Beginning

Absent from the Body and at Home with the Lord

5 For we know that if our earthly house, the tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made by hands, eternal in the heavens. ² For indeed, in this house we groan, because we^[a] desire to put on our dwelling from heaven, ³ if indeed, even after we^[b] have taken it off,^[c] we will not be found naked. ⁴ For indeed we who are in this tent groan, being burdened for this reason, that^[d] we do not want to be unclothed, but to be clothed, in order that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. ⁵ Now the one who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the down payment, the Spirit.

⁶ Therefore, although we are^[e] always confident and know that while we^[f] are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord— ⁷ for we live by faith, not by sight— ⁸ so we are confident and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord. ⁹ Therefore indeed we have as our ambition, whether at home in the body or absent from the body, to be acceptable to him. ¹⁰ For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, in order that each one may receive back the things through the body according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

Controlled by the Love of Christ

¹¹ Therefore, because we^[g] know the fear of the Lord, we are attempting to persuade people, but we are revealed to God, and I hope to be revealed in your consciences. ¹² We are not commending ourselves to you again, but are giving you an opportunity to boast about us, in order that you may have an answer for those who boast in appearance and not in heart. ¹³ For if we are out of our senses, it is for God; if we are of sound mind, it is for you. ¹⁴ For the love of Christ controls us, because we^[h] have concluded this: that one died for all; as a result all died. ¹⁵ And he died for all, in order that those who live should no longer live for themselves, but for the one who died for them and was raised.

¹⁶ So then, from now on we know no one from a human point of view^[i], if indeed we have known Christ from a human point of view^[j], but now we know him this way no longer. ¹⁷ Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old things have passed away; behold, new things have come. ¹⁸ And all these things are from God, who has reconciled us to himself through Christ, and who has given us the ministry of reconciliation, ¹⁹ namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. ²⁰ Therefore we are ambassadors on behalf of Christ, as if^[k] God were imploring you through us. We beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. ²¹ He made the one who did not know sin to be sin on our behalf, in order that we could become the righteousness of God in him.

Afflictions of God’s Servants

6 Now because we^[l] are fellow workers, we also urge you not to receive the grace of God in vain. ² For he says,

Behold, now is the acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation! ³ We are giving no one an occasion for taking offense in anything, in order that our ministry will not have fault found with it, ⁴ but commending ourselves as servants of God in every way, in much endurance, in afflictions, in distresses, in difficulties, ⁵ in beatings, in prisons, in disturbances, in troubles, in sleepless nights, in going hungry, ⁶ in purity, in knowledge, in patience, in kindness, in the Holy Spirit, in love without hypocrisy, ⁷ in the word of truth, in the power of God, with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and left hand, ⁸ through glory and dishonor, through slander and good repute, regarded as deceivers and yet truthful, ⁹ as unknown and yet known completely, as dying, and behold, we go on living, as disciplined, and yet not put to death, ¹⁰ as grieving, but always rejoicing, as poor, but making many rich, as having nothing, and possessing everything.

¹¹ We have spoken freely and openly^[n] to you, Corinthians; our heart is open wide. ¹² You are not restricted by us, but you are restricted in your affections. ¹³ Now the same way in exchange (I am speaking as to children), you open wide your hearts also.

Do Not Become Unevenly Yoked with Unbelievers

¹⁴ Do not become unevenly yoked with unbelievers, for what participation is there between righteousness and lawlessness? Or what fellowship does light have with darkness? ¹⁵ And what agreement does Christ have with Beliar? Or what share does a believer have with an unbeliever? ¹⁶ And what agreement does the temple of God have with idols? For we are the temple of the living God, just as God said,

Paul’s Joy at the Corinthians’ Repentance

7 Therefore since we^[t] have these promises, dear friends, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of body and spirit, accomplishing holiness in the fear of God. ² Make room for us in your hearts^[u]. We have wronged no one, we have ruined no one, we have defrauded no one. ³ I do not say this to condemn you^[v], because I have already said that you are in our hearts, so that we die together and we live together. ⁴ Great is my confidence toward you; great is my boasting on your behalf; I am filled with encouragement; I am overflowing with joy in all our affliction.

⁵ For even when^[w] we arrived in Macedonia, our body had no rest, but we were afflicted in every way—quarrels outside, fears within. ⁶ But God, who comforts the humble, comforted us by the coming of Titus, ⁷ and not only by his coming, but also by the comfort with which he was comforted among you, because he^[x] reported to us your longing, your mourning, your zeal for me, so that I rejoiced even more. ⁸ For if indeed I grieved you by my letter, I do not regret it. Even if I did regret it (I see^[y] that that letter grieved you, even though for a short time^[z]), ⁹ now I rejoice, not that you were grieved, but that you were grieved to repentance. For you were grieved according to the will of God, so that you suffered loss in no way through us. ¹⁰ For grief according to the will of God brings about a repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted, but worldly grief brings about death. ¹¹ For behold how much diligence this very thing, being grieved according to the will of God, has brought about in you: what defense of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what punishment! In everything you have demonstrated yourselves to be innocent in this matter. ¹² Consequently, even if I wrote to you, it was not because of the one who did wrong or because of the one who had been wronged, but in order that your diligence on our behalf^[aa] might be revealed to you before God. ¹³ Because of this we have been encouraged, and in addition to our encouragement, we rejoiced much more over the joy of Titus, because his spirit had been refreshed by all of you. ¹⁴ For if I have boasted anything to him about you, I have not been put to shame, but as I have spoken everything to you in truth, thus also our boasting to Titus has proven to be true^[ab]. ¹⁵ And his affection for you is all the more when he^[ac] remembers the obedience of all of you as you welcomed him with fear and trembling. ¹⁶ I rejoice, because in everything I am completely confident in you.

Generosity in Giving

8 Now we make known to you, brothers, the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, ² that with a great ordeal of affliction, the abundance of their joy and the extreme depth of their poverty have overflowed to the wealth of their generosity. ³ I testify that they gave^[ad] according to their ability, and beyond their ability, by their own choice, ⁴ requesting of us with much exhortation the favor and the fellowship of the ministry to the saints, ⁵ and not just as we had hoped, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us, by the will of God. ⁶ So we urged Titus that, just as he had previously begun it, thus he would also complete for you this act of grace. ⁷ But just as you excel in everything—in faith and in speaking and in knowledge and with all diligence and in the love from us that is in you—so may you excel in this grace also. ⁸ I am not saying this as a command, but proving the genuineness of your love by means of the diligence of others. ⁹ For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that although he^[ae] was rich, for your sake he became poor, in order that you, by his poverty, may become rich. ¹⁰ And I am giving an opinion in this matter, because this is profitable for you who not only began previously, a year ago, to do something, but also to want to do it. ¹¹ So now also complete the doing of it, in order that just as you have the eagerness to want to do it, thus also you may complete it from what you have. ¹² For if the eagerness is present according to what one has^[af], it is acceptable not according to what one does not have^[ag]. ¹³ For this is not that for others there may be relief, and for you difficult circumstances, but as a matter of equality. ¹⁴ At the present time your abundance will be for their need, in order that their abundance may also be for your need, so that there may be equality, ¹⁵ just 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.”^[ah]

Arrangements for Administering the Corinthians’ Gift

¹⁶ But thanks be to God, who has put in the heart of Titus the same devotion on your behalf^[ai], ¹⁷ because he not only welcomed our request, but being very earnest, by his own choice he went out^[aj] to you. ¹⁸ And we have sent at the same time with him the brother whose praise in the gospel has become known throughout all the churches. ¹⁹ And not only this, but he was also chosen by the churches as our traveling companion together with this gift that is being administered by us to the glory of the Lord himself and to show our readiness to help. ²⁰ We are trying to avoid this, lest anyone should find fault with us in this abundant gift that is being administered by us. ²¹ For we are taking into consideration what is honorable not only before the Lord, but also before people. ²² And we are sending with them our brother whom we have tested many times in many things that he is diligent, but now much more diligent because of his great confidence in you. ²³ If there is a question concerning Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker for you. If there is a question concerning our brothers, they are messengers of the churches, the glory of Christ. ²⁴ Therefore show to them the proof of your love and our boasting about you openly before^[ak] the churches.

God Loves a Cheerful Giver

9 For it is unnecessary for me to write to you concerning the ministry to the saints, ² because I know your readiness to help, concerning which I keep on boasting to the Macedonians about you, that Achaia has been ready to help since last year, and your zeal has stirred up the majority of them. ³ But I am sending the brothers in order that our boasting about you would not prove to be empty in this case, so that you may be prepared just as I was saying, ⁴ lest somehow if Macedonians should come with me and find you unprepared, we—not to speak of you^[al]—would be humiliated in connection with this project. ⁵ Therefore I considered it necessary to urge the brothers that they should go on ahead to you and make arrangements in advance for your generous gift that was promised previously, so this would be prepared as a generous gift and not as grudgingly granted.

⁶ Now the point is this: the one who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the one who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. ⁷ Each one should give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly^[am] or from compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. ⁸ And God is able to cause all grace to abound to you, so that in everything at all times, because you^[an] have enough of everything, you may overflow in every good work. ⁹ Just as it is written,

¹⁰ Now the one who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will provide and multiply your seed, and will cause the harvest of your righteousness to grow, ¹¹ being made rich in every way for all generosity, which is producing through us thanksgiving to God, ¹² because the service of this ministry is not only supplying the needs of the saints, but also is overflowing through many expressions of thanksgiving to God. ¹³ Through the proven character of this service they will glorify God because of the submission of your confession to the gospel of Christ and the generosity of your participation toward them and toward everyone, ¹⁴ and they are longing for you in their prayers for you, because of the surpassing grace of God to you. ¹⁵ Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!