2 Corinthians 6
English Standard Version
6 (A)Working together with him, then, (B)we appeal to you (C)not to receive the grace of God in vain. 2 For he says,
(D)“In a favorable time I listened to you,
and in a day of salvation I have helped you.”
Behold, (E)now is the (F)favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation. 3 We (G)put no obstacle in anyone's way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, 4 but (H)as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: (I)by great endurance, (J)in afflictions, (K)hardships, calamities, 5 (L)beatings, imprisonments, (M)riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; 6 (N)by purity, (O)knowledge, patience, kindness, (P)the Holy Spirit, (Q)genuine love; 7 by (R)truthful speech, and (S)the power of God; with (T)the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; 8 through honor and dishonor, (U)through slander and praise. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; 9 as unknown, and (V)yet well known; (W)as dying, and behold, we live; (X)as punished, and yet not killed; 10 (Y)as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; (Z)as poor, yet making many rich; (AA)as having nothing, (AB)yet possessing everything.
11 We have spoken freely to you,[a] Corinthians; (AC)our heart is wide open. 12 You are not restricted by us, but (AD)you are restricted in your own affections. 13 (AE)In return (I speak (AF)as to children) widen your hearts also.
The Temple of the Living God
14 (AG)Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For (AH)what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or (AI)what fellowship has light with darkness? 15 (AJ)What accord has Christ with Belial?[b] Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? 16 What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For (AK)we are the temple of the living God; as God said,
(AL)“I will make my dwelling among them and (AM)walk among them,
and (AN)I will be their God,
and they shall be my people.
17 Therefore (AO)go out from their midst,
and be separate from them, says the Lord,
and touch no unclean thing;
then I will welcome you,
18 (AP)and I will be a father to you,
and you shall be sons and daughters to me,
says the Lord Almighty.”
Footnotes
- 2 Corinthians 6:11 Greek Our mouth is open to you
- 2 Corinthians 6:15 Greek Beliar
2 Corinthians 6
The Message
Staying at Our Post
6 1-10 Companions as we are in this work with you, we beg you, please don’t squander one bit of this marvelous life God has given us. God reminds us,
I heard your call in the nick of time;
The day you needed me, I was there to help.
Well, now is the right time to listen, the day to be helped. Don’t put it off; don’t frustrate God’s work by showing up late, throwing a question mark over everything we’re doing. Our work as God’s servants gets validated—or not—in the details. People are watching us as we stay at our post, alertly, unswervingly . . . in hard times, tough times, bad times; when we’re beaten up, jailed, and mobbed; working hard, working late, working without eating; with pure heart, clear head, steady hand; in gentleness, holiness, and honest love; when we’re telling the truth, and when God’s showing his power; when we’re doing our best setting things right; when we’re praised, and when we’re blamed; slandered, and honored; true to our word, though distrusted; ignored by the world, but recognized by God; terrifically alive, though rumored to be dead; beaten within an inch of our lives, but refusing to die; immersed in tears, yet always filled with deep joy; living on handouts, yet enriching many; having nothing, having it all.
11-13 Dear, dear Corinthians, I can’t tell you how much I long for you to enter this wide-open, spacious life. We didn’t fence you in. The smallness you feel comes from within you. Your lives aren’t small, but you’re living them in a small way. I’m speaking as plainly as I can and with great affection. Open up your lives. Live openly and expansively!
* * *
14-18 Don’t become partners with those who reject God. How can you make a partnership out of right and wrong? That’s not partnership; that’s war. Is light best friends with dark? Does Christ go strolling with the Devil? Do trust and mistrust hold hands? Who would think of setting up pagan idols in God’s holy Temple? But that is exactly what we are, each of us a temple in whom God lives. God himself put it this way:
“I’ll live in them, move into them;
I’ll be their God and they’ll be my people.
So leave the corruption and compromise;
leave it for good,” says God.
“Don’t link up with those who will pollute you.
I want you all for myself.
I’ll be a Father to you;
you’ll be sons and daughters to me.”
The Word of the Master, God.
2 Corinthians 6
New Living Translation
6 As God’s partners,[a] we beg you not to accept this marvelous gift of God’s kindness and then ignore it. 2 For God says,
“At just the right time, I heard you.
On the day of salvation, I helped you.”[b]
Indeed, the “right time” is now. Today is the day of salvation.
Paul’s Hardships
3 We live in such a way that no one will stumble because of us, and no one will find fault with our ministry. 4 In everything we do, we show that we are true ministers of God. We patiently endure troubles and hardships and calamities of every kind. 5 We have been beaten, been put in prison, faced angry mobs, worked to exhaustion, endured sleepless nights, and gone without food. 6 We prove ourselves by our purity, our understanding, our patience, our kindness, by the Holy Spirit within us,[c] and by our sincere love. 7 We faithfully preach the truth. God’s power is working in us. We use the weapons of righteousness in the right hand for attack and the left hand for defense. 8 We serve God whether people honor us or despise us, whether they slander us or praise us. We are honest, but they call us impostors. 9 We are ignored, even though we are well known. We live close to death, but we are still alive. We have been beaten, but we have not been killed. 10 Our hearts ache, but we always have joy. We are poor, but we give spiritual riches to others. We own nothing, and yet we have everything.
11 Oh, dear Corinthian friends! We have spoken honestly with you, and our hearts are open to you. 12 There is no lack of love on our part, but you have withheld your love from us. 13 I am asking you to respond as if you were my own children. Open your hearts to us!
The Temple of the Living God
14 Don’t team up with those who are unbelievers. How can righteousness be a partner with wickedness? How can light live with darkness? 15 What harmony can there be between Christ and the devil[d]? How can a believer be a partner with an unbeliever? 16 And what union can there be between God’s temple and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God said:
“I will live in them
and walk among them.
I will be their God,
and they will be my people.[e]
17 Therefore, come out from among unbelievers,
and separate yourselves from them, says the Lord.
Don’t touch their filthy things,
and I will welcome you.[f]
18 And I will be your Father,
and you will be my sons and daughters,
says the Lord Almighty.[g]”
Footnotes
- 6:1 Or As we work together.
- 6:2 Isa 49:8 (Greek version).
- 6:6 Or by our holiness of spirit.
- 6:15 Greek Beliar; various other manuscripts render this proper name of the devil as Belian, Beliab, or Belial.
- 6:16 Lev 26:12; Ezek 37:27.
- 6:17 Isa 52:11; Ezek 20:34 (Greek version).
- 6:18 2 Sam 7:14.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
