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20 So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ: be reconciled to God.(A) 21 For our sake God made the one who knew no sin to be sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.(B)

As we work together with him,[a] we entreat you also not to accept the grace of God in vain.(C) For he says,

“At an acceptable time I have listened to you,
    and on a day of salvation I have helped you.”

Look, now is the acceptable time; look, now is the day of salvation!(D) We are putting no obstacle in anyone’s way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry,(E) but as servants of God we have commended ourselves in every way: in great endurance, afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger;(F) in purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, holiness of spirit, genuine love, truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left;(G) in honor and dishonor, in ill repute and good repute. We are treated as impostors and yet are true, as unknown and yet are well known, as dying and look—we are alive, as punished and yet not killed,(H) 10 as sorrowful yet always rejoicing, as poor yet making many rich, as having nothing and yet possessing everything.

Footnotes

  1. 6.1 Gk As we work together

20 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors,(A) as though God were making his appeal through us.(B) We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.(C) 21 God made him who had no sin(D) to be sin[a] for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.(E)

As God’s co-workers(F) we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain.(G) For he says,

“In the time of my favor I heard you,
    and in the day of salvation I helped you.”[b](H)

I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.

Paul’s Hardships

We put no stumbling block in anyone’s path,(I) so that our ministry will not be discredited. Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; in beatings, imprisonments(J) and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger;(K) in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit(L) and in sincere love;(M) in truthful speech(N) and in the power of God;(O) with weapons of righteousness(P) in the right hand and in the left; through glory and dishonor,(Q) bad report(R) and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors;(S) known, yet regarded as unknown; dying,(T) and yet we live on;(U) beaten, and yet not killed; 10 sorrowful, yet always rejoicing;(V) poor, yet making many rich;(W) having nothing,(X) and yet possessing everything.(Y)

Footnotes

  1. 2 Corinthians 5:21 Or be a sin offering
  2. 2 Corinthians 6:2 Isaiah 49:8