1 Therefore, havingxSee ch. 3:6 this ministryy1 Cor. 7:25; 1 Tim. 1:13 by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart. 2 But we have renouncedzSee Rom. 6:21 disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning orach. 2:17 to tamper with God's word, butbch. 6:7; 7:14 by the open statement of the truthcch. 5:11, 12 we would commend ourselves to everyone's conscience in the sight of God. 3 And evend[ch. 3:14] if our gospel is veiled,e[Matt. 13:15] it is veiled only tofch. 2:15; 1 Cor. 1:18; 2 Thess. 2:10 those who are perishing. 4 In their casegSee John 12:31 the god of this worldd[See ver. 3 above] has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeinghver. 6; See Acts 26:18 the light ofiSee ch. 3:18 the gospel of the glory of Christ,jCol. 1:15; [Phil. 2:6; Heb. 1:3] who is the image of God. 5 For whatk[1 Thess. 2:6] we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, withl1 Cor. 9:19; See ch. 1:24 ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. 6 For God, who said,mGen. 1:3 “Let light shine out of darkness, ”n2 Pet. 1:19 has shone in our hearts to giveover. 4 the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
7 But we have this treasure inp2 Tim. 2:20; [ch. 5:1; Job 10:9; 13:12; Lam. 4:2; 1 Thess. 4:4; 1 Pet. 3:7] jars of clay,q1 Cor. 2:5; [Judg. 7:2] to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. 8 We arerch. 7:5; [Ps. 129:2] afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; 9 persecuted, butsHeb. 13:5; [Deut. 4:31] not forsaken;tPs. 37:24; Prov. 24:16; Mic. 7:8 struck down, but not destroyed; 10 uch. 6:9; 1 Cor. 4:9; 15:31; [ch. 1:5, 9; Rom. 6:5; 8:36] always carrying in the body the death of Jesus,v2 Tim. 2:11; [Rom. 5:10; 6:8] so that the life of Jesus may also 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 Sow[ch. 13:9] death is at work in us, but life in you.
13 Since we havex1 Cor. 12:9; 2 Pet. 1:1 the same spirit of faith according to what has been written,yCited from Ps. 116:10 “I believed, and so I spoke, ” we also believe, and so we also speak, 14 knowing thatz1 Thess. 4:14; See Acts 2:24 he who raised the Lord Jesusach. 1:9 will raise us also with Jesus andb[Jude 24] bring us with you into his presence. 15 Forc[ch. 1:6]; See Rom. 8:28 it is all for your sake, so that asd[ch. 1:11; 9:11, 12] grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving,ech. 8:19 to the glory of God.
16 So we do not lose heart.fSee Acts 20:24 Though our outer nature is wasting away,gSee Rom. 7:22 our inner natureh[Isa. 40:30, 31]; See Rom. 12:2 is being renewed day by day. 17 ForiRom. 8:18; 1 Pet. 1:6; 5:10; [Ps. 30:5; Isa. 54:7] this slight momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, 18 jch. 5:7; Rom. 8:24; Heb. 11:1, 13 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.