Their Ministry Commended

6 And ^(A)working together with Him, ^(B)we also urge you not to receive ^(C)the grace of God in vain— ² for He says,

Behold, now is “a favorable time,” behold, now is “a day of salvation”— ^3 (E)giving no reason for taking offense in anything, so that the ministry will not be discredited, ⁴ but in everything ^(F)commending ourselves as ^[a](G)servants of God, ^(H)in much endurance, in afflictions, in hardships, in difficulties, ⁵ in ^(I)beatings, in imprisonments, in ^(J)[b]mob attacks, in labors, in sleeplessness, in ^(K)hunger, ⁶ in purity, in ^(L)knowledge, in ^(M)patience, in kindness, in the ^(N)Holy Spirit, in ^(O)genuine love, ⁷ in ^(P)the word of truth, and in ^(Q)the power of God; by ^(R)the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and the left, ⁸ by glory and ^(S)dishonor, by ^(T)evil report and good report; regarded as ^(U)deceivers and yet ^(V)true; ⁹ as unknown and yet well known, as ^(W)dying and yet behold, ^(X)we are alive; as ^[c]punished and yet not put to death, ¹⁰ as ^(Y)sorrowful yet always ^(Z)rejoicing, as ^(AA)poor yet making many rich, as ^(AB)having nothing and yet possessing ^(AC)all things.

^11 (AD)Our mouth ^[d]has spoken freely to you, you Corinthians, our ^(AE)heart is opened wide. ¹² You are not restrained ^[e]by us, but ^(AF)you are restrained in your own ^[f]affections. ¹³ Now in the same way in ^(AG)exchange—I am speaking as to ^(AH)children—open wide your hearts to us, you as well.

^14 (AI)Do not be ^[g]mismatched with ^(AJ)unbelievers; for what do righteousness and lawlessness ^(AK)share together, or what does light have in common with darkness? ¹⁵ Or what ^(AL)harmony does Christ have with ^[h]Belial, or ^[i]what does a ^(AM)believer share with an ^(AN)unbeliever? ¹⁶ Or ^(AO)what agreement does ^[j]the temple of God have with idols? For we are ^[k](AP)the temple of ^(AQ)the living God; just as God said,