2 Corinthians 6–7

Marks of the Ministry

6We then, as ^aworkers together with Him also ^bplead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain. ²For He says:

^c“In an acceptable time I have heard you,

And in the day of salvation I have helped you.”

Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.

^3dWe give no offense in anything, that our ministry may not be blamed. ⁴But in all things we commend ourselves ^eas ministers of God: in much ¹patience, in tribulations, in needs, in distresses, ^5fin stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in fastings; ⁶by purity, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Spirit, by ²sincere love, ^7gby the word of truth, by ^hthe power of God, by ⁱthe armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, ⁸by honor and dishonor, by evil report and good report; as deceivers, and yet true; ⁹as unknown, and ^jyet well known; ^kas dying, and behold we live; ^las chastened, and yet not killed; ¹⁰as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many ^mrich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.

Be Holy

¹¹O Corinthians! ³We have spoken openly to you, ⁿour heart is wide open. ¹²You are not restricted by us, but ^oyou are restricted by your own affections. ¹³Now in return for the same ^p(I speak as to children), you also be open.

^14qDo not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For ^rwhat ⁴fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what ⁵communion has light with darkness? ¹⁵And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? ¹⁶And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For ^syou ⁶are the temple of the living God. As God has said:

^t“I will dwell in them

And walk among them.

I will be their God,

And they shall be My people.”

¹⁷Therefore

^u“Come out from among them

And be separate, says the Lord.

Do not touch what is unclean,

And I will receive you.”

¹⁸“I ^vwill be a Father to you,

and you shall be My ^wsons and daughters,

says the Lord Almighty.”

7Therefore, ^ahaving these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

The Corinthians’ Repentance

²Open your hearts to us. We have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, ^bwe have cheated no one. ³I do not say this to condemn; for ^cI have said before that you are in our hearts, to die together and to live together. ^4dGreat is my boldness of speech toward you, ^egreat is my boasting on your behalf. ^fI am filled with comfort. I am exceedingly joyful in all our tribulation.

⁵For indeed, ^gwhen we came to Macedonia, our bodies had no rest, but ^hwe were troubled on every side. ⁱOutside were conflicts, inside were fears. ⁶Nevertheless ^jGod, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by ^kthe coming of Titus, ⁷and not only by his coming, but also by the ¹consolation with which he was comforted in you, when he told us of your earnest desire, your mourning, your zeal for me, so that I rejoiced even more.

⁸For even if I made you ^lsorry with my letter, I do not regret it; ^mthough I did regret it. For I perceive that the same epistle made you sorry, though only for a while. ⁹Now I rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that your sorrow led to repentance. For you were made sorry in a godly manner, that you might suffer loss from us in nothing. ¹⁰For ⁿgodly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; ^obut the sorrow of the world produces death. ¹¹For observe this very thing, that you sorrowed in a godly manner: What diligence it produced in you, what ^pclearing of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what vehement desire, what zeal, what vindication! In all things you proved yourselves to be ^qclear in this matter. ¹²Therefore, although I wrote to you, I did not do it for the sake of him who had done the wrong, nor for the sake of him who suffered wrong, ^rbut that our care for you in the sight of God might appear to you.

The Joy of Titus

¹³Therefore we have been comforted in your comfort. And we rejoiced exceedingly more for the joy of Titus, because his spirit ^shas been refreshed by you all. ¹⁴For if in anything I have boasted to him about you, I am not ashamed. But as we spoke all things to you in truth, even so our boasting to Titus was found true. ¹⁵And his affections are greater for you as he remembers ^tthe obedience of you all, how with fear and trembling you received him. ¹⁶Therefore I rejoice that ^uI have confidence in you in everything.