2 Corinthians 4-6

New International Reader's Version

A Treasure in Clay Jars

4 So because of God’s mercy, we have work to do. He has given it to us. And we don’t give up. ² Instead, we have given up doing secret and shameful things. We don’t twist God’s word. In fact, we do just the opposite. We present the truth plainly. In the sight of God, we make our appeal to everyone’s sense of what is right and wrong. ³ Suppose our good news is covered with a veil. Then it is veiled to those who are dying. ⁴ The god of this world has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They can’t see the light of the good news that makes Christ’s glory clear. Christ is the likeness of God. ⁵ The message we preach is not about ourselves. Our message is about Jesus Christ. We say that he is Lord. And we say that we serve you because of Jesus. ⁶ God said, “Let light shine out of darkness.” (Genesis 1:3) He made his light shine in our hearts. His light gives us the light to know God’s glory. His glory is shown in the face of Christ.

⁷ Treasure is kept in clay jars. In the same way, we have the treasure of the good news in these earthly bodies of ours. That shows that the mighty power of the good news comes from God. It doesn’t come from us. ⁸ We are pushed hard from all sides. But we are not beaten down. We are bewildered. But that doesn’t make us lose hope. ⁹ Others make us suffer. But God does not desert us. We are knocked down. But we are not knocked out. ¹⁰ We always carry around the death of Jesus in our bodies. In that way, the life of Jesus can be shown in our bodies. ¹¹ We who are alive are always in danger of death because we are serving Jesus. This happens so that his life can also be shown in our earthly bodies. ¹² Death is at work in us. But life is at work in you.

¹³ It is written, “I believed, and so I have spoken.” (Psalm 116:10) We have that same spirit of faith. So we also believe and speak. ¹⁴ We know that God raised the Lord Jesus from the dead. And he will also raise us up with Jesus. And he will present both you and us to himself. ¹⁵ All this is for your benefit. God’s grace is reaching more and more people. So they will become more and more thankful. They will give glory to God.

¹⁶ We don’t give up. Our bodies are becoming weaker and weaker. But our spirits are being renewed day by day. ¹⁷ Our troubles are small. They last only for a short time. But they are earning for us a glory that will last forever. It is greater than all our troubles. ¹⁸ So we don’t spend all our time looking at what we can see. Instead, we look at what we can’t see. That’s because what can be seen lasts only a short time. But what can’t be seen will last forever.

Waiting for Our New Bodies

5 We know that the earthly tent we live in will be destroyed. But we have a building made by God. It is a house in heaven that lasts forever. Human hands did not build it. ² During our time on earth we groan. We long to put on our house in heaven as if it were clothing. ³ Then we will not be naked. ⁴ While we live in this tent of ours, we groan under our heavy load. We don’t want to be naked. Instead, we want to be fully dressed with our house in heaven. What must die will be swallowed up by life. ⁵ God has formed us for that very purpose. He has given us the Holy Spirit as a down payment. The Spirit makes us sure of what is still to come.

⁶ So here is what we can always be certain about. As long as we are at home in our bodies, we are away from the Lord. ⁷ We live by believing, not by seeing. ⁸ We are certain about that. We would rather be away from our bodies and at home with the Lord. ⁹ So we try our best to please him. We want to please him whether we are at home in our bodies or away from them. ¹⁰ We must all stand in front of Christ to be judged. Each one of us will be judged for what we do while in our bodies. We’ll be judged for the good things and the bad things. Then each of us will receive what we are supposed to get.

Christ Brings Us Back to God

¹¹ We know what it means to have respect for the Lord. So we try to help other people to understand it. What we are is plain to God. I hope it is also plain to your way of thinking. ¹² We are not trying to make an appeal to you again. But we are giving you a chance to take pride in us. Some people take pride in their looks rather than what’s in their hearts. If you take pride in us, you will be able to answer them. ¹³ Are we “out of our minds,” as some people say? If so, it is because we want to serve God. Does what we say make sense? If so, it is because we want to serve you. ¹⁴ Christ’s love controls us. We are sure that one person died for everyone. And so everyone died. ¹⁵ Christ died for everyone. He died so that those who live should not live for themselves anymore. They should live for Christ. He died for them and was raised again.

¹⁶ So from now on we don’t look at anyone the way the world does. At one time we looked at Christ in that way. But we don’t anymore. ¹⁷ When anyone lives in Christ, the new creation has come. The old is gone! The new is here! ¹⁸ All this is from God. He brought us back to himself through Christ’s death on the cross. And he has given us the task of bringing others back to him through Christ. ¹⁹ God was bringing the world back to himself through Christ. He did not hold people’s sins against them. God has trusted us with the message that people may be brought back to him. ²⁰ So we are Christ’s official messengers. It is as if God were making his appeal through us. Here is what Christ wants us to beg you to do. Come back to God! ²¹ Christ didn’t have any sin. But God made him become sin for us. So we can be made right with God because of what Christ has done for us.

6 We work together with God. So we are asking you not to receive God’s grace and then do nothing with it. ² He says,

I tell you, now is the time God has mercy. Now is the day he saves.

Paul’s Sufferings

³ We don’t put anything in anyone’s way. So no one can find fault with our work for God. ⁴ Instead, we make it clear that we serve God in every way. We serve him by standing firm in troubles, hard times and suffering. ⁵ We don’t give up when we are beaten or put in prison. When people stir up trouble in the streets, we continue to serve God. We work hard for him. We go without sleep and food. ⁶ We remain pure. We understand completely what it means to serve God. We are patient and kind. We serve him in the power of the Holy Spirit. We serve him with true love. ⁷ We speak the truth. We serve in the power of God. We hold the weapons of godliness in the right hand and in the left. ⁸ We serve God in times of glory and shame. We serve him whether the news about us is bad or good. We are true to our calling. But people treat us as if we were pretenders. ⁹ We are known, but people treat us as if we were unknown. We are dying, but we continue to live. We are beaten, but we are not killed. ¹⁰ We are sad, but we are always full of joy. We are poor, but we make many people rich. We have nothing, but we own everything.

¹¹ Believers at Corinth, we have spoken freely to you. We have opened our hearts wide to you. ¹² We are not holding back our love from you. But you are holding back your love from us. ¹³ I speak to you as if you were my children. It is only fair that you open your hearts wide to us also.

Paul Warns Against Worshiping False Gods

¹⁴ Do not be joined to unbelievers. What do right and wrong have in common? Can light and darkness be friends? ¹⁵ How can Christ and Satan agree? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? ¹⁶ How can the temple of the true God and the statues of other gods agree? We are the temple of the living God. God has said,

¹⁷ So,

¹⁸ And,