2 Corinthians 5–6

OUR FUTURE AFTER DEATH

5For we know that if our earthly tent we live in^r is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal dwelling in the heavens,^s not made with hands.^{t 2}Indeed, we groan in this tent, desiring^u to put on our heavenly dwelling, ³since, when we are clothed,^B we will not be found naked.^{v 4}Indeed, we groan while we are in this tent, burdened as we are, because we do not want to be unclothed but clothed, so that mortality^w may be swallowed up by life. ⁵Now the one who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave us the Spirit as a down payment.

⁶So we are always confident and know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. ⁷For we walk by faith,^x not by sight.^{y 8}In fact, we are confident, and we would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.^{z 9}Therefore, whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to be pleasing^aa to him. ¹⁰For we must all appear before the judgment seat^ab of Christ,^ac so that each may be repaid^ad for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.

¹¹Therefore, since we know the fear of the Lord,^ae we try to persuade people. What we are is plain to God, and I hope it is also plain to your consciences. ¹²We are not commending ourselves to you again, but giving you an opportunity to be proud of us, so that you may have a reply for those who take pride in outward appearance rather than in the heart. ¹³For if we are out of our mind,^af it is for God; if we are in our right mind,^ag it is for you. ¹⁴For the love of Christ compels us, since we have reached this conclusion, that one died for all,^ah and therefore all died. ¹⁵And he died for all^ai so that those who live should no longer live for themselves,^aj but for the one^ak who died for them and was raised.

THE MINISTRY OF RECONCILIATION

¹⁶From now on, then, we do not know anyone from a worldly perspective.^A Even if we have known Christ from a worldly perspective,^B yet now we no longer know him in this way. ¹⁷Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation;^al the old has passed away, and see,^am the new has^C come!^{an 18}Everything is from God, who has reconciled us to himself through Christ and has given us the ministry of reconciliation.^{ao 19}That is, in Christ, God was reconciling the world^ap to himself,^aq not counting their trespasses against them, and he has committed the message of reconciliation to us.

²⁰Therefore, we are ambassadors^ar for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us. We plead on Christ’s behalf,^as “Be reconciled to God.” ²¹He made the one who did not know sin^at to be sin^D for us,^au so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

6Working together with him, we also appeal to you, “Don’t receive the grace of God in vain.” ²For he says:

At an acceptable time I listened to you,

and in the day of salvation I helped you.^Ea

See, now is the acceptable time; now is the day of salvation!^b

THE CHARACTER OF PAUL’S MINISTRY

³We are not giving anyone an occasion for offense, so that the ministry will not be blamed. ⁴Instead, as God’s ministers, we commend ourselves in everything: by great endurance, by afflictions, by hardships, by difficulties, ⁵by beatings, by imprisonments,^c by riots, by labors, by sleepless nights, by times of hunger, ⁶by purity,^d by knowledge,^e by patience,^f by kindness,^g by the Holy Spirit, by sincere love,^{h 7}by the word of truth,^Fi by the power of God;^j through weapons of righteousness for the right hand and the left, ⁸through glory^k and dishonor, through slander and good report; regarded as deceivers, yet true; ⁹as unknown, yet recognized; as dying, yet see—we live; as being disciplined, yet not killed; ¹⁰as grieving, yet always rejoicing;^l as poor, yet enriching many; as having nothing, yet possessing everything. ¹¹We have spoken openly to you, Corinthians; our heart has been opened wide. ¹²We are not withholding our affection from you, but you are withholding yours from us. ¹³I speak as to my children; as a proper response, open your heart to us.

SEPARATION TO GOD

¹⁴Do not be yoked together with those who do not believe. For what partnership is there between righteousness and lawlessness?^m Or what fellowship does lightⁿ have with darkness?^{o 15}What agreement does Christ have with Belial?^A Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? ¹⁶And what agreement does the temple of God have with idols?^p For we^B are the temple of the living God, as God said:

I will dwell^q

and walk among them,

and I will be their God,^r

and they will be my people.^Cs

¹⁷Therefore, come out from among them

and be separate, says the Lord;

do not touch any unclean thing,

and I will welcome you.^Dt

¹⁸And I will be a Father^u to you,

and you will be sons^v and daughters to me,

says the Lord Almighty.^Ew