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2 Corinthians 6
New International Version
2 Corinthians 6
New International Version
6 As God’s co-workers(A) we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain.(B) 2 For he says,
I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.
Paul’s Hardships
3 We put no stumbling block in anyone’s path,(D) so that our ministry will not be discredited. 4 Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; 5 in beatings, imprisonments(E) and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger;(F) 6 in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit(G) and in sincere love;(H) 7 in truthful speech(I) and in the power of God;(J) with weapons of righteousness(K) in the right hand and in the left; 8 through glory and dishonor,(L) bad report(M) and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors;(N) 9 known, yet regarded as unknown; dying,(O) and yet we live on;(P) beaten, and yet not killed; 10 sorrowful, yet always rejoicing;(Q) poor, yet making many rich;(R) having nothing,(S) and yet possessing everything.(T)
11 We have spoken freely to you, Corinthians, and opened wide our hearts to you.(U) 12 We are not withholding our affection from you, but you are withholding yours from us. 13 As a fair exchange—I speak as to my children(V)—open wide your hearts(W) also.
Warning Against Idolatry
14 Do not be yoked together(X) with unbelievers.(Y) For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?(Z) 15 What harmony is there between Christ and Belial[b]?(AA) Or what does a believer(AB) have in common with an unbeliever?(AC) 16 What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols?(AD) For we are the temple(AE) of the living God.(AF) As God has said:
“I will live with them
and walk among them,
and I will be their God,
and they will be my people.”[c](AG)
17 Therefore,
“Come out from them(AH)
and be separate,
says the Lord.
Touch no unclean thing,
and I will receive you.”[d](AI)
18 And,
Footnotes
- 2 Corinthians 6:2 Isaiah 49:8
- 2 Corinthians 6:15 Greek Beliar, a variant of Belial
- 2 Corinthians 6:16 Lev. 26:12; Jer. 32:38; Ezek. 37:27
- 2 Corinthians 6:17 Isaiah 52:11; Ezek. 20:34,41
- 2 Corinthians 6:18 2 Samuel 7:14; 7:8
2 Corinthians 6
American Standard Version
2 Corinthians 6
American Standard Version
6 1 And working together with him we entreat also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain 2 (for he saith,
[a]At an acceptable time I hearkened unto thee,
And in a day of salvation did I succor thee:
behold, now is the acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation): 3 giving no occasion of stumbling in anything, that our ministration be not blamed; 4 but in everything commending ourselves, as ministers of God, in much [b]patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses, 5 in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in watchings, in fastings; 6 in pureness, in knowledge, in longsuffering, in kindness, in the Holy Spirit, in love unfeigned, 7 in the word of truth, in the power of God; [c]by the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, 8 by glory and dishonor, by evil report and good report; as deceivers, and yet true; 9 as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as chastened, and not killed; 10 as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.
11 Our mouth is open unto you, O Corinthians, our heart is enlarged. 12 Ye are not straitened in us, but ye are straitened in your own affections. 13 Now for a recompense in like kind (I speak as unto my children), be ye also enlarged. 14 Be not unequally yoked with unbelievers: for what fellowship have righteousness and iniquity? or what communion hath light with darkness? 15 And what concord hath Christ with [d]Belial? or what portion hath a believer with an unbeliever? 16 And what agreement hath a [e]temple of God with idols? for we are a [f]temple of the living God; even as God said, [g]I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 17 Wherefore
[h]Come ye out from among them, and be ye separate,
saith the Lord,
And touch no unclean thing;
And I will receive you,
18 [i]And will be to you a Father,
And ye shall be to me sons and daughters,
saith the Lord Almighty.
Footnotes
- 2 Corinthians 6:2 Isa. 49:8.
- 2 Corinthians 6:4 Or, stedfastness
- 2 Corinthians 6:7 Greek through.
- 2 Corinthians 6:15 Greek Beliar.
- 2 Corinthians 6:16 Or, sanctuary
- 2 Corinthians 6:16 Or, sanctuary
- 2 Corinthians 6:16 Lev. 26:12; Ex. 29:45; Ezek. 37:27; Jer. 31:1.
- 2 Corinthians 6:17 Isa. 52:11.
- 2 Corinthians 6:18 Hos. 1:10; Isa. 43:6.
2 Corinthians 6
The Message
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 King James Version
2 Corinthians 6
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. 2 For 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. 4 But 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; 6 by 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, 8 by honor and dishonor, by evil report and good report; as deceivers, and yet true; 9 as unknown, and (J)yet well known; (K)as dying, and behold we live; (L)as chastened, and yet not killed; 10 as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many (M)rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.
Be Holy
11 O Corinthians! [c]We have spoken openly to you, (N)our heart is wide open. 12 You are not restricted by us, but (O)you are restricted by your own affections. 13 Now 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? 15 And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? 16 And 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.”
17 Therefore
(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.”
Footnotes
- 2 Corinthians 6:4 endurance
- 2 Corinthians 6:6 Lit. unhypocritical
- 2 Corinthians 6:11 Lit. Our mouth is open
- 2 Corinthians 6:14 in common
- 2 Corinthians 6:14 fellowship
- 2 Corinthians 6:16 NU we
2 Corinthians 6
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
2 Corinthians 6
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
6 As we work together with him,[a] we entreat you also not to accept the grace of God in vain.(A) 2 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!(B) 3 We are putting no obstacle in anyone’s way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry,(C) 4 but as servants of God we have commended ourselves in every way: in great endurance, afflictions, hardships, calamities, 5 beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger;(D) 6 in purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, holiness of spirit, genuine love, 7 truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left;(E) 8 in honor and dishonor, in ill repute and good repute. We are treated as impostors and yet are true, 9 as unknown and yet are well known, as dying and look—we are alive, as punished and yet not killed,(F) 10 as sorrowful yet always rejoicing, as poor yet making many rich, as having nothing and yet possessing everything.
11 We have spoken frankly to you Corinthians; our heart is wide open to you. 12 There is no restriction in our affections but only in yours. 13 In return—I speak as to children—open wide your hearts also.(G)
The Temple of the Living God
14 Do not be mismatched with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and lawlessness have in common? Or what partnership is there between light and darkness?(H) 15 What agreement does Christ have with Beliar? Or what does a believer share with an unbeliever? 16 What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we[b] are the temple of the living God, as God said,
“I will live in them[c] and walk among them,
and I will be their God,
and they shall be my people.(I)
17 Therefore come out from them,
and be separate from them, says the Lord,
and touch nothing unclean;
then I will welcome you,(J)
18 and I will be your father,
and you shall be my sons and daughters,
says the Lord Almighty.”(K)
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.
American Standard Version (ASV)
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The Message (MSG)
Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson
New King James Version (NKJV) 
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition (NRSVUE)
New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.