OUR FUTURE AFTER DEATH

5 For we know that if our earthly tent we live inr is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal dwelling in the heavens,s not made with hands.t 2 Indeed, we groan in this tent, desiringu to put on our heavenly dwelling, 3 since, when we are clothed,C we will not be found naked.v 4 Indeed, we groan while we are in this tent, burdened as we are, because we do not want to be unclothed but clothed, so that mortalityw may be swallowed up by life. 5 Now the one who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave us the Spirit as a down payment.

6 So we are always confident and know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. 7 For we walk by faith,x not by sight.y 8 In fact, we are confident, and we would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.z 9 Therefore, whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to be pleasingaa to him. 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seatab of Christ,ac so that each may be repaidad for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.

11 Therefore, since we know the fear of the Lord,ae we try to persuade people. What we are is plain to God, and I hope it is also plain to your consciences. 12 We are not commending ourselves to you again, but giving you an opportunity to be proud of us, so that you may have a reply for those who take pride in outward appearance rather than in the heart. 13 For if we are out of our mind,af it is for God; if we are in our right mind,ag it is for you. 14 For the love of Christ compels us, since we have reached this conclusion, that one died for all,ah and therefore all died. 15 And he died for allai so that those who live should no longer live for themselves,aj but for the oneak who died for them and was raised.

THE MINISTRY OF RECONCILIATION

16 From now on, then, we do not know anyone from a worldly perspective.D Even if we have known Christ from a worldly perspective,E yet now we no longer know him in this way. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation;al the old has passed away, and see,am the new hasF come!an 18 Everything is from God, who has reconciled us to himself through Christ and has given us the ministry of reconciliation.ao 19 That is, in Christ, God was reconciling the worldap to himself,aq not counting their trespasses against them, and he has committed the message of reconciliation to us.

20 Therefore, we are ambassadorsar for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us. We plead on Christ’s behalf,as “Be reconciled to God.” 21 He made the one who did not know sinat to be sinG for us,au so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

6 Working together with him, we also appeal to you, “Don’t receive the grace of God in vain.” 2 For he says:

At an acceptable time I listened to you,

and in the day of salvation I helped you.A,a

See, now is the acceptable time; now is the day of salvation!b

THE CHARACTER OF PAUL’S MINISTRY

3 We are not giving anyone an occasion for offense, so that the ministry will not be blamed. 4 Instead, as God’s ministers, we commend ourselves in everything: by great endurance, by afflictions, by hardships, by difficulties, 5 by beatings, by imprisonments,c by riots, by labors, by sleepless nights, by times of hunger, 6 by purity,d by knowledge,e by patience,f by kindness,g by the Holy Spirit, by sincere love,h 7 by the word of truth,B,i by the power of God;j through weapons of righteousness for the right hand and the left, 8 through gloryk and dishonor, through slander and good report; regarded as deceivers, yet true; 9 as unknown, yet recognized; as dying, yet see—we live; as being disciplined, yet not killed; 10 as grieving, yet always rejoicing;l as poor, yet enriching many; as having nothing, yet possessing everything. 11 We have spoken openly to you, Corinthians; our heart has been opened wide. 12 We are not withholding our affection from you, but you are withholding yours from us. 13 I speak as to my children; as a proper response, open your heart to us.

SEPARATION TO GOD

14 Do not be yoked together with those who do not believe. For what partnership is there between righteousness and lawlessness?m Or what fellowship does lightn have with darkness?o 15 What agreement does Christ have with Belial?C Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? 16 And what agreement does the temple of God have with idols?p For weD are the temple of the living God, as God said:

I will dwellq

and walk among them,

and I will be their God,r

and they will be my people.E,s

17 Therefore, come out from among them

and be separate, says the Lord;

do not touch any unclean thing,

and I will welcome you.F,t

18 And I will be a Fatheru to you,

and you will be sonsv and daughters to me,

says the Lord Almighty.G,w

7 So then, dear friends, since we have these promises,x let us cleanse ourselves from every impurity of the flesh and spirit,y bringing holiness to completionH in the fear of God.z

JOY AND REPENTANCE

2 Make room for us in your hearts. We have wronged no one, corruptedaa no one, taken advantage of no one. 3 I don’t say this to condemn you, since I have already said that you are in our hearts, to die together and to live together. 4 I am very frank with you; I have great pride in you. I am filled with encouragement; I am overflowing with joy in all our afflictions.

5 In fact, when we came into Macedonia,ab weI had no rest. Instead, we were troubled in every way: conflictsac on the outside, fearsad within. 6 But God, who comforts the downcast,ae comforted us by the arrival of Titus, 7 and not only by his arrival but also by the comfort he received from you. He told us about your deep longing, your sorrow, and your zealaf for me, so that I rejoiced even more. 8 For even if I grieved you with my letter,ag I don’t regret it. And if I regretted it—since I saw that the letter grieved you, yet only for a while—9 I now 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. 10 For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, but worldly grief produces death.ah 11 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 pureai in this matter. 12 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 devotion to us might be made plain to you in the sight of God. 13 For this reason we have been comforted.

In addition to our own comfort, we rejoiced even more over the joy Titusa had, because his spirit was refreshed by all of you. 14 For if I have made any boast to him about you, I have not been disappointed; but as I have spoken everything to you in truth,b so our boasting to Titus has also turned out to be the truth. 15 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. 16 I rejoice that I have complete confidence in you.