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We are putting no obstacle in anyone’s way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry,(A) 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;(B) 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;(C) 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,(D) 10 as sorrowful yet always rejoicing, as poor yet making many rich, as having nothing and yet possessing everything.

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We do not give anyone[a] an occasion for taking an offense in anything,[b] so that no fault may be found with our ministry. But as God’s servants,[c] we have commended ourselves in every way,[d] with great endurance, in persecutions,[e] in difficulties, in distresses, in beatings, in imprisonments, in riots,[f] in troubles,[g] in sleepless nights, in hunger, by purity, by knowledge, by patience, by benevolence, by the Holy Spirit,[h] by genuine[i] love, by truthful[j] teaching,[k] by the power of God, with weapons of righteousness both for the right hand and for the left,[l] through glory and dishonor, through slander and praise; regarded as impostors,[m] and yet true; as unknown, and yet well-known; as dying and yet—see!—we continue to live; as those who are scourged[n] and yet not executed; 10 as sorrowful, but always rejoicing, as poor, but making many rich, as having nothing, and yet possessing everything.

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Corinthians 6:3 tn The word “anyone” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects in Greek were often omitted when clear from the context.
  2. 2 Corinthians 6:3 tn Other interpretations of the first part of 2 Cor 6:3 are possible. The phrase could also mean, “not putting an obstacle in the way of anyone” (L&N 22.14), or “giving no one in anything a cause to sin” (L&N 88.307).
  3. 2 Corinthians 6:4 tn Or “ministers.”
  4. 2 Corinthians 6:4 tn Or “we have commended ourselves by all things.”
  5. 2 Corinthians 6:4 tn Or “in trouble and suffering.”
  6. 2 Corinthians 6:5 tn Or “rebellions” (uprisings in open defiance of civil authority).
  7. 2 Corinthians 6:5 tn Usually κόποις (kopois) has been translated as “labors” or “hard work,” but see Matt 26:10 where it means “trouble”; “distress” (L&N 22.7). In this context with so many other terms denoting suffering and difficulty, such a meaning is preferable.
  8. 2 Corinthians 6:6 tn Or “by holiness of spirit.”
  9. 2 Corinthians 6:6 tn Or “sincere.”
  10. 2 Corinthians 6:7 tn Grk “by the word of truth”; understanding ἀληθείας (alētheias) as an attributive genitive (“truthful word”).
  11. 2 Corinthians 6:7 tn Or “speech.” In this context it is more likely that λόγος (logos) refers to Paul’s message (thus “teaching”) than to his speech in general.
  12. 2 Corinthians 6:7 tn The phrase “for the right hand and for the left” possibly refers to a combination of an offensive weapon (a sword for the right hand) and a defensive weapon (a shield for the left).
  13. 2 Corinthians 6:8 tn Or “regarded as deceivers.”
  14. 2 Corinthians 6:9 tn Grk “disciplined,” but in this context probably a reference to scourging prior to execution (yet the execution is not carried out).