6 We are working together [^Cwith fellow believers, or with God, or with Christ], so we ·beg [urge; appeal to; encourage] you: Do not ·let the grace that you received from God be for nothing [^Lreceive God’s grace in vain]. ² [^LFor] God says,

·I tell you that [^TBehold; ^LLook] the “·right [favorable; acceptable] time” is now, ·and [^Tbehold; ^Llook] the “day of salvation” is now.

³ We try not to ·be a problem [cause offense; place an obstacle/stumbling block] for anyone in any way, so that no one will find fault with our ·work [ministry]. ⁴ But in every way ·we show we are servants of God [or as God’s servants/ministers, we commend ourselves]: ·in accepting many hard things [in/with great endurance], in ·troubles [trials; tribulation], in ·difficulties [hardships; times of need], ·and in great problems [in distress/calamities/^Ltight spots]. ⁵ ·We are beaten [^L…in beatings/floggings] ·and thrown into prison [^Lin imprisonments]. ·We meet those who become upset with us and start riots [^L…in riots/rebellions]. ·We work hard [^L…in hard labors], ·and sometimes we get no sleep [^L…in sleepless nights] ·or food [^L…in hunger]. ⁶ ·We show we are servants of God by our pure lives [^L…in/by purity; ^CPaul continues the same list, but moves to positive character traits], ·our understanding [^L…in/by knowledge], patience, and kindness, by the Holy Spirit, by ·true [sincere; unhypocritical] love, ⁷ by ·speaking the truth [or the message/word of truth; ^Cthe Gospel], and by God’s power. ·We use our right living [^L…with weapons of righteousness] ·to defend ourselves against everything [or both to attack (with a sword) and defend (with a shield); ^Lin our right hands and in our left]. ⁸ ·Some people honor us, but others blame us [^L…through honor/glory and dishonor/disgrace…]. ·Some people say evil things about us, but others say good things [^L…through slander and praise…]. ·Some people say we are liars, but we speak the truth [^L…(treated) as deceivers, yet true…]. ⁹ ·We are not known, but we are well known [^L…as unknown, yet known…]. ·We seem to be dying, but we continue to live [^L…as dying, yet look/behold we live!]. ·We are punished [^L…as punished/scourged], but we are not killed. ¹⁰ ·We have much sadness [^L…as sorrowful/grieving], but we are always rejoicing. ·We are poor [^L…as poor], but we are making many people ·rich in faith [^Lrich]. ·We have [^L…as having] nothing, but really we have everything.

¹¹ We have spoken ·freely [openly; frankly] to you, ·Corinthian friends [^LCorinthians], and have opened our hearts to you. ¹² ·Our feelings of love for you have not stopped [We have not withheld our affection from you; ^LYou are not constrained/held back by us], but you have ·stopped your feelings of love [^Lconstrained/held back your affection] for us. ¹³ I speak to you ·as if you were [^Las] my children. ·Do to us as we have done [As a fair exchange]—open your hearts to us [v. 11].

Warning About Non-Christians

¹⁴ Do not ·join yourselves to [become partners with; ^Lbe mismatched/unevenly yoked with] unbelievers. ·Good and bad do not belong together [^LFor what partnership has righteousness and wickedness/lawlessness?]. ·Light and darkness cannot share together [Or what fellowship/partnership can light have with darkness?]. ¹⁵ How can Christ and Belial [^Cthe devil; Satan] have any ·agreement [harmony; accord]? What can a believer ·have together [share in common] with a nonbeliever? ¹⁶ What ·agreement [union] can the temple of God have with idols? For we are the temple of the living God [1 Cor. 3:16]. As God said: “I will live with them and walk with them. And I will be their God, and they will be my people [Lev. 26:11–12; Jer. 32:38; Ezek. 37:27].”