2 Corinthians 4:15

For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(15) For all things are for your sakes.—We can scarcely doubt that he thinks in his own mind, and intends to remind them, of the glorious words of 1Corinthians 3:22-23.

That the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many . . .—More accurately, that grace, having abounded by means of the greater part of you, may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God. The passage is nearly parallel to 2Corinthians 1:11. He takes for granted that the grace which he has received has been given in answer to the prayers, if not of all the Corinthians, yet at least of the majority (comp. the same distinction drawn in 2Corinthians 2:6), and he is sure that it will, in its turn, cause their thanksgiving to be as copious as their prayers. The passage is, however, obscure in its construction, and two other renderings of the Greek are grammatically possible, which is more than can be said of the English version: (1) “that grace having abounded, may, for the sake of the thanksgiving of the greater part of you, redound . . .”; and (2) “that grace having abounded, may, by means of the greater part of you, cause thanksgiving to redound . . .” What has been given above is, it is believed, the closest to St. Paul’s meaning.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

4:13-18 The grace of faith is an effectual remedy against fainting in times of trouble. They knew that Christ was raised, and that his resurrection was an earnest and assurance of theirs. The hope of this resurrection will encourage in a suffering day, and set us above the fear of death. Also, their sufferings were for the advantage of the church, and to God's glory. The sufferings of Christ's ministers, as well as their preaching and conversation, are for the good of the church and the glory of God. The prospect of eternal life and happiness was their support and comfort. What sense was ready to pronounce heavy and long, grievous and tedious, faith perceived to be light and short, and but for a moment. The weight of all temporal afflictions was lightness itself, while the glory to come was a substance, weighty, and lasting beyond description. If the apostle could call his heavy and long-continued trials light, and but for a moment, what must our trifling difficulties be! Faith enables to make this right judgment of things. There are unseen things, as well as things that are seen. And there is this vast difference between them; unseen things are eternal, seen things but temporal, or temporary only. Let us then look off from the things which are seen; let us cease to seek for worldly advantages, or to fear present distresses. Let us give diligence to make our future happiness sure.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

For all things are for your sakes - All these things; these glorious hopes, and truths, and prospects; these self-denials of the apostles, and these provisions of the plan of mercy.

For your sakes - On your account. They are designed to promote your salvation. They are not primarily for the welfare of those who engage in these toils and self-denials; but the whole arrangement and execution of the plan of salvation, and all the self-denial evinced by those who are engaged in making that plan known, are in order that you might be benefitted. One object of Paul in this statement, doubtless, is, to conciliate their favor, and remove the objections which had been made to him by a faction in the church at Corinth.

That the abundant grace - Grace abounding, or overflowing. The rich mercy of God that should be manifested by these means. It is implied here, that grace would abound by means of these labors and self-denials of the apostles. The grace referred to here is that which would be conferred on them in consequence of these labors.

Through the thanksgiving of many - That many may have occasion of gratitude to God; that by these labors more persons may be led to praise him. It was an object with Paul so to labor that as many as possible might be led to praise God, and have occasion to thank him to all eternity.

Redound to the glory of God - That God may have augmented praise; that his glory in the salvation of people may abound. The sentiment of the passage is, that it would be for the glory of God that as many as possible should be brought to give praise and thanksgivings to him; and that, therefore, Paul endeavored to make as many converts as possible. He denied himself; he welcomed toil; he encountered enemies; he subjected himself to dangers; and he sought by all means possible to bring as many as could be brought to praise God. The word "redound" (περισσεύῃ perisseuē) here means abound, or be abundant; and the sense is, that the overflowing grace thus evinced in the salvation of many would so abound as to promote the glory of God.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

15. For—Confirming his assertion "with you" (2Co 4:14), and "life … worketh in you" (2Co 4:12).

all things—whether the afflictions and labors of us ministers (2Co 4:8-11), or your prosperity (2Co 4:12; 1Co 3:21, 22; 4:8-13).

for your sakes—(2Ti 2:10).

abundant grace, &c.—rather, "That grace (the grace which preserves us in trials and works life in you), being made the greater (multiplied), by means of the greater number (of its recipients), may cause the thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God." [Chrysostom] (2Co 1:11; 9:11, 12). The Greek is susceptible also of this translation, "That grace, being made the greater (multiplied) on account of the thanksgiving of the greater number (for grace already received), may abound (abundantly redound) to," &c. Thus the Greek for "abound" has not to be taken in an active sense, but in its ordinary neuter sense, and so the other Greek words. Thanksgiving invites more abundant grace (2Ch 20:19-22; Ps 18:3; 50:23).

Matthew Poole's Commentary

All things that Christ hath done and suffered, his death, and his resurrection from the dead, and all things that I have done or suffered, all

are for your sakes; that the greater benefit it be which you receive from God, the greater praise, honour, and glory might redound to him by

the thanksgiving of many; for God can be no otherwise glorified by us, than by the predicating of his mercy and goodness, and the praising of hint for the mercies which we receive from him. The more God doth good unto, the more honour, praise, and glory redoundeth to his name.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

For all things are for your sakes;.... This is a very large and comprehensive expression, and reaches to all the things of Christ, as well as of his ministers. The incarnation, obedience, death, and resurrection of Christ, are all for the sake of God's elect; and so the ministry of his apostles and servants, their gifts, graces, comforts, and experiences; and so likewise all their reproaches, afflictions, and persecutions; see 2 Corinthians 1:6. These were endured for their sakes, and tended to their establishment in the faith; were for the furtherance of the Gospel, and of the faith and joy of saints; and this gave no small pleasure and relief to them under their sufferings, that they were of such use to others. Moreover, all their deliverances, when in any imminent danger; were for the sake of the churches:

that the abundant grace; held forth in their ministrations, manifestly to be seen in supporting them under their troubles, and delivering them out of them:

might through the thanksgiving of many; for such appearances of divine goodness, see 2 Corinthians 1:11

redound to the glory of God; which is another thing that yielded them a pleasing satisfaction, in all their distresses for the sake of Christ, and his Gospel.

Geneva Study Bible

{9} For all things are for your sakes, {n} that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God.

(9) He shows how this constancy is preserved in them, that is, because they are doing it for God's glory, and the salvation of the churches committed to them.

(n) When it will please God to deliver me, and restore me to you, that exceeding benefit which will be poured upon me will in like sort result to the glory of God, by the thanksgiving of many.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Meyer's NT Commentary

2 Corinthians 4:15. Σὺν ὑμῖν, which he has just used, is now made good in such a way as to win their hearts. “With you, I say, for all of it is for your sake;” there is nothing of all that we have to suffer and that we do, which is not related to your advantage. Comp. 2 Timothy 2:10. ἐστί simply is to be supplied; but πάντα sums up what is contained in 2 Corinthians 4:7-13 (not merely 2 Corinthians 4:12 f.). Christ’s death and resurrection, to which Chrysostom, Theodoret, and Grotius make reference, did not form the subject-matter of the preceding contex.

ἵνα ἡ χάρις πλεονάσασα κ.τ.λ.] in order that the grace, i.e. not only the divine grace consisting in the reception of the spirit of faith (Hofmann), but that which is at work in all our victorious suffering and labouring, increased by the increasing number, i.e. after it has grown in extent and influence through the increasing number of those who beyond ourselves have become partakers in it, may make the thanksgiving, which pertains to it, abundant (may produce it in an exceedingly high degree) to the honour of God. There is a similar thought in 2 Corinthians 1:11; but in the present passage the thanksgiving is, in accordance with 2 Corinthians 4:14, conceived as on the day of judgment. Note the correlation of χάρις and εὐχαριστίαν, as well as the climax: πλεονάσασα διά τῶν πλειόνων and περισσεύσῃ (1 Thessalonians 3:12). On περισσεύειντι, comp. 2 Corinthians 9:8; Ephesians 1:8; 1 Thessalonians 3:12.

This is the construction adopted by Chrysostom (?), the Vulgate, Ewald, and others, including Rückert and Olshausen, who, however, refer διὰ τῶν πλειόνων to the intercession of the Corinthians, which is not at all suggested by the context. Divergent constructions are: (1) “in order that the grace, since it has become so exceeding rich, may contribute richly to the glory of God on account of the thanksgiving of the increasing number,” Billroth, following Erasmus, Luther, Castalio, Beza, Calvin, Estius, Grotius, Bengel, Rosenmüller, Krause, Flatt, Osiander, and others. So, in the main, Hofmann also: (2) in order that the grace, since it has shown itself so richly, may, through the increasing number, make the thanksgiving abundant to the honour of God. So Emmerling, de Wette, Neander. Both are possible; but since διά with the accusative would express the conception, for the sake of, here unsuitable, the former construction would lead us to expect διά with the genitive instead of διά τ. πλ. τὴν εὐχαρ.[200] (comp. 2 Corinthians 1:11, 2 Corinthians 9:12); and with both we fail to find in ΠΛΕΟΝΆΣΑΣΑ a more precise definition of that by which the grace has become more abundant, a thing not directly involved in the connection (as in Romans 6:1). Besides, both are less in keeping with the symmetry of the discourse, which, in structure and expression, is carefully chosen and terse—features seen also in the collocation: “increased through the increasing number.” These πλείονες are those who have been converted by the apostolic ministry, and in particular those advanced in the Christian life, who were just individualized by διʼ ὑμᾶς.

[200] The position of the genitive, inverted for the sake of emphasis, would have occasioned no difficulty according to classical usage. Thus, e.g. Plato, Rep. p. 523 D, and Stallbaum in loc., also, generally, Kühner, II. p. 624. But Paul would hardly have forsaken the usual order, διὰ τὴν τῶν πλειόνων εὐχαρ., which would at any rate have likewise made the τῶν πλ. emphatic. He would have had no reason for resorting to that assumed hyperbaton.

Expositor's Greek Testament

2 Corinthians 4:15. τὰ γὰρ πάντα διʼ ὑμᾶς κ.τ.λ.: (With you, I say) for all things (cf. 1 Corinthians 3:22) are for your sakes (cf. 2 Corinthians 1:6), that the grace, being multiplied, sc., to me, through the (prayers of the) greater number of you, may cause the thanksgiving to abound unto the glory of God. Cf. 2 Corinthians 1:11, a closely parallel passage, and Php 1:19. Except that we have deemed it necessary to translate τῶν πλειόνων literally (see on 2 Corinthians 2:6), the above is the rendering of the R.V. The A.V. “that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God” can hardly be possible, and the position of πλεονάσασα in the sentence seems to require that the words be connected as in R.V. For the transitive significance of περισσεύω see reff.

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

15. For all things are for your sakes] Cf. 1 Corinthians 3:22, as well as the numerous passages in that Epistle where the well-being of mankind is represented as St Paul’s (and indeed God’s) only object, e.g. 1 Corinthians 6:12, 1 Corinthians 10:23.

that the abundant grace] Literally, that grace having abounded. There is a very similar passage in ch. 2 Corinthians 1:11. And this passage, like that, is capable of being construed in various ways. We may either take it (1) that grace, having abounded, might multiply on account of the thanksgiving of the greater number; or (2) that grace, having abounded, may by means of the greater number, multiply the thanksgiving to the glory of God, or (3) that grace, having abounded through the greater number, may multiply the thanksgiving to the glory of God. The last would seem the preferable rendering. For (1) God’s grace or favour abounds the more, the greater the number who are turned to Him, (2) the larger the number of converts, the greater the thanksgiving to God (for this use of ‘the greater number, see 1 Corinthians 9:19); and (3) the word translated ‘redound’ in the A. V. has also the transitive sense of ‘make to abound,’ as in Ephesians 1:8; 1 Thessalonians 3:12, and ch. 2 Corinthians 9:8. The Greek here, as in 2 Corinthians 4:11, indicates God’s purpose, which having its origin in His love, issues in beneficence. In the happiness and gratitude of the beings He has created, He has thought fit to find His own.

Bengel's Gnomen

2 Corinthians 4:15. Γὰρ, for) The reason, why he just now said, with you.—πάντα, all things) whether adverse or prosperous.—ἡ χάρις, grace) which preserves us, and confirms you in life.—πλεονάσασα περισσεύσῃ) Πλεονάζω has the force of a positive; περισσεύω, of a comparative, Romans 5:20. Therefore we must construe διὰ with περισσεύσῃ.πλέον, the same as πλῆρες, is not a comparative.—διὰ) through [on account of] the thanksgiving of many, for that grace. Thanksgiving invites more abundant grace, Psalm 18:3; Psalm 50:23; 2 Chronicles 20:19; 2 Chronicles 20:21-22.—εὐχαριστίαν thanksgiving) ours and yours, ch. 2 Corinthians 1:3-4.—περισσεύσῃ,) may abound to [be abundantly vouchsafed] us and you, this again tending to the glory of God.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 15. - All things are for your sakes. St. Paul has already implied that his life is not his own (2 Corinthians 1:6; setup. 1 Corinthians 3:22, 23), and he recurs to the same thought in Colossians 1:24, and repeats once again towards the close of his life: "I endure all things for the elect's sakes" (2 Timothy 2:10). Might ... redound. The verb perisseuo may mean either "I abound" or "I make to abound" as in 2 Corinthians 9:8 and Ephesians 1:8. Here there is a similar thought to that expressed in 2 Corinthians 1:11, and the best rendering is, In order that the Divine favour, being multiplied through the greater number (of those who share in it), may make the thanksgiving (which it excites) abound to the honour of God. 2 Corinthians 4:15

Vincent's Word Studies

The abundant grace (ἡ χάρις πλεονάσασα)

Lit., the grace having abounded. Rev., the grace being multiplied. Grace is the divine gift of spiritual energy which is shown in the labor, suffering, and triumph of the apostles.

Might through the thanksgiving of many redound (διὰ τῶν πλειόνων τὴν εὐχαριστίαν περισσεύση)

Numerous arrangements of these words are proposed. Through (διά) should govern the many, not thanksgiving; and redound should be transitive, cause to abound, and governing thanksgiving. So Rev., the grace, being multiplied through the many, may cause the thanksgiving to abound. The thought is on the line of 2 Corinthians 4:12, that the sufferings and risks of the apostles promote spiritual life in the Church. The grace of God, thus manifest in the apostles, shall be multiplied through the increasing number of those who share it, and shall thus make thanksgiving more abundant for the fruits of this grace as exhibited in the apostles and in the Church.

Redound (A.V.) is from the Latin redundare to surge back. Therefore, primarily, of a fullness or overflow from the setting back of a tide. So Milton:

"The evil, soon

Driven back, redounded as a flood on those

From whom it sprang."

Generally, to abound. From this arises the secondary sense, to conduce, contribute to; that is, to make the causes mount up, or abound, so as to produce the effect. So Addison: "The care of our national commerce redounds more to the riches and prosperity of the public," etc.