The Father's Light Shines Through Us
Accused of cunning and hidden motives, Paul answers that he only states the truth plainly. The power is visibly not his: afflicted, perplexed, struck down, never destroyed. Treasure in clay jars, and the jar's fragility is the point, so the glory stays our Father's.
4 1Therefore, since we have this ministry through the mercy shown to us, we do not lose heart. 2Instead, we renounced hidden, shameful things. We don't act with cunning or distort our Father's word. Rather, by openly declaring the truth, we commend ourselves to everyone's conscience before our Father. 3Even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. 4For them, the god of this age has blinded unbelievers' minds, so they can't see the light of the gospel—the glory of Christ, who is our Father's image. a a v4 Here "the god of this age" is the enemy who blinds people, not our Father — the lowercase word marks the counterfeit who steals the light meant for his children. 5We don't preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord—we are your servants for Jesus' sake.
6For our Father, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," has shone in our hearts, giving light—knowledge of our Father's glory in the face of Jesus Christ.
7We have this treasure in clay jars, so this surpassing power is our Father's, not from us. 8We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; 9persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. 10We always carry Jesus's death in the body, so Jesus's life may also show in our body. 11We who live are always handed over to death because of Jesus, so Jesus' life may also show in our mortal flesh. 12So then, death is at work in us, but life in you.
13With the same spirit of faith as it is written: "I believed, so I spoke," we too believe, so we too speak, 14knowing the one who raised the Lord Jesus will also raise us with Jesus and set us, with you, before him. 15All this is for you, so that grace, reaching more and more, may overflow thanksgiving to our Father's glory.
16So we don't give up. Even as our outer person decays, our inner person is renewed day by day. 17For this light, momentary suffering produces for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, 18so we fix attention not on visible things but invisible ones, for the visible is passing but the invisible is eternal.
