< 2 Corinthians 6 >
1 Working together, we entreat also that you do not receive the grace of God in vain.
Therefore, as God’s fellow workers, we also appeal to you not to receive his loving kindness in vain.
2 For he says, “At an acceptable time I listened to you. In a day of salvation I helped you.” Behold, now is the acceptable time. Behold, now is the day of salvation.
For he says – “At the time for acceptance I listened to you, and on the day of deliverance I helped you.” Now is the time for acceptance! Now is the day of deliverance!
3 We give no occasion of stumbling in anything, that our service may not be blamed,
Never do we put an obstacle in anyone’s way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry.
4 but in everything commending ourselves as servants of God: in great endurance, in afflictions, in hardships, in distresses,
No, we are trying to commend ourselves under all circumstances, as God’s assistants should – in many an hour of endurance, in troubles, in hardships, in difficulties,
5 in beatings, in imprisonments, in riots, in labors, in watchings, in fastings,
in floggings, in imprisonments, in riots, in toils, in sleepless nights, in hunger;
6 in pureness, in knowledge, in perseverance, in kindness, in the Holy Spirit, in sincere love,
by purity, by knowledge, by patience, by kindliness, by holiness of spirit, by unfeigned love;
7 in the word of truth, in the power of God, by the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left,
by the message of truth, and by the power of God; by the weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left;
8 by glory and dishonor, by evil report and good report, as deceivers and yet true,
amid honour and disrepute, amid slander and praise; regarded as deceivers, yet proved to be true;
9 as unknown and yet well known, as dying and behold—we live, as punished and not killed,
as unknown, yet well-known; as at death’s door, yet, see, we are living; as chastised, yet not killed;
10 as sorrowful yet always rejoicing, as poor yet making many rich, as having nothing and yet possessing all things.
as saddened, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet enriching many; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things!
11 Our mouth is open to you, Corinthians. Our heart is enlarged.
We have been speaking freely to you, dear friends in Corinth; we have opened our heart;
12 You are not restricted by us, but you are restricted by your own affections.
there is room there for you, yet there is not room, in your love, for us.
13 Now in return—I speak as to my children—you also open your hearts.
Can you not in return – I appeal to you as I should to children – open your hearts to us?
14 Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers, for what fellowship do righteousness and iniquity have? Or what fellowship does light have with darkness?
Do not enter into inconsistent relations with those who reject the faith. For what partnership can there be between righteousness and lawlessness? Or what has light to do with darkness?
15 What agreement does Christ have with Belial? Or what portion does a believer have with an unbeliever?
What harmony can there be between Christ and Belial? Or what can those who accept the faith have in common with those who reject it?
16 What agreement does a temple of God have with idols? For you are a temple of the living God. Even as God said, “I will dwell in them and walk in them. I will be their God and they will be my people.”
What agreement can there be between a temple of God and idols? And we are a temple of the living God. That is what God meant when he said – “I will live among them, and walk among them; and I will be their God, and they will be my people.
17 Therefore “‘Come out from among them, and be separate,’ says the Lord. ‘Touch no unclean thing. I will receive you.
Therefore ‘Come out from among the nations, and separate yourselves from them,’ says the Lord, ‘And touch nothing impure; and I will welcome you;
18 I will be to you a Father. You will be to me sons and daughters,’ says the Lord Almighty.”
and I will be a father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters,’ says the Lord, the Ruler of all.”