4

瓦器里的宝贝

¹所以，既然我们蒙怜悯受了这事奉的责任，就不丧胆， ²反而把那些暗昧可耻的事弃绝了，不行诡诈，不曲解上帝的道，只将真理显扬出来，好在上帝面前把自己推荐给各人的良心。 ³即使我们的福音被遮蔽，那只是对灭亡的人遮蔽。 ⁴这些不信的人被这世界的神明弄瞎了心眼，使他们看不见基督荣耀的福音。基督本是上帝的像。 ⁵我们不是传自己，而是传耶稣基督为主，并且自己因耶稣作你们的仆人。 ⁶那吩咐光从黑暗里照出来的上帝已经照在我们心里，使我们知道上帝荣耀的光显在耶稣基督的脸上。
⁷我们有这宝贝放在瓦器里，为要显明这莫大的能力是出于上帝，不是出于我们。 ⁸我们处处受困，却不被捆住；内心困扰，却没有绝望； ⁹遭受迫害，却不被撇弃；击倒在地，却不致灭亡。 ¹⁰我们身上常带着耶稣的死，使耶稣的生也在我们身上显明。 ¹¹因为我们这活着的人常为耶稣被置于死地，使耶稣的生命在我们这必死的人身上显明出来。 ¹²这样看来，死是在我们身上运作，生却在你们身上运作。
¹³但我们既然有从同一位灵而来的信心，正如经上记着：“我信，故我说话”，我们也信，所以也说话； ¹⁴因为知道，那使主耶稣复活的也必使我们与耶稣一同复活，并且使我们与你们一起站在他面前。 ¹⁵凡事都是为了你们，好使恩惠既藉着更多的人而加增，感恩也格外显多，好归荣耀给上帝。

靠信心生活

¹⁶所以，我们不丧胆。虽然我们外在的人日渐朽坏，内在的人却日日更新。 ¹⁷我们这短暂而轻微的苦楚要为我们成就极重、无比、永远的荣耀。 ¹⁸因为我们不是顾念看得见的，而是顾念看不见的；原来看得见的是暂时的，看不见的才是永远的。

4

The Light of Christ’s Gospel

¹Therefore, since we have this ministry, ⚓as we have received mercy, we ⚓do not lose heart. ²But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth ⚓commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God. ³But even if our gospel is veiled, ⚓it is veiled to those who are perishing, ⁴whose minds ⚓the god of this age ⚓has blinded, who do not believe, lest ⚓the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, ⚓who is the image of God, should shine on them. ⁵⚓For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ⚓ourselves your bondservants for Jesus’ sake. ⁶For it is the God ⚓who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has ⚓shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

Cast Down but Unconquered

⁷But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, ⚓that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. ⁸We are⚓hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; ⁹persecuted, but not ⚓forsaken; ⚓struck down, but not destroyed— ¹⁰⚓always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, ⚓that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. ¹¹For we who live ⚓are always delivered to death for Jesus’ sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. ¹²So then death is working in us, but life in you.
¹³And since we have ⚓the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, ⚓“I believed and therefore I spoke,” we also believe and therefore speak, ¹⁴knowing that ⚓He who raised up the Lord Jesus will also raise us up with Jesus, and will present us with you. ¹⁵For ⚓all things are for your sakes, that ⚓grace, having spread through the many, may cause thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God.

Seeing the Invisible

¹⁶Therefore we ⚓do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is ⚓being renewed day by day. ¹⁷For ⚓our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, ¹⁸⚓while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.