then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God. 21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
CHAP. 6.
We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain.
2 For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I helped thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)
3 Giving no offence in any thing, that the ministry be not blamed:
4 But in all things commending ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses, [1]
5 In stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labours, in watchings, in fastings; [2]
6 By pureness, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Spirit, by sincere love,
7 By the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left,
8 By honour and dishonour, by bad report and good report: as deceivers, and yet true;
9 As unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and, behold, we live; as chastened, and not killed;
10 As sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.
11 O ye Corinthians, We have spoken openly to you, our heart is wide open.
12 Ye are not restrained by us, but ye are restrained by your own affections.
13 Now in return for the same, (I speak as to my children,) open wide your hearts to us.
14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?
15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?
16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them ; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
17 Therefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing ; and I will receive you,
18 And I will be a Father to you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.
CHAP. 7.
Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
2 Receive us; we have wronged no man, we have corrupted no man, we have defrauded no man.
3 I speak not this to condemn you : for I have said before, that ye are in our hearts to die and live with you .
4 Great is my boldness of speech toward you, great is my glorying concerning you: I am filled with comfort, I am exceeding joyful in all our tribulation.
5 For, when we had come into Macedonia, our flesh had no rest, but we were troubled on every side; without were fightings, within were fears.
6 Nevertheless God, that comforteth those that are cast down, comforted us by the coming of Titus;
7 And not by his coming only, but by the consolation with which he was comforted in you, when he told us your earnest desire, your mourning, your fervent mind toward me; so that I rejoiced the more.
8 For though I made you sorry with a letter, I do not repent, though I did repent: for I perceive that the same epistle hath made you sorry, though it was but for a season.
9 Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might suffer loss through us in nothing. [3]
10 For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.
11 For behold this very same thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what diligence it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what avenging of wrong! In all things ye have proved yourselves to be clear in this matter.
12 Therefore, though I wrote to you, I did it not for his cause that had done the wrong, nor for his cause that suffered wrong, but that our care for you in the sight of God might appear to you.
13 Therefore we were comforted in your comfort: and exceedingly the more we rejoiced for the joy of Titus, because his spirit was refreshed by you all.
