2 Corinthians 4–5

4Therefore seeing we have ^athis ministry, ^bas we have received mercy, ^cwe faint not; ²But have renounced the hidden things of ^†dishonesty, not walking in ^dcraftiness, nor ^ehandling the word of God deceitfully; but ^hby manifestation of ^fthe truth ^gcommending ourselves ^hto every man’s conscience in the sight of God. ³But if our gospel be ⁱhid, it is hid ^kto them that are lost: ⁴In whom ^lthe god ^mof this world ⁿhath blinded the ^ominds of them which believe not, lest ^pthe light of ^qthe glorious gospel of Christ, ^rwho is the image of God, should shine unto them. ⁵For ^swe preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ^tourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake. ⁶For God, ^uwho commanded the light to shine out of darkness, ^†hath ^wshined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God ^xin the face of Jesus Christ.

⁷But we have this treasure in ^yearthen ^zvessels, ^athat the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. ⁸We are ^btroubled on every side, yet not ^cdistressed; we are ^ccperplexed, but ^||not in despair; ^9dPersecuted, but not ^eforsaken; ^fcast down, but not destroyed; ^10gAlways bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, ^hthat the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. ¹¹For we which live ⁱare alway delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh. ¹²So then ^kdeath worketh in us, but life in you. ¹³We having ^lthe same spirit ^mof faith, according as it is written, ⁿI believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, ^oand therefore speak; ¹⁴Knowing that ^phe which raised up the Lord Jesus ^qshall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall ^qqpresent us with you. ¹⁵For ^rall things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might ^sthrough the thanksgiving of many redound ^tto the glory of God. ¹⁶For which cause ^uwe faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet ^vthe inward man ^wis renewed day by day. ¹⁷For ^xour light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us ^ya far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; ^18zWhile we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are ^atemporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

5For we know that if ^aour earthly house of ^bthis tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house ^cnot made with hands, eternal in the heavens. ²For in this ^dwe groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven: ³If so be that ^ebeing clothed we shall not be found naked. ⁴For we that are in ^bthis tabernacle ^ddo groan, being burdened: not ^ffor that ^gwe would be unclothed, ^gbut ^hclothed upon, that mortality might be ^hswallowed up of life. ⁵Now ⁱhe that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath ^kgiven unto us the earnest of the Spirit. ⁶Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: ⁷(For ^lwe walk by faith, ^mnot by sight:) ⁸ⁿWe are confident, I say, and ^owilling rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.

⁹Wherefore we ^||labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be ^paccepted of him. ¹⁰For we must all appear ^qbefore the judgment seat of Christ; ^rthat every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. ¹¹Knowing therefore ^sthe terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but ^twe are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are ^tmade manifest in your consciences. ¹²For we ^ucommend not ourselves ^vagain unto you, but give you ^woccasion ^xto glory on our behalf, that ye may have somewhat to answer them which glory ^†in appearance, and not in heart. ¹³For whether we be ^ybeside ourselves, it is to God: or whether we ^zbe sober, it is for your cause. ¹⁴For ^athe love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that ^bif one died for all, then were all dead: ¹⁵And that he died for all, ^cthat they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again. ¹⁶Wherefore henceforth ^dknow we no man ^eafter the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ ^eafter the flesh, yet now henceforth ^fknow we him no more. ¹⁷Therefore if any man be ^gin Christ, ^||he is ^ha new creature: ⁱold things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. ¹⁸And all things are of God, ^kwho hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us ^lthe ministry of ^mreconciliation; ¹⁹To wit, that ⁿGod was in Christ, ^kreconciling ⁿⁿthe world unto himself, not ^oimputing their trespasses unto them; and hath ^†committed unto us the word of ^mreconciliation. ²⁰Now then ^pwe are ambassadors for Christ, as ^qthough God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, ^kbe ye reconciled to God. ²¹For ^rhe hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made ^sthe righteousness of God in him.