⁶ For it is the God ^(A)who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has ^(B)shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

Cast Down but Unconquered

⁷ But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, ^(C)that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. ⁸ We are ^(D)hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; ⁹ persecuted, but not ^(E)forsaken; ^(F)struck down, but not destroyed— ^10 (G)always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, ^(H)that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. ¹¹ For we who live ^(I)are always delivered to death for Jesus’ sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. ¹² So then death is working in us, but life in you.

¹³ And since we have ^(J)the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, ^(K)“I believed and therefore I spoke,” we also believe and therefore speak, ¹⁴ knowing that ^(L)He who raised up the Lord Jesus will also raise us up with Jesus, and will present us with you. ¹⁵ For ^(M)all things are for your sakes, that ^(N)grace, having spread through the many, may cause thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God.

Seeing the Invisible

¹⁶ Therefore we ^(O)do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is ^(P)being renewed day by day. ¹⁷ For ^(Q)our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, ^18 (R)while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

⁷ But ^(A)what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. ⁸ Yet indeed I also count all things loss ^(B)for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ ⁹ and be found in Him, not having ^(C)my own righteousness, which is from the law, but ^(D)that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; ¹⁰ that I may know Him and the ^(E)power of His resurrection, and ^(F)the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, ¹¹ if, by any means, I may ^(G)attain^[a] to the resurrection from the dead.

Pressing Toward the Goal

¹² Not that I have already ^(H)attained,^[b] or am already ^(I)perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. ¹³ Brethren, I do not count myself to have ^[c]apprehended; but one thing I do, ^(J)forgetting those things which are behind and ^(K)reaching forward to those things which are ahead, ^14 (L)I press toward the goal for the prize of ^(M)the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

¹⁵ Therefore let us, as many as are ^(N)mature, ^(O)have this mind; and if in anything you think otherwise, ^(P)God will reveal even this to you.

Paul’s Sincerity

¹² For our boasting is this: the testimony of our conscience that we conducted ourselves in the world in ^[a]simplicity and ^(A)godly sincerity, ^(B)not with fleshly wisdom but by the grace of God, and more abundantly toward you. ¹³ For we are not writing any other things to you than what you read or understand. Now I trust you will understand, even to the end ¹⁴ (as also you have understood us in part), ^(C)that we are your boast as ^(D)you also are ours, in the day of the Lord Jesus.

Sparing the Church

¹⁵ And in this confidence ^(E)I intended to come to you before, that you might have ^(F)a second benefit— ¹⁶ to pass by way of you to Macedonia, ^(G)to come again from Macedonia to you, and be helped by you on my way to Judea. ¹⁷ Therefore, when I was planning this, did I do it lightly? Or the things I plan, do I plan ^(H)according to the flesh, that with me there should be Yes, Yes, and No, No? ¹⁸ But as God is ^(I)faithful, our ^[b]word to you was not Yes and No. ¹⁹ For ^(J)the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us—by me, ^(K)Silvanus, and ^(L)Timothy—was not Yes and No, ^(M)but in Him was Yes. ^20 (N)For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us. ²¹ Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and ^(O)has anointed us is God, ²² who ^(P)also has sealed us and ^(Q)given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.

²³ Moreover ^(R)I call God as witness against my soul, ^(S)that to spare you I came no more to Corinth. ²⁴ Not ^(T)that we ^[c]have dominion over your faith, but are fellow workers for your joy; for ^(U)by faith you stand.

The Race of Faith

12 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, ^(A)let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and ^(B)let us run ^(C)with endurance the race that is set before us, ² looking unto Jesus, the ^[a]author and ^[b]finisher of our faith, ^(D)who for the joy that was set before Him ^(E)endured the cross, despising the shame, and ^(F)has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.