2 Corinthians 4–5

The Light of the Gospel

4Therefore, since we have this ministry because we were shown mercy, ^gwe do not give up. ^h2Instead, we have renounced shameful secret things, not walking ⁱin deceit or distorting God’s message, ^jbut commending ourselves to every person’s conscience in God’s sight by an open display of the truth. ^k3But if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. ⁴In their case, the god of this age ^lhas blinded the minds of the unbelievers so they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, ^mnwho is the image of God. ^o5For we are not proclaiming ourselves but Jesus Christ as Lord, ^pand ourselves as your slaves because of Jesus. ⁶For God who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” ^qhas shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge ^rof God’s glory ^sin the face of Jesus Christ.

Treasure in Clay Jars

⁷Now we have this treasure in clay jars, so that this extraordinary power ^tmay be from God and not from us. ⁸We are pressured in every way but not crushed; we are perplexed but not in despair; ⁹we are persecuted but not abandoned; we are struck down but not destroyed. ¹⁰We always carry the death of Jesus ^uin our body, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. ¹¹For we who live are always given over to death ^vbecause of Jesus, so that Jesus’ life may also be revealed in our mortal flesh. ¹²So death works in us, but life in you. ¹³And since we have the same spirit of faith in keeping with what is written, I believed, therefore I spoke, ^wxwe also believe, and therefore speak. ¹⁴We know that the One who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus ^yand present us with you. ¹⁵Indeed, everything is for your benefit, so that grace, extended through more and more people, may cause thanksgiving ^zto increase to God’s glory.

¹⁶Therefore we do not give up. ^aEven though our outer person is being destroyed, our inner person ^bis being renewed day by day. ¹⁷For our momentary light affliction ^cdis producing for us an absolutely incomparable eternal weight of glory. ^e18So we do not focus on what is seen, ^fbut on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Our Future after Death

5For we know that if our temporary, earthly dwelling ^ghis destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal dwelling ⁱin the heavens, ^jnot made with hands. ^k2Indeed, we groan in this body, desiring ^lto put on our dwelling from heaven, ³since, when we are clothed, ^mwe will not be found naked. ⁿ⁴Indeed, we groan while we are in this tent, burdened as we are, because we do not want to be unclothed but clothed, so that mortality ^omay be swallowed up by life. ⁵And the One who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave us the Spirit as a down payment.

⁶So, we are always confident and know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. ⁷For we walk by faith, ^pnot by sight, ^q8and we are confident and satisfied to be out of the body and at home with the Lord. ^r9Therefore, whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to be pleasing ^sto Him. ¹⁰For we must all appear before the tribunal ^tof Christ, ^uso that each may be repaid ^vfor what he has done in the body, whether good or worthless.

¹¹Therefore, because we know the fear of the Lord, ^wwe seek to persuade people. We are completely open before God, and I hope we are completely open to your consciences as well. ¹²We 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 the outward appearance ^xrather than in the heart. ¹³For if we are out of our mind, ^yit is for God; if we have a sound mind, ^zit is for you. ¹⁴For Christ’s love compels ^aus, since we have reached this conclusion: If One died for all, ^bthen all died. ¹⁵And He died for all ^cso that those who live should no longer live for themselves, ^dbut for the One ^ewho died for them and was raised.

The Ministry of Reconciliation

¹⁶From now on, then, we do not know ^fanyone in a purely human way. ^gEven if we have known ^hChrist in a purely human way, ⁱyet now we no longer know ^jHim in this way. ¹⁷Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; ^kold things have passed away, and look, ^lnew things ^mhave come. ⁿ¹⁸Everything is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: ^o19That is, in Christ, God was reconciling the world ^pto Himself, ^qnot counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed the message of reconciliation to us. ²⁰Therefore, we are ambassadors ^rfor Christ, certain that God is appealing through us. We plead on Christ’s behalf, ^s“Be reconciled to God.” ²¹He made the One who did not know sin ^tto be sin ^ufor us, ^vso that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.