1 In our work together with God, then, we beg you who have received God's grace not to let it be wasted. 2 Hear what God says:
“When the time came for me to show you favor,
I heard you;
when the day arrived for me to save you,
I helped you.”
Listen! This is the hour to receive God's favor; today is the day to be saved!
3 We do not want anyone to find fault with our work, so we try not to put obstacles in anyone's way. 4 Instead, in everything we do we show that we are God's servants by patiently enduring troubles, hardships, and difficulties. 5 We have been beaten, jailed, and mobbed; we have been overworked and have gone without sleep or food. 6 By our purity, knowledge, patience, and kindness we have shown ourselves to be God's servants—by the Holy Spirit, by our true love, 7 by our message of truth, and by the power of God. We have righteousness as our weapon, both to attack and to defend ourselves. 8 We are honored and disgraced; we are insulted and praised. We are treated as liars, yet we speak the truth; 9 as unknown, yet we are known by all; as though we were dead, but, as you see, we live on. Although punished, we are not killed; 10 although saddened, we are always glad; we seem poor, but we make many people rich; we seem to have nothing, yet we really possess everything.
11 Dear friends in Corinth! We have spoken frankly to you; we have opened our hearts wide. 12 It is not we who have closed our hearts to you; it is you who have closed your hearts to us. 13 I speak now as though you were my children: show us the same feelings that we have for you. Open your hearts wide!
Warning against Pagan Influences
14 Do not try to work together as equals with unbelievers, for it cannot be done. How can right and wrong be partners? How can light and darkness live together? 15 How can Christ and the Devil agree? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? 16 How can God's temple come to terms with pagan idols? For we are the temple of the living God! As God himself has said,
“I will make my home with my people
and live among them;
I will be their God,
and they shall be my people.”
17 And so the Lord says,
“You must leave them
and separate yourselves from them.
Have nothing to do with what is unclean,
and I will accept you.
18 I will be your father,
and you shall be my sons and daughters,
says the Lord Almighty.”
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».