14 When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria(A) had accepted the word of God,(B) they sent Peter and John(C) to Samaria. 15 When they arrived, they prayed for the new believers there that they might receive the Holy Spirit,(D) 16 because the Holy Spirit had not yet come on any of them;(E) they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.(F) 17 Then Peter and John placed their hands on them,(G) and they received the Holy Spirit.(H)

18 When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money 19 and said, “Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”

20 Peter answered: “May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money!(I) 21 You have no part or share(J) in this ministry, because your heart is not right(K) before God. 22 Repent(L) of this wickedness and pray to the Lord in the hope that he may forgive you for having such a thought in your heart. 23 For I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin.”

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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.

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Corinthians 4:6 Gen. 1:3

19 Jesus gave them this answer: “Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself;(A) he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. 20 For the Father loves the Son(B) and shows him all he does. Yes, and he will show him even greater works than these,(C) so that you will be amazed.

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