2Cor 4 | ESV | STEP | Therefore , having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart .

1 Therefore, having ^athis ministry ^bby the mercy of God, ^{▼▼Greek as we have received mercy} we do not lose heart. 2 But we have renounced ^ddisgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice ^{▼▼Greek to walk in} cunning or ^fto tamper with God’s word, but ^gby the open statement of the truth ^hwe would commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God. 3 And even ⁱif our gospel is veiled, ^jit is veiled to ^kthose who are perishing. 4 In their case ^lthe god of this world ^mhas blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing ⁿthe light of ^othe gospel of the glory of Christ, ^pwho is the image of God. 5 For what ^qwe proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ^rourselves as your servants ^{▼▼Greek bondservants} for Jesus’ sake. 6 For God, who said, ^t“Let light shine out of darkness,” ^uhas shone in our hearts to give ^vthe light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

Treasure in Jars of Clay

7 But we have this treasure in ^wjars of clay, ^xto show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. 8 We are ^yafflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; 9 persecuted, but ^znot forsaken; ^aastruck down, but not destroyed; 10 ^abalways carrying in the body the death of Jesus, ^acso 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 So ^addeath is at work in us, but life in you.

13 Since we have ^aethe same spirit of faith according to what has been written, ^af“I believed, and so I spoke,” we also believe, and so we also speak, 14 knowing that ^aghe who raised the Lord Jesus ^ahwill raise us also with Jesus and ^aibring us with you into his presence. 15 For ^ajit is all for your sake, so that as ^akgrace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, ^alto the glory of God.

16 So we do not lose heart. ^amThough our outer self ^{▼▼Greek man} is wasting away, ^aoour inner self ^apis being renewed day by day. 17 For ^aqthis light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, 18 ^aras 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.