2 Corinthians 2:14–7:4

A MINISTRY OF LIFE OR DEATH

14 But thanks be to God,k who always leads us in Christ’s triumphal procession and through us spreads the aroma of the knowledge of him in every place.l 15 For to God we are the fragrancem of Christ among those who are being savedn and among those who are perishing.o 16 To some we are an aroma of deathp leading to death, but to others, an aroma of lifeq leading to life. Who is adequate for these things? 17 For we do not market the wordDr of God for profit like so many. On the contrary, we speak with sincerity in Christ, as from God and before God.

LIVING LETTERS

3 Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, like some, letters of recommendation to you or from you? 2 You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everyone.s 3 You show that you are Christ’s letter,t deliveredA by us, not written with ink but with the Spirit of the living Godu—not on tablets of stonev but on tablets of human hearts.B,w

PAUL’S COMPETENCE

4 Such is the confidence we have through Christ before God. 5 It is not that we are competent inC ourselves to claim anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God.x 6 He has made us competent to be ministers of a new covenant,y not of the letter,z but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

NEW COVENANT MINISTRY

7 Now if the ministry that brought death, chiseled in letters on stones, came with glory,aa so that the Israelites were not able to gaze steadily at Moses’s face because of its glory, which was set aside, 8 how will the ministry of the Spirit not be more glorious? 9 For if the ministry that brought condemnation had glory, the ministry that brings righteousness overflows with even more glory. 10 In fact, what had been glorious is not glorious now by comparison because of the glory that surpasses it. 11 For if what was set asideab was glorious, what endures will be even more glorious.

12 Since, then, we have such a hope,ac we act with great boldness. 13 We are not like Moses, who used to put a veil over his facead to prevent the Israelites from gazing steadily until the endD of the glory of what was being set aside, 14 but their minds were hardened.ae For to this day, at the reading of the old covenant,af the same veil remains; it is not lifted, because it is set aside only in Christ.ag 15 Yet still today, whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their hearts, 16 but whenever a person turnsah to the Lord, the veil is removed.ai 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 We all, with unveiled faces, are looking as in a mirror atE,aj the glory of the Lordak and are being transformedal into the same imageam from glory to glory; this is from the Lord who is the Spirit.F

THE LIGHT OF THE GOSPEL

4 Therefore, since we have this ministry because we were shown mercy,an we do not give up.ao 2 Instead, we have renounced secret and shameful things, not actingap deceitfully or distorting the word of God,aq but commending ourselves before God to everyone’s conscience by an open display of the truth.ar 3 But if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. 4 In their case, the god of this ageas has blinded the minds of the unbelievers to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ,G,a who is the image of God.b 5 For we are not proclaiming ourselves but Jesus Christ as Lord,c and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’s sake. 6 For God who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,”d has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledgee of God’s gloryf in the face of Jesus Christ.

TREASURE IN CLAY JARS

7 Now we have this treasure in clay jars, so that this extraordinary powerg may be from God and not from us. 8 We are afflicted in every way but not crushed; we are perplexed but not in despair; 9 we are persecuted but not abandoned; we are struck down but not destroyed. 10 We always carry the death of Jesush in our body, so that the life of Jesus may also be displayed in our body. 11 For we who live are always being given over to deathi for Jesus’s sake, so that Jesus’s life may also be displayed in our mortal flesh. 12 So then, death is at work in us, but life in you. 13 And since we have the same spirit of faith in keeping with what is written, I believed, therefore I spoke,A,j we also believe, and therefore speak. 14 For we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus will also raise us with Jesusk and present us with you. 15 Indeed, everything is for your benefit so that, as grace extends through more and more people, it may cause thanksgivingl to increase to the glory of God.

16 Therefore we do not give up.m Even though our outer person is being destroyed, our inner personn is being renewed day by day. 17 For our momentary light afflictiono is producing for us an absolutely incomparable eternal weight of glory.p 18 So we do not focus on what is seen,q but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

OUR FUTURE AFTER DEATH

5 For we know that if our earthly tent we live inr is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal dwelling in the heavens,s not made with hands.t 2 Indeed, we groan in this tent, desiringu to put on our heavenly dwelling, 3 since, when we are clothed,B we will not be found naked.v 4 Indeed, we groan while we are in this tent, burdened as we are, because we do not want to be unclothed but clothed, so that mortalityw may be swallowed up by life. 5 Now the one who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave us the Spirit as a down payment.

6 So we are always confident and know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. 7 For we walk by faith,x not by sight.y 8 In fact, we are confident, and we would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.z 9 Therefore, whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to be pleasingaa to him. 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seatab of Christ,ac so that each may be repaidad for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.

11 Therefore, since we know the fear of the Lord,ae we try to persuade people. What we are is plain to God, and I hope it is also plain to your consciences. 12 We are not commending ourselves to you again, but giving you an opportunity to be proud of us, so that you may have a reply for those who take pride in outward appearance rather than in the heart. 13 For if we are out of our mind,af it is for God; if we are in our right mind,ag it is for you. 14 For the love of Christ compels us, since we have reached this conclusion, that one died for all,ah and therefore all died. 15 And he died for allai so that those who live should no longer live for themselves,aj but for the oneak who died for them and was raised.

THE MINISTRY OF RECONCILIATION

16 From now on, then, we do not know anyone from a worldly perspective.A Even if we have known Christ from a worldly perspective,B yet now we no longer know him in this way. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation;al the old has passed away, and see,am the new hasC come!an 18 Everything is from God, who has reconciled us to himself through Christ and has given us the ministry of reconciliation.ao 19 That is, in Christ, God was reconciling the worldap to himself,aq not counting their trespasses against them, and he has committed the message of reconciliation to us.

20 Therefore, we are ambassadorsar for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us. We plead on Christ’s behalf,as “Be reconciled to God.” 21 He made the one who did not know sinat to be sinD for us,au so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

6 Working together with him, we also appeal to you, “Don’t receive the grace of God in vain.” 2 For he says:

At an acceptable time I listened to you,

and in the day of salvation I helped you.E,a

See, now is the acceptable time; now is the day of salvation!b

THE CHARACTER OF PAUL’S MINISTRY

3 We are not giving anyone an occasion for offense, so that the ministry will not be blamed. 4 Instead, as God’s ministers, we commend ourselves in everything: by great endurance, by afflictions, by hardships, by difficulties, 5 by beatings, by imprisonments,c by riots, by labors, by sleepless nights, by times of hunger, 6 by purity,d by knowledge,e by patience,f by kindness,g by the Holy Spirit, by sincere love,h 7 by the word of truth,F,i by the power of God;j through weapons of righteousness for the right hand and the left, 8 through gloryk and dishonor, through slander and good report; regarded as deceivers, yet true; 9 as unknown, yet recognized; as dying, yet see—we live; as being disciplined, yet not killed; 10 as grieving, yet always rejoicing;l as poor, yet enriching many; as having nothing, yet possessing everything. 11 We have spoken openly to you, Corinthians; our heart has been opened wide. 12 We are not withholding our affection from you, but you are withholding yours from us. 13 I speak as to my children; as a proper response, open your heart to us.

SEPARATION TO GOD

14 Do not be yoked together with those who do not believe. For what partnership is there between righteousness and lawlessness?m Or what fellowship does lightn have with darkness?o 15 What agreement does Christ have with Belial?A Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? 16 And what agreement does the temple of God have with idols?p For weB are the temple of the living God, as God said:

I will dwellq

and walk among them,

and I will be their God,r

and they will be my people.C,s

17 Therefore, come out from among them

and be separate, says the Lord;

do not touch any unclean thing,

and I will welcome you.D,t

18 And I will be a Fatheru to you,

and you will be sonsv and daughters to me,

says the Lord Almighty.E,w

7 So then, dear friends, since we have these promises,x let us cleanse ourselves from every impurity of the flesh and spirit,y bringing holiness to completionF in the fear of God.z

JOY…