Read the Bible

¹ In our work together with God, then, we beg you who have received God's grace not to let it be wasted. ^2 (a)Hear what God says:

Listen! This is the hour to receive God's favor; today is the day to be saved!

³ We do not want anyone to find fault with our work, so we try not to put obstacles in anyone's way. ⁴ Instead, in everything we do we show that we are God's servants by patiently enduring troubles, hardships, and difficulties. ^5 (b)We have been beaten, jailed, and mobbed; we have been overworked and have gone without sleep or food. ⁶ By our purity, knowledge, patience, and kindness we have shown ourselves to be God's servants—by the Holy Spirit, by our true love, ⁷ by our message of truth, and by the power of God. We have righteousness as our weapon, both to attack and to defend ourselves. ⁸ We are honored and disgraced; we are insulted and praised. We are treated as liars, yet we speak the truth; ⁹ as unknown, yet we are known by all; as though we were dead, but, as you see, we live on. Although punished, we are not killed; ¹⁰ although saddened, we are always glad; we seem poor, but we make many people rich; we seem to have nothing, yet we really possess everything.

¹¹ Dear friends in Corinth! We have spoken frankly to you; we have opened our hearts wide. ¹² It is not we who have closed our hearts to you; it is you who have closed your hearts to us. ¹³ I speak now as though you were my children: show us the same feelings that we have for you. Open your hearts wide!

Warning against Pagan Influences

¹⁴ Do not try to work together as equals with unbelievers, for it cannot be done. How can right and wrong be partners? How can light and darkness live together? ¹⁵ How can Christ and the Devil agree? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? ^16 (c)How can God's temple come to terms with pagan idols? For we are the temple of the living God! As God himself has said,