1 ¶ Therefore seeing we have this ministry, according to the mercy we have received, we fault not,

Through God’s loving-kindness, He has given us this job to do. So we do not give up.

2 b ut remove from ourselves every hidden shameful thing, not walking in craftiness, nor adulterating the word of God, but in the manifestation of the truth, commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.

We have put away all things that are done in secret and in shame. We do not play with the Word of God or use it in a false way. Because we are telling the truth, we want men’s hearts to listen to us. God knows our desires.

3 B ut if our gospel is hid, it is hid to those that are lost,

If the Good News we preach is hidden, it is hidden to those who are lost in sin.

4 I n whom the god of this age has blinded the understanding of those who do not believe, that the light of the gospel of the glory of the Christ, who is the image of God, should not shine in them.

The eyes of those who do not believe are made blind by Satan who is the god of this world. He does not want the light of the Good News to shine in their hearts. This Good News shines as the shining-greatness of Christ. Christ is as God is.

5 F or we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your slaves for Jesus’ sake.

We do not preach about ourselves. We preach Christ Jesus the Lord. We are your servants because of Jesus.

6 F or the God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, has shined in our hearts to bring forth the light of the knowledge of the clarity of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

It was God Who said, “The light will shine in darkness.” He is the One Who made His light shine in our hearts. This brings us the light of knowing God’s shining-greatness which is seen in Christ’s face.

7 B ut we have this treasure in clay vessels that the excellency of the virtue may be of God, and not of us.

We have this light from God in our human bodies. This shows that the power is from God. It is not from ourselves.

8 ¶ We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are unsure of our lives, but not in despair;

We are pressed on every side, but we still have room to move. We are often in much trouble, but we never give up.

9 p ersecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;

People make it hard for us, but we are not left alone. We are knocked down, but we are not destroyed.

10 a lways bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.

We carry marks on our bodies that show the death of Jesus. This is how Jesus makes His life seen in our bodies.

11 F or we who live are always delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.

Every day of our life we face death because of Jesus. In this way, His life is seen in our bodies.

12 S o then death works in us, but life in you.

Death is working in us because we work for the Lord, but His life is working in you.

13 W e having the same Spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed and, therefore, I have spoken; we also believe and, therefore, speak;

The Holy Writings say, “I believed, so I spoke.” We have the same kind of faith as David had. We also believe, so we speak.

14 k nowing that he who raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise us up also by Jesus and shall present us with you.

We know that God raised the Lord Jesus from the dead. He will raise us up also. God will take us to Himself and He will take you.

15 F or we suffer all these things for your sakes that the grace abounding through many may in the thanksgiving redound to the glory of God.

These things happened for your good. As more people receive God’s favor, they will give thanks for the shining-greatness of God. Life Now—Life in Heaven

16 T herefore we fault not; but though our outward man is wearing out, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.

This is the reason we do not give up. Our human body is wearing out. But our spirits are getting stronger every day.

17 F or our tribulation, which is momentary and light, prepares an exceeding and eternal weight of glory unto us;

The little troubles we suffer now for a short time are making us ready for the great things God is going to give us forever.

18 w hile we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen, for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

We do not look at the things that can be seen. We look at the things that cannot be seen. The things that can be seen will come to an end. But the things that cannot be seen will last forever.