2 Corinthians 4
English Standard Version
The Light of the Gospel
4 Therefore, having (A)this ministry (B)by the mercy of God,[a] we do not lose heart. 2 But we have renounced (C)disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice[b] cunning or (D)to tamper with God's word, but (E)by the open statement of the truth (F)we would commend ourselves to everyone's conscience in the sight of God. 3 And even (G)if our gospel is veiled, (H)it is veiled to (I)those who are perishing. 4 In their case (J)the god of this world (K)has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing (L)the light of (M)the gospel of the glory of Christ, (N)who is the image of God. 5 For what (O)we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with (P)ourselves as your servants[c] for Jesus' sake. 6 For God, who said, (Q)“Let light shine out of darkness,” (R)has shone in our hearts to give (S)the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
Treasure in Jars of Clay
7 But we have this treasure in (T)jars of clay, (U)to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. 8 We are (V)afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; 9 persecuted, but (W)not forsaken; (X)struck down, but not destroyed; 10 (Y)always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, (Z)so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our bodies. 11 For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. 12 So (AA)death is at work in us, but life in you.
13 Since we have (AB)the same spirit of faith according to what has been written, (AC)“I believed, and so I spoke,” we also believe, and so we also speak, 14 knowing that (AD)he who raised the Lord Jesus (AE)will raise us also with Jesus and (AF)bring us with you into his presence. 15 For (AG)it is all for your sake, so that as (AH)grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, (AI)to the glory of God.
16 So we do not lose heart. (AJ)Though our outer self[d] is wasting away, (AK)our inner self (AL)is being renewed day by day. 17 For (AM)this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, 18 (AN)as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.
Footnotes
- 2 Corinthians 4:1 Greek having this ministry as we have received mercy
- 2 Corinthians 4:2 Greek to walk in
- 2 Corinthians 4:5 Or slaves (for the contextual rendering of the Greek word doulos, see Preface)
- 2 Corinthians 4:16 Greek man
2 Corinthians 4
J.B. Phillips New Testament
Ours is a straightforward ministry bringing light into darkness
4 1-6 This is the ministry of the new agreement which God in his mercy has given us and nothing can daunt us. We use no hocus-pocus, no clever tricks, no dishonest manipulation of the Word of God. We speak the plain truth and so commend ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God. If our Gospel is “veiled”, the veil must be in the minds of those who are spiritually dying. The spirit of this world has blinded the minds of those who do not believe, and prevents the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ, the image of God, from shining on them. For it is Christ Jesus the Lord whom we preach, not ourselves; we are your servants for his sake. God, who first ordered ‘light to shine in darkness’, has flooded our hearts with his light. We now can enlighten men only because we can give them knowledge of the glory of God, as we see it in the face of Jesus Christ.
We experience death—we give life, by the power of God
7-13 This priceless treasure we hold, so to speak, in a common earthenware jar—to show that the splendid power of it belongs to God and not to us. We are handicapped on all sides, but we are never frustrated; we are puzzled, but never in despair. We are persecuted, but we never have to stand it alone: we may be knocked down but we are never knocked out! Every day we experience something of the death of the Lord Jesus, so that we may also know the power of the life of Jesus in these bodies of ours. Yes, we who are living are always being exposed to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus may be plainly seen in our mortal lives. We are always facing death, but this means that you know more and more of life. Our faith is like that mentioned in the scripture: ‘I believed and therefore I spoke’.
14 For we too speak because we believe, and we know for certain that he who raised the Lord Jesus from death shall also by him raise us. We shall all stand together before him.
We live a transitory life with our eyes on the life eternal
15-18 We wish you could see how all this is working out for your benefit, and how the more grace God gives, the more thanksgiving will redound to his glory. This is the reason why we never collapse. The outward man does indeed suffer wear and tear, but every day the inward man receives fresh strength. These little troubles (which are really so transitory) are winning for us a permanent, glorious and solid reward out of all proportion to our pain. For we are looking all the time not at the visible things but at the invisible. The visible things are transitory: it is the invisible things that are really permanent.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
The New Testament in Modern English by J.B Phillips copyright © 1960, 1972 J. B. Phillips. Administered by The Archbishops’ Council of the Church of England. Used by Permission.