1 ARST Because of those things, and because God mercifully enabled us to act on behalf of{ the new agreement}, we do not give up. BSB BSB: Therefore, since God in His mercy has given us this ministry, we do not lose heart.
2 ARST Rather, we refuse to do anything that we would hide because it is disgraceful. We do not try to deceive others, and we do not change the message from God. Instead, we proclaim the true{ message}, and we prove to everyone that God considers us trustworthy. BSB BSB: Instead, we have renounced secret and shameful ways. We do not practice deceit, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by open proclamation of the truth, we commend ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.
3 ARST In fact, the only people who do not understood the good news that we proclaim are people who are passing away. BSB BSB: And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing.
4 ARST Satan, who rules the world right now, has kept these people who do not believe from understanding. That way, the good news about the glorious Messiah, who shows what God is like, does not change them. BSB BSB: The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
5 ARST { I say that the good news is about the Messiah} because we do not tell other people about ourselves. Rather,{ we tell them} about Jesus the Messiah, the Lord, and about how we serve you because of him. BSB BSB: For we do not proclaim ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.
6 ARST { We do that} because it is God who spoke these words:“What is dark will become bright.” He has enabled us to understand what is true about how glorious he is, just as if he had shined a light on us.{ God has revealed this} in Jesus the Messiah. BSB BSB: For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
7 ARST We experience and proclaim these wonderful things, but we ourselves are weak and worthless. That way,{ it is clear that} God causes these things to be so powerful, not we. BSB BSB: Now we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this surpassingly great power is from God and not from us.
8 ARST { We experience} many{ difficult things}. People persecute us, but they do not overcome us. We are not sure what to do, but we do not give up. BSB BSB: We are hard pressed on all sides, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair;
9 ARST People try to hurt us, but God does not abandon us. People act against us, but they do not defeat us. BSB BSB: persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed.
10 ARST We continually suffer physically, like Jesus did. That way, God will make us live again, just like he made Jesus live again. BSB BSB: We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.
11 ARST Indeed, while we are living, God allows us to suffer continually because of Jesus. That way, even though we will die, God will make us live again, just like he made Jesus live again. BSB BSB: For we who are alive are always consigned to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our mortal body.
12 ARST As you can see, God allows us to suffer, but he will make you live. BSB BSB: So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.
13 ARST Now we are those who trust{ God}, just like the person who wrote{ in the psalm},“I trusted{ God}, so I spoke.” We too trust{ God}, so we too speak. BSB BSB: And in keeping with what is written, “I believed, therefore I have spoken,” we who have the same spirit of faith also believe and therefore speak,
14 ARST { We do that because} we realize that God made Jesus alive again, so he will also make us alive again. Then we will be with Jesus and with you before God. BSB BSB: knowing that the One who raised the Lord Jesus will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you in His presence.
15 ARST We do each of those things to help you. That way, God will act graciously to more people. Then, people will thank God more, which honors God. BSB BSB: All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is extending to more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow, to the glory of God.
16 ARST Therefore, we do not give up. Instead, even though the part of us that people can see is perishing, every day God is strengthening the part of us that people cannot see. BSB BSB: Therefore we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, yet our inner self is being renewed day by day.
17 ARST { We do not give up,} because when we suffer in temporary and unimportant ways, that will cause us to become glorious forever and in important ways, ways that we cannot even imagine. BSB BSB: For our light and momentary affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory that is far beyond comparison.
18 ARST So, we pay attention to what we do not see rather than to what we see.{ That is} because what we do not see will last forever, but what we see will pass away. BSB BSB: So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.