Servants of God in every trial
1Working together with him, then, we urge you not to receive the grace of God in vain. 2For he says, “At the acceptable time I heard you, and on the day of salvation I helped you.” Look, now is the acceptable time; look, now is the day of salvation. 3We put no stumbling block in anyone’s way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry. 4Instead, in everything we commend ourselves as servants of God: in great endurance, in afflictions, in hardships, in distresses, 5in beatings, in prisons, in riots, in labors, in sleepless nights, in times of fasting; 6in purity, in knowledge, in patience, in kindness, in the Holy Spirit, in love without pretense; 7in truthful speech, in the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left; 8through honor and dishonor, through slander and praise. We are taken for impostors, and we are true; 9for unknown, and we are well known; for dying, and look — we live; for punished, and we are not put to death; 10for sorrowful, yet we are always rejoicing; for poor, yet we make many rich; for having nothing, yet we possess everything. 11We have spoken to you with an open mouth, Corinthians; our heart is wide open. 12You are not cramped by us; you are cramped in your own affections. 13In fair exchange — I speak as to my children — open wide your hearts as well.
The temple of the living God
14Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. What partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? What fellowship has light with darkness? 15What harmony is there between Christ and Beliar? What share does a believer have with an unbeliever? 16What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God, as God said: “I will live among them and walk among them; I will be their God, and they will be my people.” 17Therefore, “Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord; touch nothing unclean, and I will welcome you.” 18“And I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.”
