◄ 2 Corinthians 4:6 ►
For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
Study Bible
For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,”

God’s creative command in Genesis 1:3 brought light into the darkness that covered the unformed world. Paul identifies the same sovereign power at work in salvation. As God ordered creation by His word, He brings spiritual life and truth to those darkened by sin. Christ, the true Light, shines in a world that cannot overcome Him (John 1:5).

Gen 1:3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.
Psa 33:9 For He spoke, and it came to be; He commanded…
Isa 45:7 I form the light and create the darkness;…

made His light shine in our hearts

God’s saving work reaches the center of human life, renewing the mind, will, and affections. Spiritual sight is not produced by human effort or natural wisdom; it is God’s gracious work in the new birth. He gives His people new hearts and places His Spirit within them, enabling them to know Him and walk in His ways (Ezekiel 36:26–27).

Eph 1:18 I ask that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened,…
Act 26:18 open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness…
1Pe 2:9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood…

to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God

God illuminates believers so that they may truly know His holy character, mercy, righteousness, and saving power. His glory is revealed not merely as information to be understood, but as a reality that transforms those who behold it. Moses longed to see God’s glory, and God made known His goodness and compassionate name (Exodus 33:18–23; 34:5–7).

Hab 2:14 For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory…
Eph 1:17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father,…
Isa 11:9 They will neither harm nor destroy on all My holy mountain…

in the face of Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ is the fullest and final revelation of God. In His person, words, works, death, and resurrection, the glory of the Father is made known. The Son is the exact representation of God’s being, and whoever sees Him sees the Father (Hebrews 1:3; John 14:9). Through Christ, believers behold God’s grace and truth and receive access to the Father.

Jhn 1:14 The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us.…
Jhn 14:9 Jesus replied, “Philip, I have been with you all this time…”…
Heb 1:3 The Son is the radiance of God’s glory…

Persons / Places / Events
1. God
The Creator who commanded light to shine out of darkness, both in the physical creation and in the spiritual illumination of believers' hearts.

2. Jesus Christ
The face of Jesus Christ is the manifestation of God's glory and the source of spiritual light and knowledge.

3. Paul
The apostle who wrote this letter to the Corinthians, emphasizing the transformative power of God's light in believers' lives.

4. Corinth
The city where the recipients of this letter resided, known for its diverse culture and challenges to the early church.

5. Creation
The event referenced by Paul, where God spoke light into existence, symbolizing the new creation in believers' hearts.
Teaching Points
The Power of God's Word
Just as God spoke light into existence at creation, His Word has the power to illuminate our hearts and minds, bringing spiritual understanding and transformation.

The Glory of God in Christ
The ultimate revelation of God's glory is found in Jesus Christ. As believers, we are called to seek and reflect this glory in our lives.

Spiritual Illumination
The light of God's knowledge is not just intellectual but transformative, changing our hearts and aligning us with His will.

Living as Light-Bearers
As recipients of God's light, we are called to shine in a dark world, sharing the knowledge of God's glory with others.

The New Creation
Just as God created light in the beginning, He creates a new spiritual reality in us, making us new creations in Christ.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does the concept of God speaking light into existence in Genesis 1:3 enhance our understanding of 2 Corinthians 4:6?

2. In what ways can we reflect the light of the knowledge of God's glory in our daily lives?

3. How does understanding Jesus as the face of God's glory impact our relationship with Him?

4. What are some practical steps we can take to live as children of light, as described in Ephesians 5:8?

5. How can the transformation described in 2 Corinthians 3:18 encourage us in our spiritual growth and witness to others?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Genesis 1:3
This verse describes God's command, "Let there be light," which Paul references to illustrate God's power to bring spiritual light into darkness.

John 1:4-5
These verses speak of Jesus as the light of men, shining in the darkness, which parallels the light of the knowledge of God's glory in Christ.

2 Corinthians 3:18
This verse discusses the transformation into the image of Christ, which is related to the light of God's glory shining in believers.

Ephesians 5:8
This verse encourages believers to live as children of light, reflecting the transformation that occurs when God's light shines in our hearts.

1 Peter 2:9
This verse speaks of believers being called out of darkness into God's marvelous light, echoing the theme of spiritual illumination.
Sermons
Light from God and Light on GodR. Tuck 2 Corinthians 4:6
Light of the Knowledge of Divine GloryD. Fraser 2 Corinthians 4:6
The Light of Spiritual KnowledgeJ.R. Thomson 2 Corinthians 4:6
The Winsome JesusS. D. Gordon2 Corinthians 4:6
Glory of the Apostolic Ministry; How its Duties Were DischargedC. Lipscomb 2 Corinthians 4:1-6
How Men Should PreachE. Hurndall 2 Corinthians 4:1-6
An Apostolic MinistryH. Allon, D. D.2 Corinthians 4:5-6
Christ as LordS. Pearson, M. A.2 Corinthians 4:5-6
Christ the Supreme Theme of a Gospel MinistryR. Walker.2 Corinthians 4:5-6
Divine KnowledgeW. Jay.2 Corinthians 4:5-6
God's Glory in ChristB. Dale, M. A.2 Corinthians 4:5-6
Self Disclaimed and Christ ExaltedD. Bestwick, M. A.2 Corinthians 4:5-6
Self Rejected and Christ ExaltedJ. Hunt.2 Corinthians 4:5-6
The Christian Ministry and its MessageJ. Pollock.2 Corinthians 4:5-6
The Face of JesusW. Williams.2 Corinthians 4:5-6
The Face of Jesus ChristD. Gregg.2 Corinthians 4:5-6
The Glory of God in the Face of Jesus ChristC. H. Spurgeon.2 Corinthians 4:5-6
The Glory of God in the Face of Jesus ChristJ. Imrie, M. A.2 Corinthians 4:5-6
The Great ArgumentN. D. Williamson.2 Corinthians 4:5-6
True Soul LightD. Thomas, D. D.2 Corinthians 4:5-6
People
Corinthians, Galatians, Paul
Places
Achaia, Corinth
Topics
Christ, Commanded, Dark, Darkness, Enlightening, Face, Forth, Glory, God's, Hearts, Radiant, Seeing, Shine, Shined, Shining, Shone, Spoke
Dictionary of Bible Themes
2 Corinthians 4:6

     1045   God, glory of
     1145   God, transcendent
     2024   Christ, glory of
     2063   Christ, perfection
     4284   sun
     4810   darkness, natural
     4811   darkness, symbol of sin
     4834   light, natural
     4835   light, spiritual
     4909   beginning
     5016   heart, fallen and redeemed
     5038   mind, the human
     5135   blindness, spiritual
     6185   imagination, desires
     8419   enlightenment

Library
The Winsome Jesus.
The Face of Jesus: Jesus drew crowds, men, women, children, bad people, enemies--His personality--face--impress of experiences--the glory of God in that face, 2 Corinthians 4:6. Hebrews 1:3. The Music of God in the Voice of Jesus: the eye--Jesus' eyes, Luke 4:16-30. John 8:59. 10:31. 7:32, 45, 46. 18:6. Mark 10:32. 9:36. 10:13-16. Luke 19:48.--His voice, Matthew 26:30. personal touch, Matthew 8:3, 15. 9:29. 17:7. 20:34. Mark 1:41. 7:33. Luke 5:13. 22:51. (John 14:16-20). His presence irresistible. …
S. D. Gordon—Quiet Talks about Jesus

Looking at the Unseen
'While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen.'--2 COR. iv. 18. Men may be said to be divided into two classes, materialists and idealists, in the widest sense of those two words. The mass care for, and are occupied by, and regard as really solid good, those goods which can be touched and enjoyed by sense. The minority--students, thinkers, men of ideas, moralists, and the like--believe in, and care for, impalpable spiritual riches. Everybody admits that the …
Alexander Maclaren—Romans, Corinthians (To II Corinthians, Chap. V)

The Heart of the Gospel
Let me give you a parable. In the days of Nero there was great shortness of food in the city of Rome, although there was abundance of corn to be purchased at Alexandria. A certain man who owned a vessel went down to the sea coast, and there he noticed many hungry people straining their eyes toward the sea, watching for the vessels that were to come from Egypt with corn. When these vessels came to the shore, one by one, the poor people wrung their hands in bitter disappointment, for on board the galleys …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 32: 1886

In the Bitter Cold of Winter the Trees Stand Bare of Leaves...
1. In the bitter cold of winter the trees stand bare of leaves, and it seems as if their life, too, had departed for ever, yet in the spring time they put forth new leaves and beautiful flowers, and the fruit begins to show itself. So was it with Me in My crucifixion and resurrection, and so it is with my faithful cross-bearers (2 Cor. iv.8-11; vi.4-10). Though they seem to be crushed and dead beneath their cross they still put forth the beautiful flowers and glorious fruits of eternal life which …
Sadhu Sundar Singh—At The Master's Feet

Clairvoyance
"We look not at 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 COR. iv. 18. "Everything that is, is double."--Hermes Trismegistus. "LOOK not at the things which are seen." How can we look not at the things which are seen? If they are seen, how can we help looking at them? "Look at the things which are not seen." How can we look at things which are not seen? Has religion some magic wishing-cap, …
Henry Drummond—The Ideal Life

Conclusion.
NEBICULA est; transibit,"--"It is a little cloud; it will pass away." This was said first, I believe, by Athanasius, of Julian the Apostate who, after a short reign of intense hostility to Christianity, perished with his work, "leaving no wreck behind."[97]97 The same may be applied to all the recent attempts to undermine the faith of humanity in the person of its divine Lord and Saviour. The clouds, great and small, pass away; the sun continues to shine: darkness has its hour; the light is eternal. …
Philip Schaff—The Person of Christ

Meditations of the Blessed State of a Regenerate Man in Heaven.
Here my meditation dazzles, and my pen falls out of my hand; the one being not able to conceive, nor the other to describe, that most excellent bliss, and eternal weight of glory (2 Cor. iv. 17; Rom. viii. 18)--whereof all the afflictions of this present life are not worthy--which all the elect shall with the blessed Trinity enjoy, from that time that they shall be received with Christ, as joint-heirs (Rom. viii. 17) into that everlasting kingdom of joy. Notwithstanding, we may take a scantling thereof. …
Lewis Bayly—The Practice of Piety

Out of the Depths
Heinrich Suso 2 Cor. iv. 17 "O Father! not my will, but Thine be done!" Thus with my lips I say; Yet lags the heart, the while the lips would run-- My heart, it sayeth "Nay." "Be comforted, O child of My delight, Though yet thy heart complain; For I would have thee suffer when I smite, Or pain would not be [g]ain. "Were it a chastening if it were not grief? Yet for a moment tears-- Then glows the spring where fell the yellow leaf, Of Heaven's eternal years. "For sorrow is the sorrow of an hour, …
Frances Bevan—Hymns of Ter Steegen, Suso, and Others

Light of a Stone Most Precious
P. G. 2 Cor. iv. 6, 7 God in heaven hath a treasure, Riches none may count or tell; Hath a deep eternal pleasure, Christ, the Son He loveth well. God hath here on earth a treasure, None but He its price may know-- Deep unfathomable pleasure, Christ revealed in saints below. Christ, the light that fills the heavens Shining forth on earth beneath, Through His Spirit freely given Light of life midst shades of death; Down from heaven's unclouded glory God Himself the treasure brought, Closing thus …
Frances Bevan—Hymns of Ter Steegen, Suso, and Others

The Council of Nicæa.
An ecumenical council was a new experiment. Local councils had long since grown to be a recognised organ of the Church both for legislation and for judicial proceedings. But no precedent as yet prescribed, no ecclesiastical law or theological principle had as yet enthroned, the General Council' as the supreme expression of the Church's mind. Constantine had already referred the case of the Donatists first to a select council at Rome under bishop Miltiades, then to what Augustine (Ep. 43) has been …
Athanasius—Select Works and Letters or Athanasius

Memoir of John Bunyan
THE FIRST PERIOD. THIS GREAT MAN DESCENDED FROM IGNOBLE PARENTS--BORN IN POVERTY--HIS EDUCATION AND EVIL HABITS--FOLLOWS HIS FATHER'S BUSINESS AS A BRAZIER--ENLISTS FOR A SOLDIER--RETURNS FROM THE WARS AND OBTAINS AN AMIABLE, RELIGIOUS WIFE--HER DOWER. 'We have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.'--2 Cor 4:7 'For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.'--Isaiah 55:8. 'Though ye have lien among the …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

Preaching (ii. ).
For Thy sake, beloved Lord, I will labour in Thy Word; On the knees, in patient prayer; At the desk, with studious care; In the pulpit, seeking still There to utter all Thy will. I pursue the subject of attractive preaching, taking still the word attractive in its worthiest sense, and again laying stress on the necessity of attractiveness of the right sort. We have looked a little already at some of the external requisites to this end; now let us approach some which have to do with matter more …
Handley C. G. Moule—To My Younger Brethren

Fourth Sunday after Trinity Consolation in Suffering, and Patience.
Text: Romans 8, 18-22. 18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed to us-ward. 19 For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to vanity not of its own will, but by reason of him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the liberty of the glory of the children of God. …
Martin Luther—Epistle Sermons, Vol. III

Religious Joy.
"And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord."--Luke ii. 10, 11. There are two principal lessons which we are taught on the great Festival which we this day celebrate, lowliness and joy. This surely is a day, of all others, in which is set before us the heavenly excellence and the acceptableness in God's sight of that state which …
John Henry Newman—Parochial and Plain Sermons, Vol. VIII

The Patience of Man, which is Right and Laudable and Worthy of the Name...
2. The patience of man, which is right and laudable and worthy of the name of virtue, is understood to be that by which we tolerate evil things with an even mind, that we may not with a mind uneven desert good things, through which we may arrive at better. Wherefore the impatient, while they will not suffer ills, effect not a deliverance from ills, but only the suffering of heavier ills. Whereas the patient who choose rather by not committing to bear, than by not bearing to commit, evil, both make …
St. Augustine—On Patience

Edwards -- Spiritual Light
Jonathan Edwards, the New England divine and metaphysician, was born at East Windsor, Connecticut, in 1703. He was graduated early from Yale College, where he had given much attention to philosophy, became tutor of his college, and at nineteen began to preach. His voice and manner did not lend themselves readily to pulpit oratory, but his clear, logical, and intense presentation of the truth produced a profound and permanent effect upon his hearers. He wrote what were considered the most important …
Grenville Kleiser—The world's great sermons, Volume 3

Faith in General.
"Through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God."--Ephes. ii. 8. When the judicial act of the Triune God, justification, is announced to the conscience, faith begins to be active and expresses itself in works. This leads us to call the attention of our readers to the work of the Holy Spirit, which consists in the imparting of faith. We are saved through faith; and that faith is not of ourselves, it is the gift of God. It is very specially a gift of the Triune God, by a peculiar …
Abraham Kuyper—The Work of the Holy Spirit

Concerning Christian Liberty
CHRISTIAN faith has appeared to many an easy thing; nay, not a few even reckon it among the social virtues, as it were; and this they do, because they have not made proof of it experimentally, and have never tasted of what efficacy it is. For it is not possible for any man to write well about it, or to understand well what is rightly written, who has not at some time tasted of its spirit, under the pressure of tribulation. While he who has tasted of it, even to a very small extent, can never write, …
Martin Luther—First Principles of the Reformation

Lastly, Let us Hear the Lord Himself Delivering Most Plain Judgment on this Matter. ...
23. Lastly, let us hear the Lord Himself delivering most plain judgment on this matter. For, upon His speaking after a divine and fearful manner concerning husband and wife not separating, save on account of fornication, His disciples said to Him, "If the case be such with a wife, it is not good to marry." [2066] To whom He saith, "Not all receive this saying. For there are eunuchs who were so born: but there are others who were made by men: and there are eunuchs, who made themselves eunuchs for …
St. Augustine—Of Holy Virginity.

He Severely Reproves Abaelard for Scrutinizing Rashly and Impiously, and Extenuating the Power Of, the Secret Things of God.
He severely reproves Abaelard for scrutinizing rashly and impiously, and extenuating the power of, the secret things of God. 17. This is the righteousness of man in the blood of the Redeemer: which this son of perdition, by his scoffs and insinuations, is attempting to render vain; so much so, that he thinks and argues that the whole fact that the Lord of Glory emptied Himself, that He was made lower than the angels, that He was born of a woman, that He lived in the world, that He made trial of our …
Saint Bernard of Clairvaux—Some Letters of Saint Bernard, Abbot of Clairvaux

Strength and Indwelling.
"For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of Whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man; that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that …
W. H. Griffith Thomas—The Prayers of St. Paul

Links
2 Corinthians 4:6 NIV
2 Corinthians 4:6 NLT
2 Corinthians 4:6 ESV
2 Corinthians 4:6 NASB
2 Corinthians 4:6 KJV

2 Corinthians 4:6 Commentaries

Bible Hub
2 Corinthians 4:5
Top of Page
Top of Page