The Light of the Gospel

4 Therefore, having this ministry ^rby the mercy of God,¹ we do not ^slose heart. 2 But we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. ^tWe refuse to practice² cunning or to tamper with God’s word, but by the open statement of the truth ^uwe would commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God. 3 And even ^vif our gospel is veiled, it is veiled ^wto those who are perishing. 4 In their case the ^xgod of this world has ^yblinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the ^zimage of God. 5 For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but ^aJesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your ^bservants³ for Jesus’ sake. 6 For God, who said, ^c“Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts ^dto give 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 jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. 8 ^eWe are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; 10 ^falways carrying in the body the death of Jesus, ^gso that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our bodies. 11 For we who live are ^halways being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. 12 So ⁱdeath is at work in us, but life in you.

13 Since we have the same spirit of faith according to what has been written, ^j“I believed, and so I spoke,” we also believe, and so we also speak, 14 ^kknowing that ^lhe who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and ^mbring us with you into his presence. 15 For ⁿit is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.

16 So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self⁴ is wasting away, our ^oinner self is being ^prenewed day by day. 17 For ^qthis light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, 18 as we look ^rnot 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.

Our Heavenly Dwelling

5 For we know that if the ^stent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a ^thouse not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 2 For in this tent we ^ugroan, longing ^vto put on our heavenly dwelling, 3 if indeed by putting it on¹ we may not be found naked. 4 For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened—not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. 5 He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a ^wguarantee.²

6 So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, 7 for ^xwe walk by faith, not by sight. 8 Yes, we are of good courage, and ^ywe would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. 9 So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. 10 For ^zwe must all appear before the ^ajudgment seat of Christ, so that ^beach one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.

The Ministry of Reconciliation

11 Therefore, knowing the ^cfear of the Lord, we persuade others. But ^dwhat we are is known to God, and I hope it is known also to your conscience. 12 ^eWe are not commending ourselves to you again but giving you cause ^fto boast about us, so that you may be able to answer those who boast about outward ^gappearance and not about what is in the heart. 13 For ^hif we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. 14 For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died ⁱfor all, therefore all have died; 15 and he died for ^jall, that those who live might ^kno longer live for themselves but ^lfor him who for their sake died and was raised.

16 From now on, therefore, we regard no one ^maccording to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a ⁿnew creation.^{3 o}The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 18 All this is from God, who through Christ ^preconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling⁴ the world to himself, not ^qcounting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 20 Therefore, we are ^rambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 For our sake ^she made him to be sin ^twho knew no sin, ^uso that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

6 Working together with him, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God ^vin vain. 2 For he says,

Behold, ^xnow is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation. 3 We put no ^yobstacle in anyone’s way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, 4 but as servants of God ^zwe commend ourselves in every way: ^aby great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, 5 beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; 6 by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love; 7 by truthful speech, and the ^bpower of God; with the ^cweapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; 8 through honor and dishonor, through slander and praise. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; 9 as unknown, and yet well known; as ^ddying, and behold, we live; as punished, and yet not killed; 10 as sorrowful, yet ^ealways rejoicing; as poor, yet making many ^frich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything.

11 We have spoken freely to you,¹ Corinthians; our heart is wide open. 12 You are not restricted by us, but ^gyou are restricted in your own affections. 13 In return (I speak as to children) widen your hearts also.

The Temple of the Living God

14 Do not be ^hunequally yoked with unbelievers. For ⁱwhat partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or ^jwhat fellowship has light with darkness? 15 ^kWhat accord has Christ with Belial?² Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? 16 What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For ^lwe are the temple of the living God; as God said,

7 Since we have these promises, beloved, ^qlet us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body¹ and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the ^rfear of God.

Paul’s Joy

2 ^sMake room in your hearts² for us. ^tWe have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have taken advantage of no one. 3 I do not say this to condemn you, for ^uI said before that you are ^vin our hearts, to die together and to live together. 4 I am acting with great ^wboldness toward you; I have great ^xpride in you; ^yI am filled with comfort. In ^zall our affliction, I am ^aoverflowing with joy.

5 For even when we came into Macedonia, our bodies had ^bno rest, but we were afflicted at every turn—fighting without and fear within. 6 But God, who ^ccomforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of ^dTitus, 7 and not only by his coming but also by the comfort with which he was comforted by you, as he told us of your longing, your mourning, your zeal for me, so that I rejoiced still more. 8 For ^eeven if I made you grieve with ^fmy letter, I do not regret it—though I did regret it, for I see that that letter grieved you, though only for a while. 9 As it is, I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because you were grieved into repenting. For you felt a godly grief, so that you suffered no loss through us.

10 For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death. 11 For see what earnestness this godly grief has produced in you, but also what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what punishment! At every point you have proved yourselves innocent in the matter. 12 So although I wrote to you, it was not for the sake of the one who did the wrong, nor for the sake of the one who suffered the wrong, but in order that your earnestness for us might be revealed to you in the sight of God. 13 Therefore we are ^gcomforted.

And besides our own comfort, we rejoiced still more at the joy of Titus, because his spirit has been refreshed by you all. 14 For whatever boasts I made to him about you, I was not put to shame. But just as ^heverything we said to you was true, so also our boasting before Titus has proved true. 15 And his affection for you is even greater, as he remembers the ⁱobedience of you all, how you received him with fear and trembling. 16 I rejoice, because ^jI have complete confidence in you.

Encouragement to Give Generously

8 We want you to know, brothers,¹ about the grace of God that has been given ^kamong the churches of Macedonia, 2 for in a severe test of affliction, their ^labundance of joy and ^mtheir extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. 3 For they gave ⁿaccording to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord, 4 begging us earnestly for the favor² of taking part in the ^orelief of the saints— 5 and this, not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us. 6 Accordingly, ^pwe urged Titus that as he had started, so he should complete among you this ^qact of grace. 7 But ^ras you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all earnestness, and in our love for you³—see that you excel in this act of grace also.

8 ^sI say this not as a command, but to prove by the earnestness of others that your love also is ^tgenuine. 9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, ^uyet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might ^vbecome rich. 10 And in this matter I give my judgment: this benefits you, who ^wa year ago started not only to do this work but also to desire to do it. 11 So now finish doing it as well, so that your readiness in desiring it may be matched by your completing it out of what you have. 12 For if the readiness is there, it is acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what he does not have. 13 For I do not mean that others should be eased and you burdened, but that as a matter of fairness 14 your abundance at the present time should supply their ^xneed, so that their abundance may supply your need, that there may be fairness. 15 As it is written, ^y“Whoever gathered much had nothing left over, and whoever gathered little had no lack.”

Commendation of Titus

16 ^zBut thanks be to God, who put into the heart of Titus the same earnest care I have for you. 17 For he not only accepted our appeal, but being himself very earnest he is going⁴ to you of his own accord. 18 With him we are sending^{5 a}the brother who is famous among all the churches for his preaching of the gospel. 19 And not only that, but he has been ^bappointed by the churches to travel with us as we carry out this act of grace that is being ministered by us, for the glory of the Lord himself and to show our good will. 20 We take this course so that no one should blame us about this generous gift that is being administered by us, 21 for we ^caim at what is ^dhonorable not only in the Lord’s sight but also in the sight of man. 22 And with them we are sending our brother whom we have often tested and found earnest in many matters, but who is now more earnest than ever because of his great ^econfidence in you. 23 As for Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker for your benefit. And as for our brothers, they are messengers⁶ of the churches, the glory of Christ. 24 So give proof before the churches of your love and of our ^fboasting about you to these men.