1 Because of this, having this ministry, according as we received kindness, we do not faint, 2 but renounced for ourselves the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness, nor deceitfully using the word of God, but by the manifestation of the truth recommending ourselves to every conscience of men, before God; 3 and if our good news is also veiled, it is veiled in those perishing, 4 in whom the god of this age blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that there does not shine forth to them the enlightening of the good news of the glory of the Christ, who is the image of God; 5 for we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus—LORD, and [we are] ourselves your servants because of Jesus; 6 because [it is] God who said, “Light will shine out of darkness,” who shined in our hearts, for the enlightening of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 7 And we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God, and not of us, 8 being in tribulation in every [way], but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; 10 at all times carrying around in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body, 11 for we who are living are always delivered up to death because of Jesus, that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our dying flesh, 12 so that, death indeed works in us, and life in you. 13 And having the same spirit of faith, according to that which has been written: “I believed, therefore I spoke”; we also believe, therefore we also speak; 14 knowing that He who raised up the Lord Jesus, will also raise us up through Jesus, and will present [us] with you, 15 for all things [are] because of you, that the grace having been multiplied, because of the thanksgiving of the more, may abound to the glory of God; 16 for this reason, we do not faint, but if our outward man also decays, yet the inward is renewed day by day; 17 for the momentary light matter of our tribulation works out for us more and more an exceedingly continuous weight of glory— 18 we [are] not looking to the things seen, but to the things not seen; for the things seen [are] temporary, but the things not seen [are] continuous.
2 Corinthians · Literal Standard Version
2 Corinthians 4 Literal Standard Version
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
Cross references (18)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 2 Thessalonians 3:13; Galatians 6:9; Ephesians 3:13; Revelation 2:3; Philippians 4:13
- 2 2 Corinthians 2:17; 1 Thessalonians 2:3–5; 2 Corinthians 5:11; 2 Corinthians 11:13–15; 1 Corinthians 4:5
- 3 1 Corinthians 1:18; 2 Corinthians 3:14; 2 Thessalonians 2:9–11; 2 Corinthians 2:15–16; Matthew 11:25
- 4 John 12:40; 2 Corinthians 3:14; Acts 26:18; Isaiah 6:10; 1 John 5:19
- 5 1 Thessalonians 2:5–6; 2 Corinthians 1:24; 1 Corinthians 1:23; Galatians 5:13; 2 Corinthians 5:14–15
- 6 Isaiah 60:2; Genesis 1:3; 1 Peter 2:9; 2 Peter 1:19; Ephesians 5:8
- 7 2 Corinthians 3:5–6; 2 Corinthians 5:1; Ephesians 2:8–9; 1 Corinthians 1:28; Colossians 2:3
- 8 James 1:2–4; Romans 8:35–37; 1 Peter 4:12–14; 2 Corinthians 12:10; Psalm 56:2–3
- 9 Isaiah 43:2; Micah 7:8; Psalm 37:24–25; Proverbs 24:16; Psalm 42:11
- 10 Romans 6:5; 2 Timothy 2:11; 1 Peter 4:13; Romans 6:8; Philippians 3:10–11
- 11 1 Corinthians 15:49; 1 Corinthians 15:53–54; Psalm 44:22; Romans 8:36; 1 Corinthians 15:31
- 12 2 Corinthians 13:9; 1 Corinthians 4:10; 1 John 3:16; Acts 20:24; Philippians 2:17
- 13 Psalm 116:10; Hebrews 11:1–40; 2 Corinthians 3:12; Proverbs 21:28; 1 Corinthians 12:9
- 14 Romans 8:11; 1 Thessalonians 4:14; 1 Corinthians 6:14; John 11:25–26; Jude 24
- 15 Romans 8:28; Ephesians 3:20–21; 2 Corinthians 9:11–12; Psalm 50:23; 2 Corinthians 1:11
- 16 Isaiah 40:31; Colossians 3:10; Isaiah 40:29; Romans 12:2; Psalm 73:26
- 17 Romans 8:18; 1 Peter 5:10; Romans 5:3–5; James 1:12; Hebrews 12:10–11
- 18 2 Corinthians 5:7; Romans 8:24–25; Hebrews 11:1; 1 John 2:16–17; 1 John 2:25
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
Seeing he had uttered great things and had set himself and all the faithful before Moses, aware of the height and greatness of what he had said, observe how he moderates his tone again.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 12 (1889)
As to their affirming that Paul said plainly in the Second [Epistle] to the Corinthians, "In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them that believe not," and maintaining that there is indeed one god of this world, but another who is beyond all principality, and beginning, and power, we are not to blame if they, …
… contrary, it so thoroughly adopts it, that even while a man is alive, and body and soul are united, it calls each of them singly by the name "man," speaking of the soul as the "inward man," and of the body as the "outward man," as if there were two men, though both together are indeed but one.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 2 (1887)
Hear, for instance, how of those passions Paul is ashamed, even after his deliverance from them, saying, "For what fruit had ye then in those things, whereof ye are now ashamed?" But virtue, even after his labor, he affirms to be light, calling the laboriousness of our affliction momentary and "light," and rejoicing in his sufferings, and glorying in his …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)
For it is Paul who saith, In whom the God of this world hath blinded the minds of them that believe not, lest the light of the Gospel should shine unto them." But Archelaus made a good retort, saying, "Read a little before: But if our Gospel is veiled, it is veiled in them that are perishing.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 7 (1894)