2 Corinthians Chapter 4

Preaching Christ

¹ So, since we have this ministry, we don’t get discouraged because we’ve received mercy. ² We’ve set aside shameful secrets; we don’t indulge in trickery or pervert God’s message. But by showing what’s true, we commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in front of God. ³ If our good news is veiled, it’s veiled to people that perish. ⁴ The god of this world has blinded the minds of disbelievers so the glorious good news about Christ, the image of God, doesn’t enlighten them. ⁵ We don’t present ourselves; we present Jesus Christ as Lord and ourselves as your servants for his sake. ⁶ God said, “Light will shine out of darkness” [Gen 1:3; Is. 9:2]; he’s the One that will “shine” in our hearts and “enlighten” us with the knowledge of his glory that shines on the face of Jesus Christ.                                         

2 Cor 4:1-6

Endurance in Conflict

⁷ We have this treasure in clay jars so it’ll be obvious that the extraordinary power of the message does not come from us, but from God. ⁸ In every way we’re afflicted, but not crushed; puzzled, but not in despair; ⁹ persecuted, but not abandoned; knocked down, but not destroyed, ¹⁰ always carrying around in our body the death of Jesus so his life will be obvious in our body as well. ¹¹ We who are alive keep getting delivered to death because of Jesus so his life can shine in our mortal flesh. ¹² So death is at work in us, but life is at work in you. ¹³ We have the same spirit of trust as the scripture says “I believed; so I spoke” [Ps 116:10]. We “believe” too; so we “speak” ¹⁴ because we know that the One who raised Jesus up will raise us up with him and present us along with you. ¹⁵ Everything’s for your sake so the grace that has spread out through an increasing number of people will increase the gratitude, to God’s glory.    

¹⁶ So we don’t get discouraged. Though our outer self wears out, our inner self renews daily. ¹⁷ Our temporary, light hardship produces for us more and more an eternal, weighty glory that’s beyond comparison. ¹⁸ We don’t look at what we can see, but what we can’t. What we can see is temporary; what we can’t see is eternal.