Chapter 4

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.