Paul's Perseverance in Ministry

1Therefore, since we have this ministry through God's mercy, we do not lose heart.

2Rather, we have renounced shameful hidden deeds; we do not act deceitfully or distort the word of God, but by openly proclaiming the truth we commend ourselves to everyone's conscience in the sight of God.

3But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled among those who are perishing.

4The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers like them, so that ¹⁹the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, might not dawn upon them.

5For what we preach is not ourselves, but ²⁰Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake.

6For God, who ²¹commanded light to shine out of darkness, has shone in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of ²²Jesus Christ.

7But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that this extraordinary power is from God and not from us.

8We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair;

9persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed;

10always carrying about in our bodies the death of ²³the Lord Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our bodies.

11For we who live are always being delivered up to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our mortal flesh.

12So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.

13It is written, “I believed, therefore I spoke.” With that same spirit of faith we also believe, therefore we also speak.

14For we know that he who raised ²⁴the Lord Jesus will also raise us ²⁵through Jesus and bring us with you into his presence.

15All of this is for your benefit, so that grace, as it extends to more and more people, may cause thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God.

Living by Faith

16Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though on the outside we are wasting away, on the inside we are being renewed day by day.

17For our light and momentary affliction is bringing about for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all measure,

18as we look not to what is seen, but to what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.