selected verses

2 Corinthians 4 

1 Therefore, since God in his mercy has given us this new way, 

we never give up. 

2 We reject all shameful deeds and underhanded methods. 

We don’t try to trick anyone or distort the word of God. 

We tell the truth before God, 

and all who are honest know this.

7 We now have this light shining in our hearts, 

but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. 

This makes it clear that our great power is from God, 

not from ourselves.

8 We are pressed on every side by troubles, 

but we are not crushed. 

We are perplexed, 

but not driven to despair. 

9 We are hunted down, 

but never abandoned by God. 

We get knocked down, 

but we are not destroyed. 

10 Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus 

so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies.

16 That is why we never give up. 

Though our bodies are dying, 

our spirits are being renewed every day. 

17 For our present troubles are small 

and won’t last very long. 

Yet they produce for us a glory 

that vastly outweighs them 

and will last forever! 

18 So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; 

rather, 

we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. 

For the things we see now will soon be gone, 

but the things we cannot see will last forever.