2 Corinthians 4:5 (WEB)

Passage

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

Nearby Context

2 Corinthians 4:3 Even if our Good News is veiled, it is veiled in those who are dying;

2 Corinthians 4:4 in whom the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that the light of the Good News of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should not dawn on them.

2 Corinthians 4:5 For we don’t preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake;

2 Corinthians 4:6 seeing it is God who said, “Light will shine out of darkness,”Genesis 1:3 who has shone in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

2 Corinthians 4:7 But we have this treasure in clay vessels, that the exceeding greatness of the power may be of God, and not from ourselves.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "preach", "ourselves", "christ", "jesus", "lord", and "servants". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "preach" and "ourselves", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 4's "in whom the god of this world..." into verse 6's "seeing it is God who said Light...", so "preach" and "ourselves" belong inside that flow. In 2 Corinthians context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "preach" and "ourselves" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.