2 Corinthians 4–5

The Light of Christ’s Gospel

4Therefore, since we have this ministry, ^aas we have received mercy, we ^bdo not lose heart. ²But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness nor ¹handling the word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth ^ccommending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God. ³But even if our gospel is veiled, ^dit is veiled to those who are perishing, ⁴whose minds ^ethe god of this age ^fhas blinded, who do not believe, lest ^gthe light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, ^hwho is the image of God, should shine on them. ⁵ⁱFor we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ^jourselves your bondservants for Jesus’ sake. ⁶For it is the God ^kwho commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has ^lshone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

Cast Down But Unconquered

⁷But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, ^mthat the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. ⁸We are ⁿhard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; ⁹persecuted, but not ^oforsaken; ^pstruck down, but not destroyed—^10qalways carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, ^rthat the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. ¹¹For we who live ^sare always delivered to death for Jesus’ sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. ¹²So then death is working in us, but life in you.

¹³And since we have ^tthe same spirit of faith, according to what is written, ^u“I believed and therefore I spoke,” we also believe and therefore speak, ¹⁴knowing that ^vHe who raised up the Lord Jesus will also raise us up with Jesus, and will present us with you. ¹⁵For ^wall things are for your sakes, that ^xgrace, having spread through the many, may cause thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God.

Seeing the Invisible

¹⁶Therefore we ^ydo not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is ^zbeing renewed day by day. ¹⁷For ^aour light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, ^18bwhile we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

Assurance of the Resurrection

5For we know that if ^aour earthly ¹house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house ^bnot made with hands, eternal in the heavens. ²For in this ^cwe groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our ²habitation which is from heaven, ³if indeed, ^dhaving been clothed, we shall not be found naked. ⁴For we who are in this tent groan, being burdened, not because we want to be unclothed, ^ebut further clothed, that mortality may be swallowed up by life. ⁵Now He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who also ^fhas given us the Spirit as ³a guarantee.

⁶So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. ⁷For ^gwe walk by faith, not by sight. ⁸We are confident, yes, ^hwell pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.

The Judgment Seat of Christ

⁹Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. ¹⁰ⁱFor we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, ^jthat each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. ¹¹Knowing, therefore, ^kthe terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are well known to God, and I also trust are well known in your consciences.

Be Reconciled to God

¹²For ^lwe do not commend ourselves again to you, but give you opportunity ^mto boast on our behalf, that you may have an answer for those who boast in appearance and not in heart. ¹³For ⁿif we are beside ourselves, it is for God; or if we are of sound mind, it is for you. ¹⁴For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that ^oif One died for all, then all died; ¹⁵and He died for all, ^pthat those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.

^16qTherefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, ^ryet now we know Him thus no longer. ¹⁷Therefore, if anyone ^sis in Christ, he is ^ta new creation; ^uold things have passed away; behold, all things have become ^vnew. ¹⁸Now all things are of God, ^wwho has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, ¹⁹that is, that ^xGod was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not ⁴imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.

²⁰Now then, we are ^yambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. ²¹For ^zHe made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become ^athe righteousness of God in Him.