2Cor 2:12-4:12 | ESV | STEP | When I came to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ , even though a door was opened for me in the Lord ,

12 When ^aI came to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ, even though ^ba door was opened for me in the Lord, 13 my spirit ^cwas not at rest because I did not find my brother Titus there. So I took leave of them and went on to Macedonia.

14 But ^dthanks be to God, who in Christ always ^eleads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads ^fthe fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. 15 For we are the aroma of Christ to God among ^gthose who are being saved and among ^hthose who are perishing, 16 ⁱto one a fragrance from death to death, ^jto the other a fragrance from life to life. ^kWho is sufficient for these things? 17 For we are not, like so many, peddlers of God’s word, but as men of sincerity, as commissioned by God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ.

2 Corinthians 3

Ministers of the New Covenant

1 ^lAre we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, ^mas some do, ⁿletters of recommendation to you, or from you? 2 ^oYou yourselves are our letter of recommendation, written on our ^{▼▼Some manuscripts your} hearts, to be known and read by all. 3 And you show that you are a letter from Christ delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of ^qthe living God, not on ^rtablets of stone but on ^stablets of ^thuman hearts. ^{▼▼Greek fleshly hearts}

4 ^vSuch is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God. 5 ^wNot that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but ^xour sufficiency is from God, 6 who has made us sufficient to be ^yministers of ^za new covenant, not of ^aathe letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but ^abthe Spirit gives life.

7 Now if ^acthe ministry of death, carved in letters on stone, came with such glory ^adthat the Israelites could not gaze at Moses’ face because of its glory, which was being brought to an end, 8 will not the ministry of the Spirit have even more glory? 9 For if there was glory in ^aethe ministry of condemnation, ^afthe ministry of righteousness must far exceed it in glory. 10 Indeed, in this case, what once had glory has come to have no glory at all, because of the glory that surpasses it. 11 For if what was being brought to an end came with glory, much more will what is permanent have glory.

12 Since we have such a hope, ^agwe are very bold, 13 not like Moses, ^ahwho would put a veil over his face so that the Israelites might not gaze at the outcome of what was being brought to an end. 14 But ^aitheir minds were ^ajhardened. For to this day, ^akwhen they read ^althe old covenant, that same veil remains unlifted, because only through Christ is it taken away. 15 Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their hearts. 16 But when ^amone ^{▼▼Greek he} turns to the Lord, ^aothe veil is removed. 17 Now the Lord ^{▼▼Or this Lord} is the Spirit, and where ^aqthe Spirit of the Lord is, there is ^arfreedom. 18 And we all, with unveiled face, ^asbeholding ^atthe glory of the Lord, ^{▼▼Or reflecting the glory of the Lord} ^avare being transformed into the same image ^awfrom one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

2 Corinthians 4:1-12

The Light of the Gospel

1 Therefore, having ^axthis ministry ^ayby the mercy of God, ^{▼▼Greek as we have received mercy} we do not lose heart. 2 But we have renounced ^badisgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice ^{▼▼Greek to walk in} cunning or ^bcto tamper with God’s word, but ^bdby the open statement of the truth ^bewe would commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God. 3 And even ^bfif our gospel is veiled, ^bgit is veiled to ^bhthose who are perishing. 4 In their case ^bithe god of this world ^bjhas blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing ^bkthe light of ^blthe gospel of the glory of Christ, ^bmwho is the image of God. 5 For what ^bnwe proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ^boourselves as your servants ^{▼▼Greek bondservants} for Jesus’ sake. 6 For God, who said, ^bq“Let light shine out of darkness,” ^brhas shone in our hearts to give ^bsthe 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 ^btjars of clay, ^buto show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. 8 We are ^bvafflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; 9 persecuted, but ^bwnot forsaken; ^bxstruck down, but not destroyed; 10 ^byalways carrying in the body the death of Jesus, ^bzso 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 ^cadeath is at work in us, but life in you.