Study Desk

Working together^[a] with Him, we also appeal to you, "Don't receive God's grace in vain."

For He says: I heard you in an acceptable time, and I helped you in the day of salvation. ^(a)[b] Look, now is the acceptable time; now is the day of salvation.^(b)

We give no opportunity for stumbling to anyone, so that the ministry will not be blamed.

But as God's ministers, we commend ourselves in everything: by great endurance, by afflictions, by hardship, by difficulties,

by beatings, by imprisonments,^(c) by riots, by labors, by sleepless nights, by times of hunger,

by purity,^(d) by knowledge,^(e) by patience,^(f) by kindness,^(g) by the Holy Spirit, by sincere love,^(h)

by the message of truth,⁽ⁱ⁾ by the power of God;^(j) through weapons of righteousness on the right hand and the left,

through glory^(k) and dishonor, through slander and good report; as deceivers yet true;

as unknown yet recognized; as dying and look—we live; as being disciplined yet not killed;

as grieving yet always rejoicing;^(l) as poor yet enriching many; as having nothing yet possessing everything.

We have spoken openly^[c] to you, Corinthians; our heart has been opened wide.

You are not limited by us, but you are limited by your own affections.

I speak as to my children. As a proper response, you should also be open to us.

Do not be mismatched with unbelievers. For what partnership is there between righteousness and lawlessness?^(m) Or what fellowship does light⁽ⁿ⁾ have with darkness?^(o)

What agreement does Christ have with Belial?^[d] Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever?

And what agreement does God's sanctuary have with idols?^(p) For we^[e] are the sanctuary of the living God, as God said: I will dwell among them ^(q) and walk among them, and I will be their God, ^(r) and they will be My people. ^(s)[f]

Therefore, come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord; do not touch any unclean thing, and I will welcome you. ^(t)[g]

I will be a Father ^(u) to you, and you will be sons ^(v) and daughters to Me, says the Lord Almighty. ^(w)[h]

Therefore, dear friends, since we have such promises,^(a) let us cleanse ourselves from every impurity of the flesh and spirit,^(b) completing our sanctification^[a] in the fear of God.^(c)

Accept us.^[b] We have wronged no one, corrupted^(d) no one, defrauded no one.

I don't say this to condemn you, for I have already said that you are in our hearts, to live together and to die together.

I have great confidence in you; I have great pride in you. I am filled with encouragement; I am overcome with joy in all our afflictions.

In fact, when we came into Macedonia,^(e) we^[c] had no rest. Instead, we were troubled in every way: conflicts^(f) on the outside, fears^(g) inside.

But God, who comforts the humble,^(h) comforted us by the arrival of Titus,

and not only by his arrival, but also by the comfort he received from you. He told us about your deep longing, your sorrow,^[d] and your zeal⁽ⁱ⁾ for me, so that I rejoiced even more.

For even if I grieved you with my letter,^(j) I do not regret it—even though I did regret it since I saw that the letter grieved you, yet only for a little while.

Now I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because your grief led to repentance. For you were grieved as God willed, so that you didn't experience any loss from us.

For godly grief produces a repentance not to be regretted and leading to salvation, but worldly grief produces death.^(k)

For consider how much diligence this very thing—this grieving as God wills—has produced in you: what a desire to clear yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what deep longing, what zeal, what justice! In every way you showed yourselves to be pure^(l) in this matter.

So even though I wrote to you, it was not because of the one who did wrong, or because of the one who was wronged, but in order that your diligence for us might be made plain to you in the sight of God.

For this reason we have been comforted. In addition to our comfort, we rejoiced even more over the joy Titus^(m) had,^[e] because his spirit was refreshed by all of you.

For if I have made any boast to him about you, I have not been embarrassed; but as I have spoken everything to you in truth,⁽ⁿ⁾ so our boasting to Titus has also turned out to be the truth.

And his affection toward you is even greater as he remembers the obedience of all of you, and how you received him with fear and trembling.

I rejoice that I have complete confidence in you.

We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God granted to the churches^(a) of Macedonia:^(b)

During a severe testing by affliction, their abundance of joy and their deep poverty overflowed into the wealth of their generosity.^(c)

I testify that, on their own, according to their ability and beyond their ability,

they begged us insistently for the privilege of sharing^(d) in the ministry to the saints,

and not just as we had hoped. Instead, they gave themselves especially to the Lord, then to us by God's will.^(e)

So we urged Titus that just as he had begun, so he should also complete this grace to you.

Now as you excel in everything—faith, speech, knowledge,^(f) and in all diligence, and in your love for us^[a]—excel also in this grace.

I am not saying this as a command. Rather, by means of the diligence of others, I am testing the genuineness of your love.

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ: Though He was rich,^(g) for your sake He became poor,^(h) so that by His poverty you might become rich.

Now I am giving an opinion on this because it is profitable for you, who a year ago began not only to do something but also to desire it.^[b](i)

But now finish the task^[c] as well, that just as there was eagerness to desire it, so there may also be a completion from what you have.

For if the eagerness is there, it is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have.^(j)

It is not that there may be relief for others and hardship for you, but it is a question of equality^[d]—

at the present time your surplus is available for their need, so their abundance may also become available for our need, so there may be equality.

As it has been written: The person who gathered much did not have too much, and the person who gathered little did not have too little. ^(k)[e]

Thanks be to God who put the same concern for you into the heart of Titus.

For he accepted our urging and, being very diligent, went out to you by his own choice.

We have sent with him the brother^(l) who is praised throughout the churches for his gospel ministry.^[f]

And not only that, but he was also appointed by the churches to accompany us with this gift^[g] that is being administered by us for the glory of the Lord Himself and to show our eagerness to help.

We are taking this precaution so no one can criticize us about this large sum administered by us.

For we are making provision^(m) for what is right,⁽ⁿ⁾ not only before the Lord but also before men.

We have also sent with them our brother. We have often tested him in many circumstances and found him to be diligent—and now even more diligent because of his great confidence in you.

As for Titus, he is my partner^(o) and coworker^(p) serving you; as for our brothers, they are the messengers^(q) of the churches, the glory of Christ.^(r)

Therefore, show them proof before the churches of your love and of our boasting^(s) about you.