2 Corinthians 5:20-6:10

New International Reader's Version

²⁰ So we are Christ’s official messengers. It is as if God were making his appeal through us. Here is what Christ wants us to beg you to do. Come back to God! ²¹ Christ didn’t have any sin. But God made him become sin for us. So we can be made right with God because of what Christ has done for us.

6 We work together with God. So we are asking you not to receive God’s grace and then do nothing with it. ² He says,

I tell you, now is the time God has mercy. Now is the day he saves.

Paul’s Sufferings

³ We don’t put anything in anyone’s way. So no one can find fault with our work for God. ⁴ Instead, we make it clear that we serve God in every way. We serve him by standing firm in troubles, hard times and suffering. ⁵ We don’t give up when we are beaten or put in prison. When people stir up trouble in the streets, we continue to serve God. We work hard for him. We go without sleep and food. ⁶ We remain pure. We understand completely what it means to serve God. We are patient and kind. We serve him in the power of the Holy Spirit. We serve him with true love. ⁷ We speak the truth. We serve in the power of God. We hold the weapons of godliness in the right hand and in the left. ⁸ We serve God in times of glory and shame. We serve him whether the news about us is bad or good. We are true to our calling. But people treat us as if we were pretenders. ⁹ We are known, but people treat us as if we were unknown. We are dying, but we continue to live. We are beaten, but we are not killed. ¹⁰ We are sad, but we are always full of joy. We are poor, but we make many people rich. We have nothing, but we own everything.