Present Weakness and Resurrection Life

4 Therefore, since through God’s mercyd we have this ministry, we do not lose heart.e 2 Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways;f we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God.g On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to everyone’s conscienceh in the sight of God. 3 And even if our gospeli is veiled,j it is veiled to those who are perishing.k 4 The godl of this agem has blindedn the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ,o who is the image of God.p 5 For what we preach is not ourselves,q but Jesus Christ as Lord,r and ourselves as your servantss for Jesus’ sake. 6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,”a t made his light shine in our heartsu to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.v

7 But we have this treasure in jars of clayw to show that this all-surpassing power is from Godx and not from us. 8 We are hard pressed on every side,y but not crushed; perplexed,z but not in despair; 9 persecuted,a but not abandoned;b struck down, but not destroyed.c 10 We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus,d so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.e 11 For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake,f so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body. 12 So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.g

13 It is written: “I believed; therefore I have spoken.”b h Since we have that same spirit ofc faith,i we also believe and therefore speak, 14 because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the deadj will also raise us with Jesusk and present us with you to himself.l 15 All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgivingm to overflow to the glory of God.

16 Therefore we do not lose heart.n Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardlyo we are being renewedp day by day. 17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.q 18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen,r since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.