World English Bible · Under Rome
2 Corinthians 4
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Therefore, seeing we have this ministry, even as we obtained mercy, we don't faint. But we have renounced the hidden things of , not walking in craftiness nor handling the word of deceitfully, but by the manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's in the sight of . Even if our is veiled, it is veiled in those who are dying, in whom the of this world has blinded the of the unbelieving, that of the of the of Christ, who is the , should not dawn on them. For we don't preach ourselves, but Christ as , and ourselves as your servants for ' sake, seeing it is who said, " will shine out of ," who has shone in our to give of the knowledge of the of in the of . But we have this in vessels, that the exceeding greatness of the may be of and not from ourselves. We are pressed on every side, yet not crushed; perplexed, yet not to despair; pursued, yet not forsaken; struck down, yet not destroyed; always carrying in the body the putting to of , that the life of may also be in our body. For we who live are always to for ' sake, that the life also of may be in our mortal . So then works in us, but life in you. But having the same of , according to that which is written, "I , and therefore I spoke." We also , and therefore we also speak, knowing that he who will raise us also with , and will present us with you. For all things are for your sakes, that the , being multiplied through the many, may cause the to abound to the of . Therefore we don't faint, but though our outward person is decaying, yet our inward person is renewed day by day. For our affliction, which is for the moment, works for us more and more exceedingly an weight of , while we don't look 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 .
A public domain modern English translation, free to read and share. Notes and cards are EKLI’s own.
The world at this moment · Under Rome, 63 BC to AD 100 ›
Judea as a client kingdom and then a province. Roads, garrisons, taxes, crucifixion, and a common Greek language that let a message travel the empire faster than any before it.
- Rome
- The republic tears itself apart in civil war and comes out as an empire under Augustus. What follows is two centuries of relative peace across the whole Mediterranean, enforced by legions and paid for by taxes, with safe roads and safe sea lanes. Every one of Paul's journeys depends on that.
- Judea
- Governed first through Herod the Great, a client king of enormous ability and enormous brutality who rebuilds the temple into one of the wonders of the ancient world, then directly by Roman prefects. Crucifixion is the standard penalty for sedition and is used often and publicly.
- The wider world
- Greek is spoken from Spain to Syria, which means a letter written in Corinth can be read in Rome without translation. Jewish communities already exist in most major cities, which is where the first Christian preaching lands. Mystery religions, imperial cult, and philosophy all compete in the same marketplace.
- Further afield
- The Han dynasty rules China and trades silk westward along routes that touch the Roman world at second hand. In Britain the Roman conquest begins within a decade of the crucifixion.