HelpFinder Bible - Flipbook - Page 1420
2 C O RIN T H I A N S 6
rather than having a sincere heart. 13 If it seems
we are crazy, it is to bring glory to God. And if
we are in our right minds, it is for your benefit.
14 Either way, Christ’s love controls us.* Since we
believe that Christ died for all, we also believe
that we have all died to our old life.* 15 He died
for everyone so that those who receive his new
life will no longer live for themselves. Instead,
they will live for Christ, who died and was
raised for them.
16 So we have stopped evaluating others from
a human point of view. At one time we thought
of Christ merely from a human point of view.
How differently we know him now! 17 This
means that anyone who belongs to Christ has
become a new person. The old life is gone;
a new life has begun!
18 And all of this is a gift from God, who
brought us back to himself through Christ.
And God has given us this task of reconciling
people to him. 19 For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting
people’s sins against them. And he gave us this
wonderful message of reconciliation. 20 So we
are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his
appeal through us. We speak for Christ when
we plead, “Come back to God!” 21 For God made
Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for
our sin,* so that we could be made right with
God through Christ.
— promises —
from God
Anyone who belongs to
Christ has become a new
person. The old life is gone;
a new life has begun!
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exhaustion, endured sleepless nights, and gone
without food. 6 We prove ourselves by our purity,
our understanding, our patience, our kindness,
by the Holy Spirit within us,* and by our sincere love. 7 We faithfully preach the truth. God’s
power is working in us. We use the weapons of
righteousness in the right hand for attack and
the left hand for defense. 8 We serve God whether
people honor us or despise us, whether they
slander us or praise us. We are honest, but they
call us impostors. 9 We are ignored, even though
we are well known. We live close to death, but
we are still alive. We have been beaten, but we
have not been killed. 10 Our hearts ache, but we
always have joy. We are poor, but we give spiritual riches to others. We own nothing, and yet
we have everything.
11 Oh, dear Corinthian friends! We have spoken honestly with you, and our hearts are open
to you. 12 There is no lack of love on our part,
but you have withheld your love from us. 13 I am
asking you to respond as if you were my own
children. Open your hearts to us!
The Temple of the Living God
14 Don’t team up with those who are unbelievers.
How can righteousness be a partner with wickedness? How can light live with darkness?
15 What harmony can there be between Christ
and the devil*? How can a believer be a partner
with an unbeliever? 16 And what union can there
be between God’s temple and idols? For we are
the temple of the living God. As God said:
17
2 C O R I N T H I A N S 5:17
18
6
As God’s partners,* we beg you not to accept this marvelous gift of God’s kindness
and then ignore it. 2 For God says,
“At just the right time, I heard you.
On the day of salvation, I helped you.”*
Indeed, the “right time” is now. Today is the day
of salvation.
Paul’s Hardships
3 We live in such a way that no one will stumble
because of us, and no one will find fault with
our ministry. 4 In everything we do, we show
that we are true ministers of God. We patiently
endure troubles and hardships and calamities of every kind. 5 We have been beaten, been
put in prison, faced angry mobs, worked to
“I will live in them
and walk among them.
I will be their God,
and they will be my people.*
Therefore, come out from among
unbelievers,
and separate yourselves from them,
says the Lord.
Don’t touch their filthy things,
and I will welcome you.*
And I will be your Father,
and you will be my sons and daughters,
says the Lord Almighty.*”
7
Because we have these promises, dear
friends, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that can defile our body or spirit. And let
us work toward complete holiness because we
fear God.
2 Please open your hearts to us. We have not
done wrong to anyone, nor led anyone astray,
nor taken advantage of anyone. 3 I’m not saying
5:14a Or urges us on. 5:14b Greek Since one died for all, then
all died. 5:21 Or to become sin itself. 6:1 Or As we work
together. 6:2 Isa 49:8 (Greek version). 6:6 Or by our holiness
of spirit. 6:15 Greek Beliar; various other manuscripts render
this proper name of the devil as Belian, Beliab, or Belial.
6:16 Lev 26:12; Ezek 37:27. 6:17 Isa 52:11; Ezek 20:34 (Greek
version). 6:18 2 Sam 7:14.