Present Weakness and Resurrection Life

4 Therefore, since through God’s mercy^(A) we have this ministry, we do not lose heart.^{(B) 2} Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways;^(C) we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God.^(D) On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience^(E) in the sight of God. ³ And even if our gospel^(F) is veiled,^(G) it is veiled to those who are perishing.^{(H) 4} The god^(I) of this age^(J) has blinded^(K) the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ,^(L) who is the image of God.^{(M) 5} For what we preach is not ourselves,^(N) but Jesus Christ as Lord,^(O) and ourselves as your servants^(P) for Jesus’ sake. ⁶ For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,”^[a](Q) made his light shine in our hearts^(R) to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.^(S)

¹⁶ So from now on we regard no one from a worldly^(A) point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. ¹⁷ Therefore, if anyone is in Christ,^(B) the new creation^(C) has come:^[a] The old has gone, the new is here!^{(D) 18} All this is from God,^(E) who reconciled us to himself through Christ^(F) and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: ¹⁹ that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them.^(G) And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. ²⁰ We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors,^(H) as though God were making his appeal through us.^(I) We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.^{(J) 21} God made him who had no sin^(K) to be sin^[b] for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.^(L)

6 As God’s co-workers^(M) we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain.^{(N) 2} For he says,

I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.