2 Corinthians 4:13

We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak;

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(13) We having the same spirit of faith . . .—The “spirit of faith” is not definitely the Holy Spirit, but the human spirit in fellowship with the Divine, and therefore characterised by faith. And then, as if pleading that this faith must find utterance, he falls back on the words that are in his mind, almost as an axiom, from Psalm 116:10 : “I believed, and therefore I spoke.” It will be noted that the context of the words quoted is eminently in harmony with the feelings to which the Apostle has just given expression: “The sorrows of death compassed me; the pains of hell gat hold of me. I found trouble and heaviness . . . I was brought low . . . Thou hast delivered my soul from death” (Psalm 116:3-8). It is as though that Psalm had been his stay and comfort in the midst of his daily conflict with disease.

Benson Commentary

2 Corinthians 4:13-15. We having the same spirit — Which you have, because we have the same faith: or, we have the same spirit of faith which animated the saints of old, David in particular, when he said, I believed, and therefore have I spoken — That is, I trusted in God, and therefore he has put this song of praise in my mouth. We also believe — Have the same confidence that God will also deliver us out of our troubles; and therefore speak — Declare this our confidence by preaching the gospel openly, even in the midst of affliction and death, supported by an inward consciousness of our integrity, and animated by a powerful sense of duty to God, and a persuasion that he who raised up the Lord Jesus — The first-fruits of them that sleep; shall raise us up also, and present us, ministers, with you — With all his members, faultless before his presence with exceeding joy. For all things — Whether adverse or prosperous; are for your sakes — For the profit of all that believe as well as all that teach; that the abundant, πλεονασασα, overflowing grace — Which preserves you and us alive, both in soul and body; might abound yet more through the thanksgiving of many — For thanksgiving invites more abundant grace.

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

We having the same spirit of faith - The same spirit that is expressed in the quotation which he is about to make; the same faith which the psalmist had. We have the very spirit of faith which is expressed by David. The sense is, we have the same spirit of faith which he had who said, "I believed," etc. The phrase, "spirit of faith," means substantially the same as faith itself; a believing sense or impression of the truth.

According as it is written - This passage is found in Psalm 116:10. When the psalmist uttered the words, he was greatly afflicted; see Psalm 116:3, Psalm 116:6-8. In these circumstances, he prayed to God, and expressed confidence in him, and placed all his reliance on him. In his affliction he spoke to God; he spoke of his confidence in him; he proclaimed his reliance on him; and his having spoken in this manner was the result of his belief, or of his putting confidence in God. Paul, in quoting this, does not mean to say that the psalmist had any reference to the preaching of the gospel; nor does he mean to say that his circumstances were in all respects like those of the psalmist. The circumstances resembled each other only in these respects:

(1) That Paul, like the psalmist, was in circumstances of trial and affliction; and,

(2) That the language which both used was that which was prompted by faith - faith, which led them to give utterance to the sentiments of their hearts; the psalmist to utter his confidence in God, and the holms by which he was sustained, and Paul to utter his belief in the glorious truths of the gospel; to speak of a risen Saviour, and to show forth the consolations which were thus set before people in the gospel.

The sentiments of both were the language of faith. Both, in afflictions, uttered the language of faith; and Paul uses here, as he often does, the language of the Old Testament, as exactly expressing his feelings, and the principles by which he was actuated.

We also believe ... - We believe in the truths of the gospel; we believe in God, in the Saviour, in the atonement, in the resurrection, etc. The sentiment is, that they had a firm confidence in these things, and that, as the result of that confidence they boldly delivered their sentiments. It prompted them to give utterance to their feelings. "Out of the abundance of the heart," said the Saviour, "the mouth speaketh," Matthew 12:34. No man should attempt to preach the gospel who has not a firm belief of its truths; and he who does believe its truths will be prompted to make them known to his fellow-men. All successful preaching is the result of a firm and settled conviction of the truth of the gospel; and when such a conviction exists, it is natural to give utterance to the belief, and such an expression will be attended with happy influences on the minds of other people; see the note on Acts 4:20.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

13. Translate as Greek, "BUT having," &c., that is, not withstanding the trials just mentioned, we having, &c.

the same spirit of faith, according as it, &c.—Compare Ro 8:15, on the usage of "spirit of faith." The Holy Spirit acting on our spirit. Though "death worketh in us, and life in you" (2Co 4:12), yet as we have the same spirit of faith as you, we therefore [believingly] look for the same immortal life as you [Estius], and speak as we believe. Alford not so well translates, "The same … faith with that described in the Scriptures" (Ps 116:10). The balance of the sentence requires the parallelism to be this, "According to that which is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak," namely, without fear, amidst "afflictions" and "deaths" (2Co 4:17).

Matthew Poole's Commentary

The same spirit of faith signifieth the same faith, or faith proceeding from the same spirit; thus, Isaiah 11:2, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord, signifieth wisdom, understanding, counsel, might, knowledge, &c. It is a question whom the apostle meaneth when he saith:

We having the same faith. Some think he meaneth the saints under the Old Testament, whose faith was the same with the faith of believers under the New Testament; and that which guideth them to that interpretation, is the apostle’s following quotation out of Psalm 116:10. But the scope of the quotation seemeth to be, to prove that all good men will speak as they believe; they therefore seem better to interpret the text, that make this the sense of it: Though God, in the wisdom of his providence, hath assigned us in this world a different lot from you, that you are full, we empty; you in prosperity, we in adversity; yet we are partakers of the same faith with you, and are acted from the same spirit that you are: and as David’s spirit guided him to a profession of his faith, and a speaking what he believed; so we also speak, and must speak, according to what we believe. And this is manifestly the sense of the words, if we consider what followeth in the next verse.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

We having the same Spirit of faith,.... By faith here is meant, not the doctrine, but the grace of faith; a believing in the doctrines of the Gospel, and in the person of Christ; an exercise of that grace upon the death and resurrection of Christ; and particularly a looking by faith in full expectation of the saints' resurrection from the dead, and eternal glory, together with a reliance on the power, faithfulness, and promises of God to support under the afflictions of this life. Now of this faith the Spirit of God is the author; this is not of ourselves, of our own power, it is the free gift of God, and a valuable gift it is; it is of the operation of God, and the produce of his almighty power; and of this the Spirit of God, in conversion, is the powerful operator: hence he is here called the "Spirit of faith". So the "third" number in the Cabalistic tree of the Jews, the intelligence sanctifying, which answers to the third person in our doctrine of the Trinity, is called (x),

"Nmwa hnwma and , "the artificer of faith", and "the author or parent of faith", because from its power faith flows.''

Which is the "same" in all saints; the Spirit is the same in one as in another, and so is the faith which he is the author of; see 2 Peter 1:1. Faith is the same in all the saints that have been from the beginning of the world, under the Old and New Testament dispensations; it was the same in all the churches in the apostle's time, in Rome as at Ephesus, in Ephesus as at Rome, and in Thessalonica as at Rome and Ephesus, and so in all the other churches; though it may be, the apostle may chiefly design the sameness of faith, and of the Spirit, in him and his fellow ministers, and in these Corinthians, though death was working in the one, and life in the other; which appeared in their free and bold ministration of the word, notwithstanding all they met with on account of it, in imitation and encouraged by the example of David,

according as it is written, Psalm 116:10.

I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak: where there is true faith, and the true Spirit of faith, there will be a speaking of, for, and in the name of Christ, as there ought to be: for as "with the heart man believeth unto righteousness, so with the mouth confession is made unto salvation". This is true of believers in common, sooner or later, at one time or another; but more especially of the ministers of the word, who have a firm and well grounded belief in the doctrines of the Gospel, and person of Christ; and therefore speak freely, and without any doubt and hesitation about these things, boldly, and without the fear of men, and sincerely and faithfully, as in the sight of God: hence they make Christ the main subject of their ministry, because they believe in him, and nothing can stop their mouths from speaking of him; faith, and a spirit of faith, fit for public work and service, and give freedom and boldness in the ministration of the Gospel, and are a great support under persecution for the sake of it.

(x) Sepher Jetzirah, Semit 3. p. 6.

Geneva Study Bible

{8} We having the same {m} spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak;

(8) He declares the former sentence, showing that he and his associates die in a way to purchase life for others, but yet nonetheless they are partakers of the same life with them: because they themselves do first believe that which they offer to others to believe, that is, that they also will be saved together with them in Christ.

(m) The same faith, by the inspiration of the same Spirit.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Meyer's NT Commentary

2 Corinthians 4:13. A remark giving information (δέ, see on 2 Corinthians 3:17) on ἡ δὲ ζωὴ ἐν ὑμῖν. For through the πιστεύομεν, διὸ καὶ λαλοῦμεν, is that very ἡ ζωὴ ἐν ὑμῖν ἐνεργεῖται rendered possible and brought about. The connection of ideas is frequently taken thus: “Though death works in us and life in you, we have yet the certain confidence that we too will partake of the life.” Comp. Estius, Flatt, Rückert. But in that case the relation of the two verses, 13 and 14, would be logically inverted, and the participial clause in 2 Corinthians 4:14 would be made the principal clause; Paul must logically have written: “Because, however, we have the same spirit of faith, which David expresses in the words, etc., we know,” etc. According to Olshausen, Paul wishes to represent the thought that his career, so full of suffering, is a source of life to the Corinthians, as a living certainty wrought in him from above. But apart from the erroneous explanation of ἡ δὲ ζωὴ ἐν ὑμῖν, on which this is based (see on 2 Corinthians 4:12), the very fact—the ἡ ζωὴ ἐν ὑμῖν ἐνεργεῖται—was something consonant to experience, and hence Paul in 2 Corinthians 4:13 gives nothing else than an elucidation consonant to experience. According to de Wette (comp. before him, Erasmus, Paraphr., who inserts the intermediate thought: nec tamen ob id nos poenitet evangelii), the course of thought is: “But this working of death hinders us not from preaching the gospel boldly, since the hope of the resurrection strengthens us.” In this way, however, he arbitrarily passes over the immediately preceding thought, ἡ δὲ ζωὴ ἐν ὑμῖν, to which, nevertheless, 2 Corinthians 4:13 supplies an appropriate elucidation. According to Hofmann, Paul brings in a modification of the contrast contained in 2 Corinthians 4:12, when he says that he has, while death works in him, still the same spirit as exists in those in whom life works. But there is no hint of this retrospective reference of τὸ αὐτό (which would have required a σὺν ὑμῖν or something similar); and not even the thought in itself would he suitable, since his being in possession of the same spirit which his disciples, in whom his life was in fact at work, possessed, would be self-evident, and not a special point to be brought into prominence and asserted by the apostle. This also in opposition to Erasmus, Estius, Bengel, Schrader, and others, who explain τὸ αὐτό: the same spirit, which you have.

τὸ αὐτό πνεῦμα τῆς τίστεως] i.e. the same Holy Spirit working faith, not: the believing frame of mind (de Wette, comp. also Lipsius, Rechtfertigungsl. p. 176), which is not the meaning of πνεῦμα in Romans 8:15; Romans 11:8; 1 Corinthians 4:21; Galatians 6:1; Ephesians 1:17. τὸ αὐτό is the same which is made known in the following saying of Scripture, consequently the same as the Psalmist had. With this hero of faith the apostle knows himself to be on an equality in faith.[198] The πίστις which the Spirit works was with the Psalmist trust in God, with Paul faith in the salvation in Christ; with both, therefore, the same fundamental disposition of pious confidence on God’s promise (Hebrews 1:11).

κατὰ τὸ γεγρ.] in conformity, in agreement with what is written. This belongs to καὶ ἡμεῖς πιστεύομεν, for if it belonged to ἜΧΟΝΤΕς (Calvin, Beza, de Wette, Ewald, and many others), ΑὐΤΌ would be superfluou.

ἘΠΊΣΤΕΥΣΑ, ΔΙῸ ἘΛΆΛΗΣΑ] I have become a believer, therefore have I let myself be heard, Psalm 116:10, after the LXX., in which the translation of הֶאֱמַנְתִּי כִּי אֲדַבֵּר is incorrect, but might be retained by Paul, all the more seeing that in the original is contained the idea that the speaking proceeded from faith[199] (I trusted, for I spoke).

καὶ ἡμεῖς] we too, like the Psalmist. Hofmann, on the other hand, in accordance with his inappropriate view of τὸ αὐτὸ πνεῦμα τ. π., understands it: “in common with those, who have the same spirit.”

ΔΙῸ ΚΑῚ ΛΑΛΟῦΜΕΝ] on which account we also let ourselves be heard, are not silent, but preach the gospel. Through this it happens that ἡ ζωὴ ἐν ὑμῖν ἘΝΕΡΓΕῖΤΑΙ. See on 2 Corinthians 4:12. The ΚΑΊ before ΛΑΛ. is the also of the relation corresponding (to the πιστεύομεν).

[198] There is ground for assuming that Paul looked on David as the author of Psalms 116, which no doubt belongs to a far later time; it was customary, in fact, to ascribe to David the anonymous psalms generally.

[199] For the very different meanings given to the text of the original (Hupfeld, Ewald, I have faith, when I speak), see Hupfeld on Psalms 116, and Hofmann on this passage.

Expositor's Greek Testament

2 Corinthians 4:13. ἔχοντες δὲ τὸ αὐτὸ πν. κ.τ.λ.: but, sc., despite our bodily weakness and the “working of death in us” of 2 Corinthians 4:12, having the same spirit of faith, sc., as the Psalmist, according to that which is written, “I believed, and therefore I spoke,” we also believe, and therefore also we speak, sc., as the Psalmist did. The exact meaning of Psalm 115:1 in the original is hard to fix; but the context would not naturally suggest the beautiful thought here read into it. That faith must find expression, that it cannot be silent, is the Apostle’s adaptation of the words. With τὸ πνεῦμα τῆς πίστεως cf. Romans 8:15, 1 Corinthians 4:21, Galatians 6:1, Ephesians 1:17, 2 Timothy 1:7, etc. Deissmann (Neue Bibelstudien, p. 78) illustrates the introductory formula of citation here employed by the legal formula κατὰ τὰ προγεγραμμένα which occurs in a Fayyûm papyrus of 52 A.D.

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

13. We having the same spirit of faith] The idea of boldness and outspokenness is still present with the Apostle. He speaks openly, because he has reason to believe what he says. And the thought is connected with the last verse by the fact that it is to his speaking that the Corinthians owe their life. The ‘same spirit’ means the spirit that dwelt in the Psalmist. See next note.

according as it is written] See Psalm 116:10. The Psalmist was ‘sore troubled,’ but his faith enabled him to triumph over affliction and to declare the loving-kindness of the Lord. A similar faith enabled St Paul and his fellow-labourers to declare the good tidings of Christ, though encompassed by infirmity and trouble.

Bengel's Gnomen

2 Corinthians 4:13. Τὸ αὐτὸ) the same, which both [David had and you have], comp. 2 Corinthians 4:14.—κατὰ, according to) This word is construed with we believe and we speak.—ἐπίστευσα, διὸ ἐλάλησα) So LXX., Psalm 116:10, Hebr. ἐπίστευσα, ὅτι λαλήσω. The one meaning is included [involved] in the other. Faith produced in the soul immediately speaks, and in consequence of speaking, it knows itself and increases itself.—λαλοῦμεν, we speak) without fear in the midst of affliction and death, 2 Corinthians 4:17.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 13. - We; rather, But we. The same spirit of faith. The spirit manifested by the psalmist in the quotation which follows. It is from Psalm 116:10, a psalm which corresponded with St. Paul's mood because it was written in trouble sustained by faith. And this faith inspires him with the conviction that, after "the body of this death," and after this death in life, there should begin for him also the life in death. St. Paul says nothing as to the authorship of the psalm, which probably belongs to a period far later than that of David. The words are from the LXX., and seem fairly to represent the disputed sense of the original. 2 Corinthians 4:13

Vincent's Word Studies

The same spirit of faith

The same, namely, which is set forth in the following passage. Spirit of faith: not distinctly the Holy Spirit, nor, on the other hand, a human faculty or disposition, but blending both; faith as a gift of the Spirit of God. See on Spirit, Romans 8:4, sec. 5.

I believed, etc.

Cited from Sept., Psalm 115:10. The Septuagint mistranslates the Hebrew, which is, "I believed though I said," etc.