2 Corinthians 6
6
1We are workers together with God. So we beg you: Don’t let the grace that you received from God be for nothing. 2God says,
“I heard you at the right time,
and I gave you help on the day of salvation.” Isaiah 49:8
I tell you that the “right time” is now. The “day of salvation” is now.
3We don’t want people to find anything wrong with our work. So we do nothing that will be a problem to others. 4But in every way we show that we are servants of God. We never give up, even though we face troubles, difficulties, and problems of every kind. 5We are beaten and thrown into prison. People get upset at us and fight against us. We work hard, and sometimes we get no sleep or food. 6We show that we are God’s servants by our pure lives, by our understanding, by our patience, and by our kindness. We show it by the Holy Spirit, by genuine love, 7by speaking the truth, and by depending on God’s power. This right way of living has prepared us to defend ourselves against every kind of attack.
8Some people honor us, but others shame us. Some people say good things about us, but others say bad things. Some people say we are liars, but we speak the truth. 9To some people we are not known, but we are well known. We seem to be dying, but look! We continue to live. We are punished, but we are not killed. 10We have much sadness, but we are always rejoicing. We are poor, but we are making many people rich in faith. We have nothing, but really we have everything.
11We have spoken freely to you people in Corinth. We have opened our hearts to you. 12Our feelings of love for you have not stopped. It is you who have stopped your feelings of love for us. 13I speak to you as if you were my children. Do the same as we have done—open your hearts also.
We Are God’s Temple
14You are not the same as those who don’t believe. So don’t join yourselves to them. Good and evil don’t belong together. Light and darkness cannot share the same room. 15How can there be any unity between Christ and the devil#6:15 the devil Literally, “beliar,” one form of the Hebrew word “belial,” which means “worthlessness” and was used to refer to the devil or the enemy of Christ.? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? 16God’s temple#6:16 God’s temple God’s house—the place where God’s people worship him. Here, it means that believers are the spiritual temple where God lives. cannot have anything to do with idols, and we are the temple of the living God. As God said,
“I will live with them
and walk with them;
I will be their God,
and they will be my people.” Leviticus 26:11-12
17“So come away from those people
and separate yourselves from them, says the Lord.
Don’t touch anything that is not clean,
and I will accept you.” Isaiah 52:11
18“I will be your father,
and you will be my sons and daughters,
says the Lord All-Powerful.” 2 Samuel 7:14; 7:8
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© 1987, 2004 Bible League International
2 Corinthians 6
6
1Working together # Or As we work together with Him, we also appeal to you, “Don’t receive God’s grace in vain.” 2For He says:
I heard you in an acceptable time,
and I helped you in the day of salvation. # Is 49:8 # Is 49:8
Look, now is the acceptable time; now is the day of salvation. # Is 49:8; 55:6; Lk 4:19; Heb 3:13
The Character of Paul’s Ministry
3We give no opportunity for stumbling to anyone, so that the ministry will not be blamed. 4But as God’s ministers, we commend ourselves in everything:
by great endurance, by afflictions,
by hardship, by difficulties,
5by beatings, by imprisonments, # Jdg 16:21
by riots, by labors,
by sleepless nights, by times of hunger,
6by purity, # 2Co 11:3 by knowledge, # Php 3:8; 1Jn 4:8
by patience, # Ex 34:6; 2Tm 3:10 by kindness, # Rm 2:4; 3:12; 11:22; Gl 5:22; Eph 2:7; Col 3:12; Ti 3:4
by the Holy Spirit, by sincere love, # 1Co 13:1
7by the message of truth, # 2Th 2:10
by the power of God; # Mk 5:30; Lk 1:35; 6:19; Ac 19:11; 2Co 13:4; Rv 11:17
through weapons of righteousness
on the right hand and the left,
8through glory # 1Pt 5:4 and dishonor,
through slander and good report;
as deceivers yet true;
9as unknown yet recognized;
as dying and look — we live;
as being disciplined yet not killed;
10as grieving yet always rejoicing; # Mt 5:4; Jn 16:22; 2Co 7:4; Php 1:4,25; 2:17-18; 3:1; 4:1,4; Col 1:24; 1Th 1:6; 1Pt 1:6-8
as poor yet enriching many;
as having nothing yet possessing everything.
11We have spoken openly # Lit Our mouths have been open to you, Corinthians; our heart has been opened wide. 12You are not limited by us, but you are limited by your own affections. 13I speak as to my children. As a proper response, you should also be open to us.
Separation to God
14Do not be mismatched with unbelievers. For what partnership is there between righteousness and lawlessness? # Mt 13:41 Or what fellowship does light # Jn 12:46 have with darkness? # Mt 6:23 15What agreement does Christ have with Belial? # Or Beliar, a name for the Devil or antichrist in extra-biblical Jewish writings Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? 16And what agreement does God’s sanctuary have with idols? # Gn 31:19; 1Co 8:4 For we # Other mss read you are the sanctuary of the living God, as God said:
I will dwell among them # Jms 4:5
and walk among them,
and I will be their God, # Heb 3:6
and they will be My people. # Lv 26:12 # Lv 26:12; Jr 31:33; 32:38; Ezk 37:26
17Therefore, come out from among them
and be separate, says the Lord;
do not touch any unclean thing,
and I will welcome you. # Is 52:11 # Is 52:11
18I will be a Father # Mt 5:16; 11:27; Lk 11:13; Jn 8:42; Eph 5:20 to you,
and you will be sons # Mt 5:9 and daughters to Me,
says the Lord Almighty. # 2Sm 7:14; Rv 1:8 # 2Sm 7:14; Is 43:6; 49:22; 60:4; Hs 1:10
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