6
Their Ministry Commended
1 And working together with Him, we also urge you not to receive the grace of God in vain—
2 for He says,
“Aᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴀccᴇᴘᴛᴀʙʟᴇ ᴛɪᴍᴇ I ʟɪsᴛᴇɴᴇᴅ ᴛo ʏoᴜ,
Aɴᴅ oɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴅᴀʏ oꜰ sᴀʟvᴀᴛɪoɴ I ʜᴇʟᴘᴇᴅ ʏoᴜ.”
Behold, now is “ᴛʜᴇ ᴀccᴇᴘᴛᴀʙʟᴇ ᴛɪᴍᴇ,” behold, now is “ᴛʜᴇ ᴅᴀʏ oꜰ sᴀʟvᴀᴛɪoɴ”—
3 giving no cause for offense in anything, so that the ministry will not be discredited,
4 but in everything commending ourselves as servants of God, in much endurance, in afflictions, in hardships, in distresses,
5 in beatings, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in hunger,
6 in purity, in knowledge, in patience, in kindness, in the Holy Spirit, in genuine love,
7 in the word of truth, in the power of God; by the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and the left,
8 by glory and dishonor, by evil report and good report; regarded as deceivers and yet true;
9 as unknown yet well-known, as dying yet behold, we live; as punished yet not put to death,
10 as sorrowful yet always rejoicing, as poor yet making many rich, as having nothing yet possessing all things.
11 Our mouth has spoken freely to you, O Corinthians, our heart is opened wide.
12 You are not restrained by us, but you are restrained in your own affections.
13 Now in a like exchange—I speak as to children—open wide to us also.
14 Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness?
15 Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever?
16 Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said,
“I wɪʟʟ ᴅwᴇʟʟ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇᴍ ᴀɴᴅ wᴀʟᴋ ᴀᴍoɴɢ ᴛʜᴇᴍ;
Aɴᴅ I wɪʟʟ ʙᴇ ᴛʜᴇɪʀ Goᴅ, ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇʏ sʜᴀʟʟ ʙᴇ Mʏ ᴘᴇoᴘʟᴇ.
17 “Therefore, coᴍᴇ oᴜᴛ ꜰʀoᴍ ᴛʜᴇɪʀ ᴍɪᴅsᴛ ᴀɴᴅ ʙᴇ sᴇᴘᴀʀᴀᴛᴇ,” says the Lord.
“Aɴᴅ ᴅo ɴoᴛ ᴛoᴜcʜ wʜᴀᴛ ɪs ᴜɴcʟᴇᴀɴ;
And I will welcome you.
18 “And I will be a father to you,
And you shall be sons and daughters to Me,”
Says the Lord Almighty.