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Paul's Perseverance in Ministry
1 Therefore, since we have this ministry through God's mercy, we do not lose heart.
2 Rather, we have renounced shameful hidden deeds; we do not act deceitfully or distort the word of God, but by openly proclaiming the truth we commend ourselves to everyone's conscience in the sight of God.
3 But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled among those who are perishing.
4 The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers like them, so that the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, might not dawn upon them.
5 For what we preach is not ourselves, but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake.
6 For God, who commanded light to shine out of darkness, has shone in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that this extraordinary power is from God and not from us.
8 We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair;
9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed;
10 always carrying about in our bodies the death of the Lord Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our bodies.
11 For we who live are always being delivered up to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our mortal flesh.
12 So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.
13 It is written, “I believed, therefore I spoke.” With that same spirit of faith we also believe, therefore we also speak.
14 For we know that he who raised the Lord Jesus will also raise us through Jesus and bring us with you into his presence.
15 All of this is for your benefit, so that grace, as it extends to more and more people, may cause thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God.
Living by Faith
16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though on the outside we are wasting away, on the inside we are being renewed day by day.
17 For our light and momentary affliction is bringing about for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all measure,
18 as we look not to what is seen, but to what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.