1 We work together with God, and we beg you to make good use of God's gift of undeserved grace. 2 In the Scriptures God says,
“When the time came,
I listened to you,
and when you needed help,
I came to save you.”
That time has come. This is the day for you to be saved.
3 We don't want anyone to find fault with our work, and so we try hard not to cause problems. 4 But in everything and in every way we show we truly are God's servants. We have always been patient, though we have had a lot of trouble, suffering, and hard times. 5 We have been beaten, put in jail, and hurt in riots. We have worked hard and have gone without sleep or food. 6 But we have kept ourselves pure and have been understanding, patient, and kind. The Holy Spirit has been with us, and our love has been real. 7 We have spoken the truth, and God's power has worked in us. In all our struggles we have said and done only what is right.
8 Whether we were honored or dishonored or praised or cursed, we always told the truth about ourselves. But some people said we did not. 9 We are unknown to others, but well known to you. We seem to be dying, and yet we are still alive. We have been punished, but never killed, 10 and we are always happy, even in times of suffering. Although we are poor, we have made many people rich. And though we own nothing, everything is ours.
11 Friends in Corinth, we are telling the truth when we say there is room in our hearts for you. 12 We are not holding back on our love for you, but you are holding back on your love for us. 13 I speak to you as I would speak to my own children. Please make room in your hearts for us.
The Temple of the Living God
14 Stay away from people who are not followers of the Lord! Can someone who is good get along with someone who is evil? Are light and darkness the same? 15 Is Christ a friend of Satan? Can people who follow the Lord have anything in common with those who don't? 16 Do idols belong in the temple of God? We are the temple of the living God, as God himself says,
“I will live with these people
and walk among them.
I will be their God,
and they will be
my people.”
17 The Lord also says,
“Leave them and stay away!
Don't touch anything
that isn't clean.
Then I will welcome you
18 and be your Father.
You will be my sons
and my daughters,
as surely as I am God,
the All-Powerful.”
1 وإذًا، ففي عَمَلِنا معَ اللهِ نَطلُبُ أنْ لا يكونَ قُبولُكُم نِعمَةَ اللهِ لِغَيرِ فائِدَةٍ. 2 فهوَ يَقولُ: «في وقتِ الرّضى اَستَجَبتُ لكَ، وفي يومِ الخَلاصِ أعَنتُكَ». وها هوَ الآنَ وَقتُ رِضى اللهِ، وها هوَ الآنَ يومُ الخَلاصِ.
3 لا نُريدُ أنْ نكونَ عائِقًا لأحدٍ في شيءٍ لِئَلاّ يَنالَ خِدمَتَنا لَومٌ، 4 بَلْ نُظهِرُ أنفُسَنا في كُلّ شيءٍ أنّنا خُدّامُ اللهِ بِصَبرِنا في الشّدائدِ والحاجاتِ والمَشقّاتِ 5 والضّربِ والسّجنِ والاضطرابِ والتّعبِ والسّهرِ والصّومِ، 6 بالنّزاهَةِ والمَعرِفَةِ وطولِ البالِ والرّفقِ ورُوحِ القَداسَةِ والمَحبّةِ الخالِصَةِ، 7 بالكلامِ الصادِقِ وقُدرَةِ اللهِ وسِلاحِ الحَقِّ في الهُجومِ وفي الدّفاعِ، 8 بِالكرامَةِ والمَهانَةِ، بِسوءِ السّمعَةِ وحُسنِها. يَحسَبُنا النّاسُ كاذِبـينَ ونَحنُ صادِقونَ، 9 مَجهولينَ ونَحنُ مَعروفونَ، مائِتينَ وها نَحنُ أحياءُ، مُعاقَبـينَ ولا نُقتلُ، 10 مَحزونينَ ونَحنُ دائِمًا فرِحونَ، فُقراءَ ونُغني كثيرًا مِنَ النّاسِ، لا شيءَ عِندَنا ونَحنُ نَملِكُ كُلّ شيءٍ.
11 كلّمناكُم بِصَراحَةٍ، يا أهلَ كورِنثوسَ، وفتَحْنا لكُمْ قُلوبَنا. 12 نَحنُ لا نَضيقَ بِـكُم، وإنّما الضّيقَ في قُلوبِكُم. 13 أُكَـلّمُكُم كما لَو كُنتُم أبنائي. عامِلونا بِمِثلِ ما نُعامِلُكُم، واَفتَحوا أنتُم أيضًا قُلوبَكم لنا.
نحن هيكل الله الحي
14 لا تَقتَرِنوا بِغَيرِ المُؤمنينَ في نِـيرٍ واحدٍ. أيّ صِلَةٍ بَينَ الخَيرِ والشّرّ؟ وأيّ علاقَةٍ لِلنّورِ بِالظّلامِ؟ 15 وأيّ تَحالُفٍ بَينَ المَسيحِ وإبليسَ؟ وأيّ شَرِكَةٍ بَينَ المُؤمِنِ وغَيرِ المُؤمِنِ؟ 16 وأيّ وِفاقٍ بَينَ هَيكَلِ اللهِ والأوثانِ؟ فنَحنُ هَيكَلُ اللهِ الحيّ. هكذا قالَ اللهُ:
«سأَسكُنُ بَينَهُم وأسيرُ معَهُم،
وأكونُ إلَهَهُم ويكونونَ شَعبـي.
17 لِذلِكَ اَخرُجوا مِنْ بَينِهِم واَترُكوهُم،
يَقولُ الرّبّ.
لا تَمَسّوا ما هوَ نَجِسٌ،
وأنا أتَقبّلُكُم
18 وأكونُ لكُم أبًا
وتكونونَ لي بَنينَ وبَناتٍ،
يَقولُ الرّبّ القَديرُ».