6
We work together with God. So we are asking you not to receive God's grace and then do nothing with it. 2 He says,
‘When I had mercy on you, I heard you.
On the day I saved you, I helped you.’ (Isaiah 49:8)
I tell you, now is the time God has mercy. Now is the day he saves.
3 We don't put anything in anyone's way. So no one can find fault with our work for God. 4 Instead, we make it clear that we serve God in every way. We serve him by standing firm in troubles, hard times and suffering. 5 We don't give up when we are beaten or put in prison. When people stir up trouble in the streets, we continue to serve God. We work hard for him. We go without sleep and food. 6 We remain pure. We understand completely what it means to serve God. We are patient and kind. We serve him in the power of the Holy Spirit. We serve him with true love. 7 We speak the truth. We serve in the power of God. We hold the weapons of godliness in the right hand and in the left. 8 We serve God in times of glory and shame. We serve him whether the news about us is bad or good. We are true to our calling. But people treat us as if we were pretenders. 9 We are known, but people treat us as if we were unknown. We are dying, but we continue to live. We are beaten, but we are not killed. 10 We are sad, but we are always full of joy. We are poor, but we make many people rich. We have nothing, but we own everything.
5:11–6:10 Some people in the Corinthian church spoke against Paul and those who worked with him. They didn't want the Corinthians to trust Paul as an apostle. They accused Paul and his fellow workers of being crazy. They claimed that they looked better than Paul. They claimed that their words made more sense than the words of Paul and his companions. They did this so that people would believe them instead of what Paul preached. Paul explained that the Corinthians could be proud of him and his fellow workers. They could be proud because Paul and his companions were faithful to God. They served others and were full of Christ's love. They were messengers sent by Jesus to beg people to receive God's mercy. God showed his mercy when Jesus died on the cross. That is when Jesus stopped the power of sin over people. He made it possible for them to live in peace with God. That is what it means to be brought back to God. Being brought back to God is the same as being made right with God. People who are brought back to God live for Jesus Christ. It's as if they have died to the way they used to live. Now they are part of the new creation. They work together with God to invite everyone to come back to God. Paul and his fellow workers faced many dangers as they did this work. They remained faithful to God even when they were treated badly. The Holy Spirit's power gave them the strength to keep following Jesus' example.
11 Believers at Corinth, we have spoken freely to you. We have opened our hearts wide to you. 12 We are not holding back our love from you. But you are holding back your love from us. 13 I speak to you as if you were my children. It is only fair that you open your hearts wide to us also.
14 Do not be joined to unbelievers. What do right and wrong have in common? Can light and darkness be friends? 15 How can Christ and Satan agree? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? 16 How can the temple of the true God and the statues of other gods agree? We are the temple of the living God. God has said,
‘I will live with them.
I will walk among them.
I will be their God.
And they will be my people.’ (Leviticus 26:12; Jeremiah 32:38; Ezekiel 37:27)
17 So,
‘Come out from among them
and be separate,
says the Lord.
Do not touch anything that is not pure and “clean”.
Then I will receive you.’ (Isaiah 52:11; Ezekiel 20:34, 41)
18 And,
‘I will be your Father.
You will be my sons and daughters,
says the Lord who rules over all.’ (2 Samuel 7:14; 7:8)