Good News [1976], GOOD NEWS BIBLE WITH DEUTEROCANONICALS / APOCRYPHA Today's English Version (AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY, New York) [word count] [B15000].
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Spiritual Treasure in Clay Pots
1 God in his mercy has given us
this work to do, and so we do
not become discouraged.
2 We put
aside all secret and shameful deeds;
we do not act with deceit, nor do we
falsify the word of God. In the full
light of truth we live in God's sight
and try to commend ourselves to
everyone's good conscience.
3 For if
the gospel we preach is hidden, it is
hidden only from those who are
being lost.
4 They do not believe, because
their minds have been kept in
the dark by the evil god of this
world. He keeps them from seeing
the light shining on them, the light
that comes from the Good News
about the glory of Christ, who is the
exact likeness of God.
5 For it is not
ourselves that we preach; we preach
Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves
as your servants for Jesus' sake.
6 The God who said, “Out of darkness
the light shall shine!” is the
same God who made his light shine
in our hearts, to bring us the knowledge
of God's glory shining in the
face of Christ. note
7 Yet we who have this spiritual
treasure are like common clay pots,
in order to show that the supreme
power belongs to God, not to us.
8 We are often troubled, but not
crushed; sometimes in doubt, but
never in despair;
9 there are many
enemies, but we are never without a
friend; and though badly hurt at
times, we are not destroyed.
10 At all
times we carry in our mortal bodies
the death of Jesus, so that his life
also may be seen in our bodies.
11 Throughout our lives we are always
in danger of death for Jesus'
sake, in order that his life may be
seen in this mortal body of ours.
12 This means that death is at work in
us, but life is at work in you.
13 The scripture says, “I spoke because
I believed.” In the same spirit
of faith we also speak because
we believe. note
14 We know that God,
who raised the Lord Jesus to life,
will also raise us up with Jesus and
-- --
take us, together with you, into his
presence.
15 All this is for your sake;
and as God's grace reaches more
and more people, they will offer to
the glory of God more prayers of
thanksgiving.
Living by Faith
16 For this reason we never become
discouraged. Even though our
physical being is gradually decaying,
yet our spiritual being is renewed
day after day.
17 And this small and
temporary trouble we suffer will
bring us a tremendous and eternal
glory, much greater than the trouble.
18 For we fix our attention, not on
things that are seen, but on things
that are unseen. What can be seen
lasts only for a time, but what cannot
be seen lasts forever.
Good News [1976], GOOD NEWS BIBLE WITH DEUTEROCANONICALS / APOCRYPHA Today's English Version (AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY, New York) [word count] [B15000].
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