Add parallel Print Page Options

As God’s partners,[a] we beg you not to accept this marvelous gift of God’s kindness and then ignore it. 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

We live in such a way that no one will stumble because of us, and no one will find fault with our ministry. In everything we do, we show that we are true ministers of God. We patiently endure troubles and hardships and calamities of every kind. We have been beaten, been put in prison, faced angry mobs, worked to exhaustion, endured sleepless nights, and gone without food. We prove ourselves by our purity, our understanding, our patience, our kindness, by the Holy Spirit within us,[c] and by our sincere love. 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. 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. 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

  1. 6:1 Or As we work together.
  2. 6:2 Isa 49:8 (Greek version).
  3. 6:6 Or by our holiness of spirit.
  4. 6:15 Greek Beliar; various other manuscripts render this proper name of the devil as Belian, Beliab, or Belial.
  5. 6:16 Lev 26:12; Ezek 37:27.
  6. 6:17 Isa 52:11; Ezek 20:34 (Greek version).
  7. 6:18 2 Sam 7:14.

Thus de as coworkers synergeō with him, · kai we urge parakaleō you hymeis not to receive dechomai the ho grace charis of ho God theos in eis vain kenos. For gar he says legō, “ In the time kairos of my favor dektos I heard epakouō you sy, · kai in en the day hēmera of salvation sōtēria I helped boētheō you sy.” Behold idou, now nyn is the acceptable euprosdektos time kairos; behold idou, now nyn is the day hēmera of salvation sōtēria! We do didōmi not mēdeis put didōmi a stumbling block proskopē in en anyone’ s mēdeis way , so that hina our ho ministry diakonia may not be faulted mōmaomai. Rather alla, as hōs servants diakonos of God theos, we commend synistēmi ourselves heautou in en every pas way : in en great polys endurance hypomonē, in en times of affliction thlipsis, hardship anankē, and distress stenochōria; in en beatings plēgē, in en imprisonments phylakē, in en riots akatastasia, in en labors kopos, in en times of sleeplessness agrypnia and hunger nēsteia; by en purity hagnotēs, by en knowledge gnōsis, by en patience makrothumia, by en kindness chrēstotēs, by en the Holy hagios Spirit pneuma, by en sincere anypokritos love agapē; by en the word logos of truth alētheia, by en the power dynamis of God theos; with dia the ho weapons hoplon of ho righteousness dikaiosynē both for the ho right dexios hand and kai for the left aristeros; through dia glory doxa and kai dishonor atimia, through dia slander dysphēmia and kai praise euphēmia; as hōs deceivers planos, and kai yet true alēthēs men ; as hōs unknown agnoeō, and kai yet well-known epiginōskō; as hōs dying apothnēskō, and kai yet look idou!— we continue to live zaō; as hōs scourged paideuō, and kai yet not killed thanatoō; 10 as hōs sorrowing lypeō, yet de always aei rejoicing chairō; as hōs poor ptōchos, yet de making many polys rich ploutizō; as hōs having echō nothing mēdeis, and kai yet possessing katechō everything pas. 11 We have opened anoigō · ho our hēmeis mouth stoma freely to pros you hymeis, Corinthians Korinthios; · ho our hēmeis heart kardia has been opened wide platynō. 12 We are not ou withholding stenochōreō our hēmeis affection splanchnon from you , but de you are withholding stenochōreō yours hymeis from us. · ho 13 · ho Now de as a fair autos exchange antimisthia I speak legō as hōs to children teknon open wide platynō your hymeis hearts to us also kai.

14 Do not be ginomai unevenly yoked heterozygeō with unbelievers apistos; for gar what tis is there in common metochē between righteousness dikaiosynē and kai lawlessness anomia? Or ē what tis fellowship koinōnia has light phōs with pros darkness skotos? 15 What tis · de harmony symphōnēsis is there between pros Christ Christos and Belial Beliar? Or ē what tis does a believer pistos have in common meris with meta an unbeliever apistos? 16 What tis · de agreement synkatathesis can the temple naos of God theos have with meta idols eidōlon? For gar we hēmeis are eimi the temple naos of the living zaō God theos; just as kathōs God theos said legō: · ho I will dwell enoikeō in en their autos midst and kai walk emperipateō among them; · kai I will be eimi their autos God theos and kai they autos will be eimi my egō people laos.” 17 Therefore dio, “ come out exerchomai from ek their autos midst mesos and kai be separate aphorizō,” says legō the Lord kyrios, and kai touch haptō no unclean akathartos thing ; then I kagō will receive eisdechomai you hymeis, 18 and kai I will be eimi a father patēr to you hymeis, and kai you hymeis will be eimi sons hyios and kai daughters thugatēr to me egō,” says legō the Lord kyrios Almighty pantokratōr.