New Living Translation

New American Standard Bible

Treasure in Fragile Clay Jars

Therefore, since God in his mercy has given us this new way,a we never give up.

Paul’s Apostolic Ministry

Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we received mercy, we do not lose heart,

We reject all shameful deeds and underhanded methods. We don’t try to trick anyone or distort the word of God. We tell the truth before God, and all who are honest know this.

2

but we have renounced the things hidden because of shame, not walking in craftiness or adulterating the word of God, but by the manifestation of truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.

3

If the Good News we preach is hidden behind a veil, it is hidden only from people who are perishing.

3

And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing,

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Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.

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in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

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You see, we don’t go around preaching about ourselves. We preach that Jesus Christ is Lord, and we ourselves are your servants for Jesus’ sake.

5

For we do not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your bond-servants for Jesus’ sake.

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For God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ.

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For God, who said, “Light shall shine out of darkness,” is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.

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We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure.b This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.

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But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves;

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We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair.

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we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing;

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We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed.

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

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Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies.

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always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.

11

Yes, we live under constant danger of death because we serve Jesus, so that the life of Jesus will be evident in our dying bodies.

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For we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.

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So we live in the face of death, but this has resulted in eternal life for you.

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So death works in us, but life in you.

13

But we continue to preach because we have the same kind of faith the psalmist had when he said, “I believed in God, so I spoke.”c

13

But having the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, “I BELIEVED, THEREFORE I SPOKE,” we also believe, therefore we also speak,

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We know that God, who raised the Lord Jesus,d will also raise us with Jesus and present us to himself together with you.

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knowing that He who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and will present us with you.

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All of this is for your benefit. And as God’s grace reaches more and more people, there will be great thanksgiving, and God will receive more and more glory.

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For all things are for your sakes, so that the grace which is spreading to more and more people may cause the giving of thanks to abound to the glory of God.

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That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits aree being renewed every day.

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Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day.

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For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!

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For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison,

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So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.

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while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

Parallel

New Living Translation

New American Standard Bible

2 Corinthians 4

2 Corinthians 4