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.

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Footnotes

*Here “since” is supplied as a component of the participle (“have”) which is understood as causal
aSome manuscripts have “Jesus Christ”
bAn allusion to Gen 1:3
cSome manuscripts have “in the face of Jesus Christ”
*Here “because” is supplied as a component of the participle (“have”) which is understood as causal
dA quotation from Ps 116:10
*Here “because” is supplied as a component of the participle (“know”) which is understood as causal
eSome manuscripts have “the Lord Jesus”
fLiterally “for the sake of you”
gLiterally “according to an extraordinary degree to an extraordinary degree”
*Here “because” is supplied as a component of the causal genitive absolute participle (“looking at”)