2 Corinthians 4–5

Proclaiming Jesus Christ as Lord

4Because of this, since we^* have this ministry, just as we have been shown mercy, we do not lose heart, ²but we have renounced shameful hidden things, not behaving with craftiness or adulterating the word of God, but with the open proclamation of the truth commending ourselves to every person’s conscience before God. ³But if indeed our gospel is veiled, it is veiled among those who are perishing, ⁴among whom the god of this age has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, so that they would not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. ⁵For we do not proclaim ourselves, but Christ Jesus^a as Lord, and ourselves as your slaves for the sake of Jesus. ⁶For God who said, “Light will shine out of darkness,”^b is the one who has shined in our hearts for the enlightenment of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.^c

Treasure in Earthenware Jars

⁷But we have this treasure in earthenware jars, in order that the extraordinary degree of the power may be from God and not from us. ⁸We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; ⁹persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed; ¹⁰always carrying around the death of Jesus in our body, in order that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. ¹¹For we who are alive are continually being handed over to death because of Jesus, in order that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our mortal flesh. ¹²So then, death is at work in us, but life in you. ¹³But because we^* have the same spirit of faith in accordance with what is written, “I believed, therefore I spoke,”^d we also believe, therefore we also speak, ¹⁴because we^* know that the one who raised Jesus^e will also raise us together with Jesus and present us together with you. ¹⁵For all these things are for your sake^f, in order that the grace that is increasing through the many may cause thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God.

¹⁶Therefore we do not lose heart, but even if our outer person is being destroyed, yet our inner person is being renewed day after day. ¹⁷For our momentary light affliction is producing in us an eternal weight of glory beyond all measure and proportion^g, ¹⁸because^* we are not looking at what is seen, but what is not seen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is not seen is eternal.

Absent from the Body and at Home with the Lord

5For we know that if our earthly house, the tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made by hands, eternal in the heavens. ²For indeed, in this house we groan, because we^* desire to put on our dwelling from heaven, ³if indeed, even after we^* have taken it off,^a we will not be found naked. ⁴For indeed we who are in this tent groan, being burdened for this reason, that^b we do not want to be unclothed, but to be clothed, in order that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. ⁵Now the one who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the down payment, the Spirit.

⁶Therefore, although we are^* always confident and know that while we^* are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord—⁷for we live by faith, not by sight—⁸so we are confident and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord. ⁹Therefore indeed we have as our ambition, whether at home in the body or absent from the body, to be acceptable to him. ¹⁰For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, in order that each one may receive back the things through the body according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

Controlled by the Love of Christ

¹¹Therefore, because we^* know the fear of the Lord, we are attempting to persuade people, but we are revealed to God, and I hope to be revealed in your consciences. ¹²We are not commending ourselves to you again, but are giving you an opportunity to boast about us, in order that you may have an answer for those who boast in appearance and not in heart. ¹³For if we are out of our senses, it is for God; if we are of sound mind, it is for you. ¹⁴For the love of Christ controls us, because we^* have concluded this: that one died for all; as a result all died. ¹⁵And he died for all, in order that those who live should no longer live for themselves, but for the one who died for them and was raised.

¹⁶So then, from now on we know no one from a human point of view^c, if indeed we have known Christ from a human point of view^d, but now we know him this way no longer. ¹⁷Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old things have passed away; behold, new things have come. ¹⁸And all these things are from God, who has reconciled us to himself through Christ, and who has given us the ministry of reconciliation, ¹⁹namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. ²⁰Therefore we are ambassadors on behalf of Christ, as if^* God were imploring you through us. We beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. ²¹He made the one who did not know sin to be sin on our behalf, in order that we could become the righteousness of God in him.