Outline
- Thanksgiving for Divine Comfort in Affliction (1:3-11)
- The Integrity of Paul's Motives and Conduct (1:12;2:4)
- Forgiving the Offending Party at Corinth (2:5-11)
- God's Direction in Ministry (2:12-17)
- The Corinthian Believers -- a Letter from Christ (3:1-11)
- Seeing the Glory of God with Unveiled Faces (3:12;4:6)
- Treasure in Clay Jars (4:7-16a)
- The Prospect of Death and What It Means for the Christian (4:16b;5:10)
- The Ministry of Reconciliation (5:11;6:10)
- A Spiritual Father's Appeal to His Children (6:11;7:4)
- The Meeting with Titus (7:5-16)
17 For our light and momentary troubles are
achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.
18So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen,
since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
2 Corinthians 5 NIV
1 For we know that if the earthly tent we
live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven,
not built by human hands.
2Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed
instead with our heavenly dwelling,
3 because when we are clothed, we will not
be found naked.
4 For while we are in this tent, we groan
and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed
instead with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up
by life.
5 Now the one who has fashioned us for
this very purpose is God, who has given us the Spirit as a deposit,
guaranteeing what is to come.
6 Therefore we are always confident and
know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the
Lord.
7 For we live by faith, not by
sight.
8 We are confident, I say, and would
prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.
9 So we make it our goal to please him,
whether we are at home in the body or away from it.
10 For we must all appear before the
judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the
things done while in the body, whether good or bad.
11 Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try
to persuade others. What we are is plain to God, and I hope it is also plain to
your conscience.
12We are not trying to commend ourselves to you again, but are
giving you an opportunity to take pride in us, so that you can answer those who
take pride in what is seen rather than in what is in the heart.
13 If we are “out of our mind,” as some say, it is for God;
if we are in our right mind, it is for you.
14 For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced
that one died for all, and therefore all died.
15 And he died for all, that those who live should no longer
live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.
16So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view.
Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer.
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has
come: The old has gone, the new is here!
18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through
Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation:
19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ,
not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message
of reconciliation.
20 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were
making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled
to God.
21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that
in him we might become the righteousness of God.
2 Corinthians 6 NIV
1 As God’s co-workers we urge you not to receive God’s grace
in vain.
2 For he says, “In the time of my favor I heard you, and in
the day of salvation I helped you.”I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor,
now is the day of salvation.
3 We put no stumbling block in anyone’s path, so that our
ministry will not be discredited.
4 Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every
way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses;
5 in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work,
sleepless nights and hunger;
6 in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the
Holy Spirit and in sincere love;
7 in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons
of righteousness in the right hand and in the left;
8 through glory and dishonor, bad report and good report;
genuine, yet regarded as impostors;
9 known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on;
beaten, and yet not killed;
10 sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many
rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything.
11 We have spoken freely to you, Corinthians, and opened wide
our hearts to you.
12 We are not withholding our affection from you, but you are
withholding yours from us.
13 As a fair exchange—I speak as to my children—open wide
your hearts also.
14 Do not be yoked together with
unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship
can light have with darkness?
15 What harmony is there between Christ and
Belial ? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever?
16 What agreement is there between the
temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has
said: “I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and
they will be my people.”
17 Therefore, “Come out from them and be
separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.”
18 And, “I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons
and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.”
2 Corinthians 7 NIV
1 Therefore, since we have these promises,
dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body
and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.
2 Make room for us in your hearts. We have
wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have exploited no one.
3 I do not say this to condemn you; I have
said before that you have such a place in our hearts that we would live or die
with you.
4 I have spoken to you with great
frankness; I take great pride in you. I am greatly encouraged; in all our
troubles my joy knows no bounds.
5 For when we came into Macedonia, we had
no rest, but we were harassed at every turn—conflicts on the outside, fears
within.
6 But God, who comforts the downcast,
comforted us by the coming of Titus,
7 and not only by his coming but also by
the comfort you had given him. He told us about your longing for me, your deep
sorrow, your ardent concern for me, so that my joy was greater than ever.
8 Even if I caused you sorrow by my
letter, I do not regret it. Though I did regret it—I see that my letter hurt
you, but only for a little while—
9 yet now I am happy, not because you were
made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance. For you became
sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by us.
10 Godly sorrow brings repentance that
leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.
11 See what this godly sorrow has produced
in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation,
what alarm, what longing, what concern, what readiness to see justice done. At
every point you have proved yourselves to be innocent in this matter.
12 So even though I wrote to you, it was
neither on account of the one who did the wrong nor on account of the injured
party, but rather that before God you could see for yourselves how devoted to
us you are.
13 By all this we are encouraged. In
addition to our own encouragement, we were especially delighted to see how
happy Titus was, because his spirit has been refreshed by all of you.
14 I had boasted to him about you, and you
have not embarrassed me. But just as everything we said to you was true, so our
boasting about you to Titus has proved to be true as well.
15 And his affection for you is all the
greater when he remembers that you were all obedient, receiving him with fear
and trembling.
16 I am glad I can have complete confidence in you.
