2 Corinthians 6-7

New King James Version

Marks of the Ministry

6 We then, as ^(A)workers together with Him also ^(B)plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain. ²For He says:

^(C)“In an acceptable time I have heard you,
And in the day of salvation I have helped you.”

Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.

³^(D)We give no offense in anything, that our ministry may not be blamed. ⁴But in all things we commend ourselves ^(E)as ministers of God: in much ^[a]patience, in tribulations, in needs, in distresses, ⁵^(F)in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in fastings; ⁶by purity, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Spirit, by ^[b]sincere love, ⁷^(G)by the word of truth, by ^(H)the power of God, by ^(I)the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, ⁸by honor and dishonor, by evil report and good report; as deceivers, and yet true; ⁹as unknown, and ^(J)yet well known; ^(K)as dying, and behold we live; ^(L)as chastened, and yet not killed; ¹⁰as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many ^(M)rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.

Be Holy

¹¹O Corinthians! ^[c]We have spoken openly to you, ^(N)our heart is wide open. ¹²You are not restricted by us, but ^(O)you are restricted by your own affections. ¹³Now in return for the same ^(P)(I speak as to children), you also be open.

¹⁴^(Q)Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For ^(R)what ^[d]fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what ^[e]communion has light with darkness? ¹⁵And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? ¹⁶And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For ^(S)you^[f] are the temple of the living God. As God has said:

^(T)“I will dwell in them
And walk among them.
I will be their God,
And they shall be My people.”

¹⁷Therefore

^(U)“Come out from among them
And be separate, says the Lord.
Do not touch what is unclean,
And I will receive you.”
¹⁸“I ^(V)will be a Father to you,
And you shall be My ^(W)sons and daughters,
Says the Lord Almighty.”

The Corinthians’ Repentance

7 Therefore,^(X) having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

The Corinthians’ Repentance

²Open your hearts to us. We have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, ^(Y)we have cheated no one. ³I do not say this to condemn; for ^(Z)I have said before that you are in our hearts, to die together and to live together. ⁴^(AA)Great is my boldness of speech toward you, ^(AB)great is my boasting on your behalf. ^(AC)I am filled with comfort. I am exceedingly joyful in all our tribulation.

⁵For indeed, ^(AD)when we came to Macedonia, our bodies had no rest, but ^(AE)we were troubled on every side. ^(AF)Outside were conflicts, inside were fears. ⁶Nevertheless ^(AG)God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by ^(AH)the coming of Titus, ⁷and not only by his coming, but also by the ^[g]consolation with which he was comforted in you, when he told us of your earnest desire, your mourning, your zeal for me, so that I rejoiced even more.

⁸For even if I made you ^(AI)sorry with my letter, I do not regret it; ^(AJ)though I did regret it. For I perceive that the same epistle made you sorry, though only for a while. ⁹Now I rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that your sorrow led to repentance. For you were made sorry in a godly manner, that you might suffer loss from us in nothing. ¹⁰For ^(AK)godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; ^(AL)but the sorrow of the world produces death. ¹¹For observe this very thing, that you sorrowed in a godly manner: What diligence it produced in you, what ^(AM)clearing of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what vehement desire, what zeal, what vindication! In all things you proved yourselves to be ^(AN)clear in this matter. ¹²Therefore, although I wrote to you, I did not do it for the sake of him who had done the wrong, nor for the sake of him who suffered wrong, ^(AO)but that our care for you in the sight of God might appear to you.

The Joy of Titus

¹³Therefore we have been comforted in your comfort. And we rejoiced exceedingly more for the joy of Titus, because his spirit ^(AP)has been refreshed by you all. ¹⁴For if in anything I have boasted to him about you, I am not ashamed. But as we spoke all things to you in truth, even so our boasting to Titus was found true. ¹⁵And his affections are greater for you as he remembers ^(AQ)the obedience of you all, how with fear and trembling you received him. ¹⁶Therefore I rejoice that ^(AR)I have confidence in you in everything.