2 Corinthians 5–6

5For we know that when this tent we live in—our body here on earth—is torn down, God will have a house in heaven for us to live in, a home he himself has made, which will last for ever. ²And now we sigh, so great is our desire that our home which comes from heaven should be put on over us; ³by being clothed with it we shall not be without a body. ⁴While we live in this earthly tent, we groan with a feeling of oppression; it is not that we want to get rid of our earthly body, but that we want to have the heavenly one put on over us, so that what is mortal will be transformed by life. ⁵God is the one who has prepared us for this change, and he gave us his Spirit as the guarantee of all that he has in store for us.

⁶So we are always full of courage. We know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord’s home. ⁷For our life is a matter of faith, not of sight. ⁸We are full of courage and would much prefer to leave our home in the body and be at home with the Lord. ⁹More than anything else, however, we want to please him, whether in our home here or there. ^10*For all of us must appear before Christ, to be judged by him. We will each receive what we deserve, according to everything we have done, good or bad, in our bodily life.

Friendship with God through Christ

¹¹We know what it means to fear the Lord, and so we try to persuade others. God knows us completely, and I hope that in your hearts you know me as well. ¹²We are not trying again to recommend ourselves to you; rather, we are trying to give you a good reason to be proud of us, so that you will be able to answer those who boast about people’s appearance and not about their character. ¹³Are we really insane? It is for God’s sake. Or are we sane? Then it is for your sake. ¹⁴We are ruled by the love of Christ, now that we recognize that one man died for everyone, which means that all share in his death. ¹⁵He died for all, so that those who live should no longer live for themselves, but only for him who died and was raised to life for their sake.

¹⁶No longer, then, do we judge anyone by human standards. Even if at one time we judged Christ according to human standards, we no longer do so. ¹⁷Anyone who is joined to Christ is a new being; the old is gone, the new has come. ¹⁸All this is done by God, who through Christ changed us from enemies into his friends and gave us the task of making others his friends also. ¹⁹Our message is that God was making the whole human race his friends through Christ.^d God did not keep an account of their sins, and he has given us the message which tells how he makes them his friends.

²⁰Here we are, then, speaking for Christ, as though God himself were making his appeal through us. We plead on Christ’s behalf: let God change you from enemies into his friends! ²¹Christ was without sin, but for our sake God made him share our sin in order that in union with him we might share the righteousness of God.

6In our work together with God, then, we beg you who have received God’s grace not to let it be wasted. ^2*Hear what God says:

“When the time came for me to show you favour

I heard you;

when the day arrived for me to save you,

I helped you.”

Listen! This is the hour to receive God’s favour; today is the day to be saved!

³We do not want anyone to find fault with our work, so we try not to put obstacles in anyone’s way. ⁴Instead, in everything we do we show that we are God’s servants by patiently enduring troubles, hardships, and difficulties. ^5*We have been beaten, imprisoned, and mobbed; we have been overworked and have gone without sleep or food. ⁶By our purity, knowledge, patience, and kindness we have shown ourselves to be God’s servants—by the Holy Spirit, by our true love, ⁷by our message of truth, and by the power of God. We have righteousness as our weapon, both to attack and to defend ourselves. ⁸We are honoured and disgraced; we are insulted and praised. We are treated as liars, yet we speak the truth; ⁹as unknown, yet we are known by all; as though we were dead, but, as you see, we live on. Although punished, we are not killed; ¹⁰although saddened, we are always glad; we seem poor, but we make many people rich; we seem to have nothing, yet we really possess everything.

¹¹Dear friends in Corinth! We have spoken frankly to you; we have opened our hearts wide. ¹²It is not we who have closed our hearts to you; it is you who have closed your hearts to us. ¹³I speak now as though you were my children: show us the same feelings that we have for you. Open your hearts wide!

Warning against Pagan Influences

¹⁴Do not try to work together as equals with unbelievers, for it cannot be done. How can right and wrong be partners? How can light and darkness live together? ¹⁵How can Christ and the Devil agree? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? ^16*How can God’s temple come to terms with pagan idols? For we are the temple of the living God! As God himself has said:

“I will make my home with my people

and live among them;

I will be their God,

and they shall be my people.”

^17*And so the Lord says,

“You must leave them

and separate yourselves from them.

Have nothing to do with what is unclean,

and I will accept you.

^18*I will be your father,

and you shall be my sons and daughters,

says the Lord Almighty.”