2 Corinthians 5; 2 Corinthians 6; 2 Corinthians 7; 2 Corinthians 8; 2
Corinthians 9
1 Now 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. 2 Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed
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 with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up
by life. 5 Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose
and 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 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, that each one may
receive what is due him 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 men. What we are is plain to God, and I hope it is also plain to your
conscience. 12 We 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, it is for the sake of
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. 16 So 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, he is a new
creation; the old has gone, the new has come! 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 men'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.
1 As God's fellow 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 ? 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 "I will be a Father to you, and you will be
my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty."
1 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 great confidence in you; 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, this body of ours 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 not on account of the one who did the wrong or 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.
1 And now, brothers, we want you to know about the grace
that God has given the Macedonian churches. 2 Out of the most
severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich
generosity. 3 For I testify that they gave as much as they
were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, 4 they
urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the
saints. 5 And they did not do as we expected, but they gave
themselves first to the Lord and then to us in keeping with God's will. 6 So
we urged Titus, since he had earlier made a beginning, to bring also to
completion this act of grace on your part. 7 But just as you
excel in everything--in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness
and in your love for us--see that you also excel in this grace of giving. 8 I
am not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love by
comparing it with the earnestness of others. 9 For you know
the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes
he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich. 10 And
here is my advice about what is best for you in this matter: Last year you were
the first not only to give but also to have the desire to do so. 11 Now
finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your
completion of it, according to your means. 12 For if the
willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not
according to what he does not have. 13 Our desire is not that
others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be
equality. 14 At the present time your plenty will supply what
they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. Then there
will be equality, 15 as it is written: "He who gathered
much did not have too much, and he who gathered little did not have too
little." 16 I thank God, who put into the heart of Titus
the same concern I have for you. 17 For Titus not only
welcomed our appeal, but he is coming to you with much enthusiasm and on his
own initiative. 18 And we are sending along with him the
brother who is praised by all the churches for his service to the gospel. 19 What
is more, he was chosen by the churches to accompany us as we carry the
offering, which we administer in order to honor the Lord himself and to show
our eagerness to help. 20 We want to avoid any criticism of
the way we administer this liberal gift. 21 For we are taking
pains to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord but also in the
eyes of men. 22 In addition, we are sending with them our
brother who has often proved to us in many ways that he is zealous, and now
even more so because of his great confidence in you. 23 As for
Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker among you; as for our brothers, they
are representatives of the churches and an honor to Christ. 24 Therefore
show these men the proof of your love and the reason for our pride in you, so
that the churches can see it.
1 There is no need for me to write to you about this service
to the saints. 2 For I know your eagerness to help, and I have
been boasting about it to the Macedonians, telling them that since last year
you in Achaia were ready to give; and your enthusiasm has stirred most of them
to action. 3 But I am sending the brothers in order that our
boasting about you in this matter should not prove hollow, but that you may be
ready, as I said you would be. 4 For if any Macedonians come
with me and find you unprepared, we--not to say anything about you--would be
ashamed of having been so confident. 5 So I thought it
necessary to urge the brothers to visit you in advance and finish the
arrangements for the generous gift you had promised. Then it will be ready as a
generous gift, not as one grudgingly given. 6Remember this: Whoever
sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also
reap generously. 7 Each man should give what he has decided in
his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a
cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to make all grace abound to
you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound
in every good work. 9 As it is written: "He has scattered
abroad his gifts to the poor; his righteousness endures forever." 10 Now
he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and
increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your
righteousness. 11 You will be made rich in every way so that
you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will
result in thanksgiving to God.12 This service that you perform is
not only supplying the needs of God's people but is also overflowing in many
expressions of thanks to God. 13 Because of the service by
which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that
accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in
sharing with them and with everyone else. 14 And in their
prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing
grace God has given you. 15Thanks be to God for his indescribable
gift!
