurably greater. "Far more exceeding" (kath' hyperbolen eis hyperbolen) is a double superlative, emphasizing an overwhelming, incomparable degree of excellence. This glory is "eternal" (aiṓnios), lasting forever, and possesses "weight" (báros), signifying substance, significance, and abundance, directly opposing the "lightness" of the affliction. It speaks of a substantial, glorious reality that far outweighs any temporal pain.
Literary Devices
Paul masterfully employs Antithesis throughout this verse, creating a powerful contrast between two opposing concepts: "light affliction" versus "eternal weight of glory," and "but for a moment" versus "eternal." This stark opposition serves to magnify the surpassing value and duration of the future glory, diminishing the perceived impact of present suffering. The phrase "light affliction" juxtaposed with "weight of glory" is a striking Paradox, as 'lightness' and 'weight' are direct opposites. This paradox highlights the counter-intuitive nature of God's economy, where seemingly insignificant or burdensome trials lead to something profoundly substantial. Furthermore, the use of "far more exceeding" (a double superlative in Greek, kath' hyperbolen eis hyperbolen) is a form of Hyperbole, an intentional exaggeration to emphasize the incomparable magnitude and overwhelming nature of the glory that awaits believers, suggesting it goes "beyond all measure, to an excess."
Theological and Thematic Connections
This verse is a cornerstone of Christian theology concerning suffering, revealing God's redemptive purpose in trials. It teaches that God does not merely permit suffering but actively uses it as a crucible to refine and prepare His people for an ultimate, glorious destiny. The "lightness" and "momentary" nature of affliction are not meant to deny the pain but to reframe it within an eternal perspective, where even the most grievous earthly trials pale in comparison to the immeasurable glory awaiting believers. This perspective fosters perseverance, transforming despair into hope, as believers fix their gaze on the unseen, eternal realities rather than the visible, temporal hardships. It underscores the profound truth that our present experiences, even the painful ones, are not wasted but are integral to God's grand design for our eternal good and His ultimate glory.
Reflection and Application
2 Corinthians 4:17 offers profound solace and a radical shift in perspective for anyone navigating the inevitable hardships of life. It challenges us to elevate our gaze beyond the immediate pain and fleeting nature of our trials, to fix our hope on the substantial, eternal glory that God is actively working to produce within us and for us. This verse does not minimize suffering but recontextualizes it, transforming it from a meaningless burden into a purposeful instrument in God's hands. It encourages resilience, reminding us that every tear, every struggle, every moment of discomfort in this life is contributing to an immeasurable weight of glory that will far outweigh any present sorrow. Embracing this truth allows us to endure with hope, knowing that our temporary afflictions are not hindrances but rather catalysts for an eternal inheritance of unparalleled splendor.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Does "light affliction" mean that our suffering isn't truly painful or serious?
No, "light affliction" does not minimize the very real pain, severity, or seriousness of human suffering. The Greek word thlîpsis itself denotes intense pressure and distress. Paul, who wrote these words, experienced immense suffering—beatings, shipwrecks, imprisonment, hunger, and constant opposition, as detailed in 2 Corinthians 11:23-27. Rather, the term "light" (elaphrós) is used in a comparative sense, contrasting the temporal and finite nature of earthly suffering with the eternal, immeasurable "weight of glory" that awaits believers. From an eternal perspective, even the most profound earthly pain is momentary and light when weighed against the infinite, substantial glory of God that it ultimately produces. It's a re-calibration of perspective, not a denial of pain.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
2 Corinthians 4:17 finds its ultimate fulfillment and deepest meaning in the person and work of Jesus Christ. His life perfectly exemplifies the principle that suffering precedes glory. The "light affliction" of the believer is a participation in the sufferings of Christ, who, "for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame" (Hebrews 12:2). Jesus's temporary, yet agonizing, suffering on the cross—the ultimate act of self-emptying—was the very means by which God wrought "a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory" not only for Christ Himself in His resurrection and ascension (Philippians 2:8-11), but also for all who are united with Him. Our afflictions, therefore, are not random but are patterned after the cross of Christ, preparing us for a share in His resurrection glory. Just as Christ's suffering led to His exaltation and the redemption of humanity, our momentary trials, when borne in union with Him, are divinely purposed to conform us to His image and usher us into an eternal inheritance of glory that is secured by His finished work (Romans 8:29-30).