2 Corinthians

6 And in cooperation too we appeal to you not to give God’s grace such a reception as will make it amount to nothing; 2 for he says “At a time of acceptance I listened to you and on a day of salvation I helped you.” Here is the time of acceptance now, here is the day of salvation now. 3 And we do not give anything for people to object to in any case, in order that the business we are on may not be found fault with, 4 but in every case are commending ourselves as agents of God, in holding out through many hard things, in distresses, in necessities, in tight pinches, 5 in beatings, in imprisonments, in mobbings, in hard work, in sleepless nights, in foodless days, 6 in integrity, in knowledge, in patience, in kindness, in Holy Spirit, in unfeigned love, 7 in words of truth, in God’s power, by the right-hand and left-hand armament of righteousness; 8 through glory and dishonor, through denunciation and commendation; as deceivers and truthful, 9 as unknown and noted, as dying and here we are alive, as punished for discipline and not put to death, 10 as grieving but always glad, as poor but enriching many, as not having anything but in possession of everything.

11 Our mouth is open to you, Corinthians, our heart is expanded. 12 You are not narrowed down in us but narrowed down in your own sympathies. 13* But in due requital, I say as speaking to children of mine, be expanded yourselves.

14 Do not be in incongruous yoking with unbelievers; for what have righteousness and wickedness in common? or what solidarity has light with darkness? 15* and what agreement between Christ and Belial is there? or what does a believer share with an unbeliever? 16 and what unity is there between a temple of God and idols? for we are a temple of the living God, as God said “I will live among them and walk among them, and will be their God and they shall be my people; 17 wherefore come out from their midst and separate yourselves, says the Lord, and do not touch an unclean thing, 18 and I will take you in and be father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty.”