2 Corinthians 4:1–6:13

Paul’s Apostolic Ministry

1 Therefore, since we have this aministry, as we breceived mercy, we cdo not lose heart,

2 but we have renounced the athings hidden because of shame, not walking in craftiness or badulterating the word of God, but by the manifestation of truth ccommending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.

3 And even if our agospel is bveiled, it is veiled 1to cthose who are perishing,

4 in whose case athe god of bthis 1world has cblinded the minds of the unbelieving 2so that they might not see the dlight of the gospel of the eglory of Christ, who is the fimage of God.

5 For we ado not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your bond-servants 1for Jesus’ sake.

6 For God, who said, “aLight shall shine out of darkness,” is the One who has bshone in our hearts to give the cLight of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.

7 But we have this treasure in aearthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of bthe power will be of God and not from ourselves;

8 we are aafflicted in every way, but not bcrushed; cperplexed, but not despairing;

9 apersecuted, but not bforsaken; cstruck down, but not destroyed;

10 aalways carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that bthe life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.

11 For we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.

12 So death works in us, but life in you.

13 But having the same aspirit of faith, according to what is written, “bI believed, therefore I spoke,” we also believe, therefore we also speak,

14 knowing that He who araised the Lord Jesus bwill raise us also with Jesus and will cpresent us with you.

15 For all things are afor your sakes, so that the grace which is 1bspreading to more and more people may cause the giving of thanks to abound to the glory of God.

16 Therefore we ado not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our binner man is cbeing renewed day by day.

17 For momentary, alight affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison,

18 while we alook not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

Chapter 5

The Temporal and Eternal

1 For we know that if 1the aearthly btent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house cnot made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

2 For indeed in this house we agroan, longing to be bclothed with our dwelling from heaven,

3 inasmuch as we, having put it on, will not be found naked.

4 For indeed while we are in this tent, we agroan, being burdened, because we do not want to be unclothed but to be bclothed, so that what is cmortal will be swallowed up by life.

5 Now He who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who agave to us the Spirit as a 1pledge.

6 Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that awhile we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord—

7 for awe walk by faith, not by 1sight—

8 we are of good courage, I say, and aprefer rather to be absent from the body and bto be at home with the Lord.

9 Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be apleasing to Him.

10 For we must all appear before athe judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for 1his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

11 Therefore, knowing the afear of the Lord, we persuade men, but we are made manifest to God; and I hope that we are bmade manifest also in your consciences.

12 We are not aagain commending ourselves to you but are giving you an boccasion to be proud of us, so that you will have an answer for those who take pride in appearance and not in heart.

13 For if we 1are abeside ourselves, it is for God; if we are of sound mind, it is for you.

14 For the love of Christ acontrols us, having concluded this, that bone died for all, therefore all died;

15 and He died for all, so that they who live might no longer alive for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf.

16 Therefore from now on we recognize no one 1aaccording to the flesh; even though we have known Christ 1according to the flesh, yet now we know Him in this way no longer.

17 Therefore if anyone is ain Christ, 1he is ba new creature; cthe old things passed away; behold, new things have come.

18 Now aall these things are from God, bwho reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the cministry of reconciliation,

19 namely, that aGod was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, bnot counting their trespasses against them, and 1He has 2committed to us the word of reconciliation.

20 Therefore, we are aambassadors for Christ, bas though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be creconciled to God.

21 He made Him who aknew no sin to be bsin on our behalf, so that we might become the crighteousness of God in Him.

Chapter 6

Their Ministry Commended

1 And aworking together with Him, bwe also urge you not to receive cthe grace of God in vain—

2 for He says,

“aAt the acceptable time I listened to you,

And on the day of salvation I helped you.”

Behold, now is “the acceptable time,” behold, now is “the day of salvation”—

3 agiving no cause for offense in anything, so that the ministry will not be discredited,

4 but in everything acommending ourselves as 1bservants of God, cin much endurance, in afflictions, in hardships, in distresses,

5 in abeatings, in imprisonments, in btumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in chunger,

6 in purity, in aknowledge, in bpatience, in kindness, in the cHoly Spirit, in dgenuine love,

7 in athe word of truth, in bthe power of God; by cthe weapons of righteousness for the right hand and the left,

8 by glory and adishonor, by bevil report and good report; regarded as cdeceivers and yet dtrue;

9 as unknown 1yet well-known, as adying 1yet behold, bwe live; as 2punished 1yet not put to death,

10 as asorrowful yet always arejoicing, as bpoor yet making many rich, as chaving nothing 1yet possessing dall things.

11 aOur mouth 1has spoken freely to you, O Corinthians, our bheart is opened wide.

12 You are not restrained 1by us, but ayou are restrained in your own 2affections.

13 Now in a like aexchange—I speak as to bchildren—open wide to us also.