2Cor 6 | LSB | STEP | And working together with Him , we also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain

2 Corinthians 6

Commendable Ministers of God

1 And working together with Him, we also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain— 2 for He says,

“At the acceptable time I listened to you,
And on the day of salvation I helped you.”
Behold, now is “the acceptable time,” behold, now is “the day of salvation”— 3 giving no cause for offense in anything, so that the ministry will not be discredited, 4 but in everything commending ourselves as ministers of God, in much perseverance, in afflictions, in distresses, in hardships, 5 in beatings, in imprisonments, in disturbances, in labors, in sleeplessness, in hunger, 6 in purity, in knowledge, in patience, in kindness, in the Holy Spirit, in unhypocritical 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 and yet well-known, as dying and yet behold, we live; as ^{▼▼Or disciplined}punished and yet not put to death, 10 as sorrowful but always rejoicing, as poor but making many rich, as having nothing and yet possessing all things.

11 Our mouth ^{▼▼Lit is open to you}has spoken freely to you, O Corinthians, our heart is opened wide. 12 You are not restrained ^{▼▼Or in us}by us, but you are restrained in your own ^{▼▼Lit inward parts}affections. 13 Now in a like exchange—I speak as to children—open wide to us also.

14 Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? 15 Or what harmony has Christ with ^{▼▼Gr Beliar}Belial, or ^{▼▼Lit what part has a believer with an unbeliever}what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? 16 Or what agreement has a ^{▼▼The innermost part of the temple}sanctuary of God with idols? For we are a sanctuary of the living God; just as God said,

“I will dwell in them and walk among them;
And I will be their God, and they shall be My people.
17 “Therefore, come out from their midst and be separate,” says the ^{▼▼In OT, Yahweh, cf. Is 52:11}Lord.
“And do not touch what is unclean,
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 ^{▼▼In OT, Yahweh, cf. 1 Chr 17:7; Hos 1:9}Lord Almighty.