Bible Gateway passage: 2 Corinthians 4 - English Standard Version (2024)

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The Light of the Gospel

4Therefore, having ^(A)this ministry ^(B)by the mercy of God,^[a] we do not lose heart. ²But 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. ³And even ^(G)if our gospel is veiled, ^(H)it is veiled to ^(I)those who are perishing. ⁴In 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. ⁵For what ^(O)we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ^(P)ourselves as your servants^[c] for Jesus' sake. ⁶For 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

⁷But we have this treasure in ^(T)jars of clay, ^(U)to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. ⁸We are ^(V)afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; ⁹persecuted, 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 may also be manifested in our bodies. ¹¹For 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. ¹²So ^(AA)death is at work in us, but life in you.

¹³Since 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, ¹⁴knowing that ^(AD)he who raised the Lord Jesus ^(AE)will raise us also with Jesus and ^(AF)bring us with you into his presence. ¹⁵For ^(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.

¹⁶So 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. ¹⁷For ^(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

Cross references

2 Corinthians 4:1 : See ch. 3:6
2 Corinthians 4:1 : 1 Cor. 7:25; 1 Tim. 1:13
2 Corinthians 4:2 : See Rom. 6:21
2 Corinthians 4:2 : ch. 2:17
2 Corinthians 4:2 : ch. 6:7; 7:14
2 Corinthians 4:2 : ch. 5:11, 12
2 Corinthians 4:3 : [ch. 3:14]
2 Corinthians 4:3 : [Matt. 13:15]
2 Corinthians 4:3 : ch. 2:15; 1 Cor. 1:18; 2 Thess. 2:10
2 Corinthians 4:4 : See John 12:31
2 Corinthians 4:4 : [See ver. 3 above]; [ch. 3:14]
2 Corinthians 4:4 : ver. 6; See Acts 26:18
2 Corinthians 4:4 : See ch. 3:18
2 Corinthians 4:4 : Col. 1:15; [Phil. 2:6; Heb. 1:3]
2 Corinthians 4:5 : [1 Thess. 2:6]
2 Corinthians 4:5 : 1 Cor. 9:19; See ch. 1:24
2 Corinthians 4:6 : Gen. 1:3
2 Corinthians 4:6 : 2 Pet. 1:19
2 Corinthians 4:6 : ver. 4
2 Corinthians 4:7 : 2 Tim. 2:20; [ch. 5:1; Job 10:9; 13:12; Lam. 4:2; 1 Thess. 4:4; 1 Pet. 3:7]
2 Corinthians 4:7 : 1 Cor. 2:5; [Judg. 7:2]
2 Corinthians 4:8 : ch. 7:5; [Ps. 129:2]
2 Corinthians 4:9 : Heb. 13:5; [Deut. 4:31]
2 Corinthians 4:9 : Ps. 37:24; Prov. 24:16; Mic. 7:8
2 Corinthians 4:10 : ch. 6:9; 1 Cor. 4:9; 15:31; [ch. 1:5, 9; Rom. 6:5; 8:36]
2 Corinthians 4:10 : 2 Tim. 2:11; [Rom. 5:10; 6:8]
2 Corinthians 4:12 : [ch. 13:9]
2 Corinthians 4:13 : 1 Cor. 12:9; 2 Pet. 1:1
2 Corinthians 4:13 : Cited from Ps. 116:10
2 Corinthians 4:14 : 1 Thess. 4:14; See Acts 2:24
2 Corinthians 4:14 : ch. 1:9
2 Corinthians 4:14 : [Jude 24]
2 Corinthians 4:15 : [ch. 1:6]; See Rom. 8:28
2 Corinthians 4:15 : [ch. 1:11; 9:11, 12]
2 Corinthians 4:15 : ch. 8:19
2 Corinthians 4:16 : See Acts 20:24
2 Corinthians 4:16 : See Rom. 7:22
2 Corinthians 4:16 : [Isa. 40:30, 31]; See Rom. 12:2
2 Corinthians 4:17 : Rom. 8:18; 1 Pet. 1:6; 5:10; [Ps. 30:5; Isa. 54:7]
2 Corinthians 4:18 : ch. 5:7; Rom. 8:24; Heb. 11:1, 13