2 Corinthians 4:5
New International Version
For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.

New Living Translation
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.

English Standard Version
For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.

Berean Standard Bible
For we do not proclaim ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.

Berean Literal Bible
For we do not proclaim ourselves, but Christ Jesus as Lord; and ourselves as your servants for the sake of Jesus.

King James Bible
For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake.

New King James Version
For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bondservants for Jesus’ sake.

New American Standard Bible
For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your bond-servants on account of Jesus.

NASB 1995
For we do not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your bond-servants for Jesus’ sake.

NASB 1977
For we do not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your bond-servants for Jesus’ sake.

Legacy Standard Bible
For we do not preach ourselves but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your slaves for the sake of Jesus.

Amplified Bible
For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves [merely] as your bond-servants for Jesus’ sake.

Christian Standard Bible
For we are not proclaiming ourselves but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’s sake.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
For we are not proclaiming ourselves but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your slaves because of Jesus.

American Standard Version
For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
For we have not been preaching ourselves, but The Messiah Yeshua, Our Lord; but we ourselves are your Servants for Yeshua's sake.

Contemporary English Version
We are not preaching about ourselves. Our message is that Jesus Christ is Lord. He also sent us to be your servants.

Douay-Rheims Bible
For we preach not ourselves, but Jesus Christ our Lord; and ourselves your servants through Jesus.

English Revised Version
For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Our message is not about ourselves. It is about Jesus Christ as the Lord. We are your servants for his sake.

Good News Translation
For it is not ourselves that we preach; we preach Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake.

International Standard Version
For we do not preach ourselves, but rather Jesus the Messiah as Lord, and ourselves as merely your servants for Jesus' sake.

Literal Standard Version
for we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus—LORD, and [we are] ourselves your servants because of Jesus;

Majority Standard Bible
For we do not proclaim ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.

New American Bible
For we do not preach ourselves but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your slaves for the sake of Jesus.

NET Bible
For we do not proclaim ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your slaves for Jesus' sake.

New Revised Standard Version
For we do not proclaim ourselves; we proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord and ourselves as your slaves for Jesus’ sake.

New Heart English Bible
For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your slaves because of Jesus.

Webster's Bible Translation
For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake.

Weymouth New Testament


World English Bible
For we don’t preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake,

Young's Literal Translation
for not ourselves do we preach, but Christ Jesus -- Lord, and ourselves your servants because of Jesus;

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Light of the Gospel
4The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers so they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 5For we do not proclaim ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. 6For 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.…

Cross References
1 Corinthians 4:15
Even if you have ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers; for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel.

1 Corinthians 9:19
Though I am free of obligation to anyone, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible.

2 Corinthians 1:24
Not that we lord it over your faith, but we are fellow workers with you for your joy, because it is by faith that you stand firm.

1 Thessalonians 2:6
Nor did we seek praise from you or from anyone else, although as apostles of Christ we had authority to demand it.


Treasury of Scripture

For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake.

we.

Matthew 3:11
I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:

John 1:21-23
And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? And he saith, I am not. Art thou that prophet? And he answered, No…

John 3:27-31
John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven…

Christ.

2 Corinthians 1:19
For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us, even by me and Silvanus and Timotheus, was not yea and nay, but in him was yea.

Matthew 23:8
But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren.

Acts 2:36
Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.

and.

2 Corinthians 1:24
Not for that we have dominion over your faith, but are helpers of your joy: for by faith ye stand.

2 Corinthians 5:14,15
For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: …

Matthew 20:25-27
But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them…

Jump to Previous
Bondmen Bond-Servants Christ Jesus Ourselves Preach Preaching Sake Servants
Jump to Next
Bondmen Bond-Servants Christ Jesus Ourselves Preach Preaching Sake Servants
2 Corinthians 4
1. Paul declares how he has used all sincerity and diligence in preaching the gospel,
7. and how his troubles and persecutions did redound to the praise of God's power,
12. to the benefit of the church,
16. and to the apostle's own eternal glory.














(5) For we preach not ourselves.--The words, like those about "commending ourselves," imply a reference to something that had been said. He was charged with being egotistic in his preaching, perhaps with special reference to passages like 1Corinthians 2:1-4; 1Corinthians 3:1-10; 1Corinthians 4:11-13. He indignantly repudiates that charge. "Christ Jesus" had been all along the subject of his preaching. (Comp. 1Corinthians 2:2.) So far as he had spoken of himself at all, it had been as a minister and servant for their sake (1Corinthians 3:22-23; 1Corinthians 9:19). . . . Verse 5. - For we preach not ourselves. There is no glory or illumination on our faces, and we have no personal ends to gain, nor are we "lords" over your faith. This is, perhaps, meant as an answer to some charge of egotism. The Lord; rather, as Lord (Philippians 2:11; 1 Corinthians 12:3). Your servants; literally, your slaves (1 Corinthians 9:19). For Jesus' sake. So Christ had himself desired (Matthew 20:27).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
For
γὰρ (gar)
Conjunction
Strong's 1063: For. A primary particle; properly, assigning a reason.

we do not proclaim
κηρύσσομεν (kēryssomen)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 1st Person Plural
Strong's 2784: To proclaim, herald, preach. Of uncertain affinity; to herald, especially divine truth.

ourselves,
ἑαυτοὺς (heautous)
Reflexive Pronoun - Accusative Masculine 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 1438: Himself, herself, itself.

but
ἀλλὰ (alla)
Conjunction
Strong's 235: But, except, however. Neuter plural of allos; properly, other things, i.e. contrariwise.

Jesus
Ἰησοῦν (Iēsoun)
Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2424: Of Hebrew origin; Jesus, the name of our Lord and two other Israelites.

Christ
Χριστὸν (Christon)
Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 5547: Anointed One; the Messiah, the Christ. From chrio; Anointed One, i.e. The Messiah, an epithet of Jesus.

[as] Lord,
Κύριον (Kyrion)
Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2962: Lord, master, sir; the Lord. From kuros; supreme in authority, i.e. controller; by implication, Master.

and
δὲ (de)
Conjunction
Strong's 1161: A primary particle; but, and, etc.

ourselves
ἑαυτοὺς (heautous)
Reflexive Pronoun - Accusative Masculine 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 1438: Himself, herself, itself.

[as] your
ὑμῶν (hymōn)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 4771: You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou.

servants
δούλους (doulous)
Noun - Accusative Masculine Plural
Strong's 1401: (a) (as adj.) enslaved, (b) (as noun) a (male) slave. From deo; a slave.

for Jesus’
Ἰησοῦν (Iēsoun)
Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2424: Of Hebrew origin; Jesus, the name of our Lord and two other Israelites.

sake.
διὰ (dia)
Preposition
Strong's 1223: A primary preposition denoting the channel of an act; through.


Links
2 Corinthians 4:5 NIV
2 Corinthians 4:5 NLT
2 Corinthians 4:5 ESV
2 Corinthians 4:5 NASB
2 Corinthians 4:5 KJV

2 Corinthians 4:5 BibleApps.com
2 Corinthians 4:5 Biblia Paralela
2 Corinthians 4:5 Chinese Bible
2 Corinthians 4:5 French Bible
2 Corinthians 4:5 Catholic Bible

NT Letters: 2 Corinthians 4:5 For we don't preach ourselves but Christ (2 Cor. 2C iiC 2Cor ii cor iicor)
2 Corinthians 4:4
Top of Page
Top of Page