• 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 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 has spoken freely to you, O Corinthians, our heart is opened wide.
  • 12 You are not restrained by us, but you are restrained in your own 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 Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever?
  • 16 Or what agreement has a 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 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 Lord Almighty.