Beginning

We Long for Heaven

5 Now we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal home in heaven, which is not made by human hands. ² In fact, the reason we groan is that we long to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven. ³ If we do indeed put it on,^[a] we will certainly not be found naked. ⁴ To be sure, while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not want to be unclothed, but to be clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. ⁵ Now the one who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave us the Spirit as the down payment.

⁶ Therefore we are always confident and know that while we are at home in the body, we are away from the Lord, ⁷ for we walk by faith, not by sight. ⁸ But we are confident and would much prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. ⁹ And for this reason we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home or away. ¹⁰ For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he did while in the body, whether good or bad.

¹¹ So, since we know the fear of the Lord, we are trying to persuade people. Now, we are well known by God, and I hope that we are also well known in your consciences. ¹² We are not commending ourselves to you again, but we are giving you an opportunity to boast about us, so that you have a reply for those who boast about outward appearance rather than what is in the heart.

¹³ Actually, if we were out of our minds, it was for God. If we are in our right minds, it is for you. ¹⁴ For the love of Christ compels^[b] us, because we came to this conclusion: One died for all; therefore, all died. ¹⁵ And he died for all, so that those who live would no longer live for themselves but for him, who died in their place and was raised again.

God Was in Christ Reconciling the World

¹⁶ As a result, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we knew Christ according to the flesh, we no longer know him that way. ¹⁷ So then, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away. The new has come!^{[c] 18} And all these things are from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation. ¹⁹ That is, God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them. And he has entrusted to us the message of reconciliation. ²⁰ Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, inasmuch as God is making an appeal through us. We urge you, on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. ²¹ God made him, who did not know sin, to become sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God in him.

6 As fellow workers we also urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain. ² For he says:

Look, now is the favorable time! See, now is the day of salvation!

³ We are giving no one a reason to stumble in any way, so that our ministry will not be blamed. ⁴ Rather, in every way we show ourselves to be God’s ministers: in great endurance, in troubles, in hardships, in difficulties, ⁵ in beatings, in imprisonments, in riots, in hard work, in sleepless nights, in times of hunger; ⁶ in purity, in knowledge, in patience, in kindness, in the Holy Spirit, in sincere love, ⁷ in the word of truth, in the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness on the right and on the left; ⁸ through glory and dishonor, through bad report and good report; treated as deceivers yet being honest, ⁹ treated as unknown and yet being well known; as dying, and yet look—we live; as punished yet not put to death; ¹⁰ as grieving yet always rejoicing; as poor yet making many rich; as having nothing yet possessing everything.

¹¹ We have spoken to you openly,^[e] Corinthians. Our heart is standing wide open. ¹² We have plenty of room for you, but you do not have room for us in your affections. ¹³ I am speaking as to my children: In exchange, open your hearts wide too.

Do Not Be Yoked With Unbelievers

¹⁴ Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what partnership does righteousness have with lawlessness? Or what fellowship does light have with darkness? ¹⁵ And what agreement does Christ have with Belial?^[f] Or what does a believer share in common with an unbeliever? ¹⁶ And what mutual agreement does God’s temple have with idols? For you^[g] are the temple of the living God, just as God said:

7 So then, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that defiles flesh and spirit as we seek to bring sanctification to its goal in the fear of God.

You Encouraged Us

² Make room for us in your hearts. We have wronged no one. We have corrupted no one. We have taken advantage of no one. ³ I am not saying this to condemn you. In fact, I have said before that you are in our hearts—we died together and live together with you! ⁴ I have great confidence in you. I am very proud of you. I am filled with encouragement. I am overflowing with joy in all our trouble.

⁵ In fact, when we came to Macedonia, our flesh had no relief. Instead, we were troubled in every way—conflicts on the outside, fears on the inside. ⁶ But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us with the arrival of Titus, ⁷ and not only with his arrival, but also with the comfort he had received concerning you. He told us about your longing, your sorrow, and your serious concern for me. As a result, I rejoiced even more.

⁸ For even if I caused you sorrow with my letter, I do not regret it (even though I did regret it, for I see that my letter caused you sorrow—yet only for a little while). ⁹ Now I rejoice, not because you were made to feel sorrow, but because this sorrow resulted in repentance. Yes, you were made sorry in a godly way. So you were not harmed in any way by us. ¹⁰ In fact, godly sorrow produces repentance, which leads to salvation, leaving no regret. On the other hand, worldly sorrow produces death.

¹¹ Yes, look what godly sorrow produced in you: what diligence, what eagerness to clear yourself, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what zeal, what correction! In every way you proved yourselves to be pure in this matter. ¹² So although I wrote to you, it was not because of the one who did what was wrong, or because of the one who was harmed by it. I wrote instead so that your genuine concern for us would be revealed to you in the sight of God. ¹³ For that reason we have been comforted.

In addition to our comfort, we rejoiced a great deal more at the joy of Titus, because all of you have set his spirit at rest. ¹⁴ For if I made any boast to him about you, I have not been put to shame. Rather, just as everything we said to you was true, so also our boasting to Titus turned out to be true. ¹⁵ And his heart goes out to you even more, as he remembers the obedience of all of you (how you received him with fear and trembling). ¹⁶ I rejoice because I have complete confidence in you.

Finish the Collection

8 Now brothers,^[k] we want you to know about the grace of God that was given in the churches of Macedonia: ² In a severe test of trouble, their overflowing joy and their deep poverty overflowed into an abundance of their generosity.^{[l] 3} I testify that of their own free will they gave according to their ability, and even beyond their ability, ⁴ pleading with us with an urgent request for the gracious privilege of joining in this service to the saints. ⁵ And they did this not as we had expected, but in keeping with God’s will they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us. ⁶ As a result we urged Titus, since he had already made a beginning, to bring to completion this gracious gift on your part. ⁷ But just as you overflow in every way—in faith, in word, in knowledge, in all diligence, and in your love for us^[m]—see that you also overflow in this gracious gift.

⁸ I do not say this as a command, but to test how genuine your love is, by comparing it with the eagerness of others. ⁹ For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that although he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that through his poverty you might become rich.

¹⁰ And I am giving advice in this matter because it is going to be helpful for you. Last year, you were not only the first to take action, but also the first to be willing. ¹¹ Now bring the work to completion too, so that your eagerness to start may be matched by your completing it with what you have. ¹² For if the eagerness is there, a gift is acceptable according to what someone has, not according to what he does not have.

¹³ Certainly, our goal is not that others take it easy while you are burdened, but that there may be equality. ¹⁴ At the present time, your abundance will provide what they lack, in order that their abundance will also provide what you lack—in this way there will be equality. ¹⁵ As it is written, “The one who gathered much did not have too much, and the one who gathered little did not have too little.”^[n]

¹⁶ Thanks be to God, who put into the heart of Titus the same concern I have for you, ¹⁷ because he accepted our encouragement and went to you eagerly, of his own free will. ¹⁸ We sent along with him the brother who is recognized by all the churches for his preaching of the gospel. ¹⁹ Not only that—but also he was elected^[o] by the churches to be our traveling companion, as we administer this gracious gift to the glory of the Lord and to show our eagerness to help. ²⁰ We are trying to avoid any criticism of the way we are administering this lavish gift. ²¹ To be sure, we are taking into consideration what is proper, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of other people.

²² We sent along with them our brother who has often proved to us in many tests that he is eager, and now is even more eager, because of the great confidence he has in you.

²³ As for Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker for your benefit. Our brothers, messengers sent by the churches, are the glory of Christ. ²⁴ So then, show the evidence of your love in the sight of the churches, and demonstrate why we boasted to them about you.

Christian Giving

9 It is really not necessary for me to write to you about the service to the saints, ² because I know your eagerness. I am boasting about it on your behalf to the Macedonians, saying that Achaia has been ready since last year. Your zeal has stirred up many of them. ³ But I am sending the brothers so that our boasting on your behalf will not prove to be empty in this case, but that you will be prepared just as I have been saying. ⁴ Otherwise, if any Macedonians come along with me and find you unprepared, we (to say nothing of you) would be ashamed of this confidence.^{[p] 5} That is why I considered it necessary to urge the brothers to visit you in advance, and to arrange ahead of time the expression of praise that you previously promised, so that it may be ready as an expression of praise, not of grudging selfishness.

⁶ This is what I mean: The one who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly. The one who sows generously^[q] will also reap generously. ⁷ Each one should give as he has determined in his heart, not reluctantly or under pressure, for God loves a cheerful giver.

God Provides

⁸ God is able to make all grace overflow to you, so that in all things, at all times, having all that you need, you will overflow in every good work. ⁹ As it is written:

¹⁰ And he who provides seed to the sower and bread for food will provide and multiply your seed for sowing, and will increase the harvest of your righteousness. ¹¹ You will be made rich in every way so that you may be generous^[s] in every way, which produces thanksgiving to God through us.

¹² To be sure, the administration of this service is not only making up for what is lacking among the saints, but it is also overflowing in many prayers of thanksgiving to God. ¹³ By proving yourselves in this service, many people are glorifying God, as they see the obedience shown in your confession of the gospel of Christ, and the generosity^[t] shown in your sharing with them and all people. ¹⁴ At the same time as they pray for you, they also express their longing for you, because of the extraordinary measure of God’s grace given to you. ¹⁵ Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!