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Treasures in Jars of Clay

For this reason, since we have this ministry, just as we received mercy, we do not lose heart. Instead, we renounced the hidden shameful ways—not walking in deception or distorting the word of God, but commending ourselves before God to everyone’s conscience by the open proclamation of the truth. And even if our Good News is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. In their case, the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving, so they might not see the light of the Good News of the glory of Messiah, who is the image of God. For we do not proclaim ourselves, but Messiah Yeshua as Lord—and ourselves as your slaves for Yeshua’s sake. For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,”[a] is the One who has shone in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Messiah.[b]

But we have this treasure in jars of clay,[c] so that the surpassing greatness of the power may be from God and not from ourselves. We are hard pressed in every way, yet not crushed; perplexed, yet not in despair; persecuted, yet not forsaken; struck down, yet not destroyed; 10 always carrying in the body the death of Yeshua, so that the life of Yeshua may also be revealed in our mortal body. 11 For we who live are always being handed over to death for Yeshua’s sake, so that the life of Yeshua may be revealed in our mortal body. 12 So death is at work in us, but life is at work in you. 13 But we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, “I believed, and therefore I spoke.”[d] So we also believe, and therefore we also speak, 14 knowing that the One who raised the Lord Yeshua will raise us also with Yeshua, and will bring us with you into His presence. 15 For all things are for your sakes, so that the grace that is spreading through more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow—to the glory of God.

16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though our outward man is decaying, yet our inward man is renewed day by day. [e] 17 For our trouble, light and momentary, is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, 18 as we look not at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen. For what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal.

Διὰ τοῦτο, ἔχοντες τὴν διακονίαν ταύτην καθὼς ἠλεήθημεν, οὐκ [a]ἐγκακοῦμεν, ἀλλὰ ἀπειπάμεθα τὰ κρυπτὰ τῆς αἰσχύνης, μὴ περιπατοῦντες ἐν πανουργίᾳ μηδὲ δολοῦντες τὸν λόγον τοῦ θεοῦ, ἀλλὰ τῇ φανερώσει τῆς ἀληθείας [b]συνιστάνοντες ἑαυτοὺς πρὸς πᾶσαν συνείδησιν ἀνθρώπων ἐνώπιον τοῦ θεοῦ. εἰ δὲ καὶ ἔστιν κεκαλυμμένον τὸ εὐαγγέλιον ἡμῶν, ἐν τοῖς ἀπολλυμένοις ἐστὶν κεκαλυμμένον, ἐν οἷς ὁ θεὸς τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου ἐτύφλωσεν τὰ νοήματα τῶν ἀπίστων εἰς τὸ μὴ [c]αὐγάσαι τὸν φωτισμὸν τοῦ εὐαγγελίου τῆς δόξης τοῦ Χριστοῦ, ὅς ἐστιν εἰκὼν τοῦ θεοῦ. οὐ γὰρ ἑαυτοὺς κηρύσσομεν ἀλλὰ [d]Χριστὸν Ἰησοῦν κύριον, ἑαυτοὺς δὲ δούλους ὑμῶν διὰ Ἰησοῦν. ὅτι ὁ θεὸς ὁ εἰπών· Ἐκ σκότους φῶς [e]λάμψει, ὃς ἔλαμψεν ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις ἡμῶν πρὸς φωτισμὸν τῆς γνώσεως τῆς δόξης τοῦ θεοῦ ἐν προσώπῳ [f]Χριστοῦ.

Ἔχομεν δὲ τὸν θησαυρὸν τοῦτον ἐν ὀστρακίνοις σκεύεσιν, ἵνα ἡ ὑπερβολὴ τῆς δυνάμεως ᾖ τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ μὴ ἐξ ἡμῶν· ἐν παντὶ θλιβόμενοι ἀλλ’ οὐ στενοχωρούμενοι, ἀπορούμενοι ἀλλ’ οὐκ ἐξαπορούμενοι, διωκόμενοι ἀλλ’ οὐκ ἐγκαταλειπόμενοι, καταβαλλόμενοι ἀλλ’ οὐκ ἀπολλύμενοι, 10 πάντοτε τὴν νέκρωσιν [g]τοῦ Ἰησοῦ ἐν τῷ σώματι περιφέροντες, ἵνα καὶ ἡ ζωὴ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ ἐν τῷ σώματι ἡμῶν φανερωθῇ· 11 ἀεὶ γὰρ ἡμεῖς οἱ ζῶντες εἰς θάνατον παραδιδόμεθα διὰ Ἰησοῦν, ἵνα καὶ ἡ ζωὴ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ φανερωθῇ ἐν τῇ θνητῇ σαρκὶ ἡμῶν. 12 ὥστε [h]ὁ θάνατος ἐν ἡμῖν ἐνεργεῖται, ἡ δὲ ζωὴ ἐν ὑμῖν.

13 Ἔχοντες δὲ τὸ αὐτὸ πνεῦμα τῆς πίστεως, κατὰ τὸ γεγραμμένον· Ἐπίστευσα, διὸ ἐλάλησα, καὶ ἡμεῖς πιστεύομεν, διὸ καὶ λαλοῦμεν, 14 εἰδότες ὅτι ὁ ἐγείρας [i]τὸν Ἰησοῦν καὶ ἡμᾶς [j]σὺν Ἰησοῦ ἐγερεῖ καὶ παραστήσει σὺν ὑμῖν. 15 τὰ γὰρ πάντα δι’ ὑμᾶς, ἵνα ἡ χάρις πλεονάσασα διὰ τῶν πλειόνων τὴν εὐχαριστίαν περισσεύσῃ εἰς τὴν δόξαν τοῦ θεοῦ.

16 Διὸ οὐκ [k]ἐγκακοῦμεν, ἀλλ’ εἰ καὶ ὁ ἔξω ἡμῶν ἄνθρωπος διαφθείρεται, ἀλλ’ ὁ [l]ἔσω ἡμῶν ἀνακαινοῦται ἡμέρᾳ καὶ ἡμέρᾳ. 17 τὸ γὰρ παραυτίκα ἐλαφρὸν τῆς θλίψεως [m]ἡμῶν καθ’ ὑπερβολὴν εἰς ὑπερβολὴν αἰώνιον βάρος δόξης κατεργάζεται ἡμῖν, 18 μὴ σκοπούντων ἡμῶν τὰ βλεπόμενα ἀλλὰ τὰ μὴ βλεπόμενα, τὰ γὰρ βλεπόμενα πρόσκαιρα, τὰ δὲ μὴ βλεπόμενα αἰώνια.

Footnotes

  1. ΠΡΟΣ ΚΟΡΙΝΘΙΟΥΣ Β΄ 4:1 ἐγκακοῦμεν WH Treg NIV ] ἐκκακοῦμεν RP
  2. ΠΡΟΣ ΚΟΡΙΝΘΙΟΥΣ Β΄ 4:2 συνιστάνοντες WH NIV ] συνιστάντες Treg; συνιστῶντες RP
  3. ΠΡΟΣ ΚΟΡΙΝΘΙΟΥΣ Β΄ 4:4 αὐγάσαι WH Treg NIV ] + αὐτοῖς RP
  4. ΠΡΟΣ ΚΟΡΙΝΘΙΟΥΣ Β΄ 4:5 Χριστὸν Ἰησοῦν WH Treg RP ] Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν NIV
  5. ΠΡΟΣ ΚΟΡΙΝΘΙΟΥΣ Β΄ 4:6 λάμψει WH Treg NIV ] λάμψαι RP
  6. ΠΡΟΣ ΚΟΡΙΝΘΙΟΥΣ Β΄ 4:6 Χριστοῦ WH Treg NIV ] Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ RP NA
  7. ΠΡΟΣ ΚΟΡΙΝΘΙΟΥΣ Β΄ 4:10 τοῦ WH Treg NIV ] + κυρίου RP
  8. ΠΡΟΣ ΚΟΡΙΝΘΙΟΥΣ Β΄ 4:12 WH Treg NIV ] + μὲν RP
  9. ΠΡΟΣ ΚΟΡΙΝΘΙΟΥΣ Β΄ 4:14 τὸν Holmes WHmarg ] + κύριον WH Treg NIV RP
  10. ΠΡΟΣ ΚΟΡΙΝΘΙΟΥΣ Β΄ 4:14 σὺν WH Treg NIV ] διὰ RP
  11. ΠΡΟΣ ΚΟΡΙΝΘΙΟΥΣ Β΄ 4:16 ἐγκακοῦμεν WH Treg NIV ] ἐκκακοῦμεν RP
  12. ΠΡΟΣ ΚΟΡΙΝΘΙΟΥΣ Β΄ 4:16 ἔσω ἡμῶν WH Treg NIV ] ἔσωθεν RP
  13. ΠΡΟΣ ΚΟΡΙΝΘΙΟΥΣ Β΄ 4:17 ἡμῶν Treg NIV RP ] – WH

Present Weakness and Resurrection Life

Therefore, since through God’s mercy(A) we have this ministry, we do not lose heart.(B) Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways;(C) we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God.(D) On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience(E) in the sight of God. And even if our gospel(F) is veiled,(G) it is veiled to those who are perishing.(H) The god(I) of this age(J) has blinded(K) the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ,(L) who is the image of God.(M) For what we preach is not ourselves,(N) but Jesus Christ as Lord,(O) and ourselves as your servants(P) for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,”[a](Q) made his light shine in our hearts(R) to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.(S)

But we have this treasure in jars of clay(T) to show that this all-surpassing power is from God(U) and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side,(V) but not crushed; perplexed,(W) but not in despair; persecuted,(X) but not abandoned;(Y) struck down, but not destroyed.(Z) 10 We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus,(AA) so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.(AB) 11 For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake,(AC) 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.(AD)

13 It is written: “I believed; therefore I have spoken.”[b](AE) Since we have that same spirit of[c] faith,(AF) we also believe and therefore speak, 14 because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead(AG) will also raise us with Jesus(AH) and present us with you to himself.(AI) 15 All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving(AJ) to overflow to the glory of God.

16 Therefore we do not lose heart.(AK) Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly(AL) we are being renewed(AM) day by day. 17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.(AN) 18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen,(AO) since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Corinthians 4:6 Gen. 1:3
  2. 2 Corinthians 4:13 Psalm 116:10 (see Septuagint)
  3. 2 Corinthians 4:13 Or Spirit-given