2 Corinthians 6

Staying at Our Post

1 Companions as we are in this work with you, we beg you, please don't squander one bit of this marvelous life God has given us.2 God reminds us, I heard your call in the nick of time; The day you needed me, I was there to help.3 Don't put it off; don't frustrate God's work by showing up late, throwing a question mark over everything we're doing.4 Our work as God's servants gets validated-or not-in the details. People are watching us as we stay at our post, alertly, unswervingly . . . in hard times, tough times, bad times;5 when we're beaten up, jailed, and mobbed; working hard, working late, working without eating;6 with pure heart, clear head, steady hand; in gentleness, holiness, and honest love;7 when we're telling the truth, and when God's showing his power; when we're doing our best setting things right;8 when we're praised, and when we're blamed; slandered, and honored; true to our word, though distrusted;9 ignored by the world, but recognized by God; terrifically alive, though rumored to be dead; beaten within an inch of our lives, but refusing to die;10 immersed in tears, yet always filled with deep joy; living on handouts, yet enriching many; having nothing, having it all.

11 Dear, dear Corinthians, I can't tell you how much I long for you to enter this wide-open, spacious life.12 We didn't fence you in. The smallness you feel comes from within you. Your lives aren't small, but you're living them in a small way.13 I'm speaking as plainly as I can and with great affection. Open up your lives. Live openly and expansively!

14 Don't become partners with those who reject God. How can you make a partnership out of right and wrong? That's not partnership; that's war. Is light best friends with dark?15 Does Christ go strolling with the Devil? Do trust and mistrust hold hands?16 Who would think of setting up pagan idols in God's holy Temple? But that is exactly what we are, each of us a temple in whom God lives. God himself put it this way: "I'll live in them, move into them; I'll be their God and they'll be my people.17 So leave the corruption and compromise; leave it for good," says God. "Don't link up with those who will pollute you. I want you all for myself.18 I'll be a Father to you; you'll be sons and daughters to me."

2 Corinthians 7

1 With promises like this to pull us on, dear friends, let's make a clean break with everything that defiles or distracts us, both within and without. Let's make our entire lives fit and holy temples for the worship of God. More Passionate, More Responsible

More Passionate, More Responsible

2 Trust us. We've never hurt a soul, never exploited or taken advantage of anyone.3 Don't think I'm finding fault with you. I told you earlier that I'm with you all the way, no matter what.4 I have, in fact, the greatest confidence in you. If only you knew how proud I am of you! I am overwhelmed with joy despite all our troubles.

5 When we arrived in Macedonia province, we couldn't settle down. The fights in the church and the fears in our hearts kept us on pins and needles. We couldn't relax because we didn't know how it would turn out.6 Then the God who lifts up the downcast lifted our heads and our hearts with the arrival of Titus.7 We were glad just to see him, but the true reassurance came in what he told us about you: how much you cared, how much you grieved, how concerned you were for me. I went from worry to tranquility in no time!

8 I know I distressed you greatly with my letter. Although I felt awful at the time, I don't feel at all bad now that I see how it turned out. The letter upset you, but only for a while.9 Now I'm glad-not that you were upset, but that you were jarred into turning things around. You let the distress bring you to God, not drive you from him. The result was all gain, no loss.

10 Distress that drives us to God does that. It turns us around. It gets us back in the way of salvation. We never regret that kind of pain. But those who let distress drive them away from God are full of regrets, end up on a deathbed of regrets.

11 And now, isn't it wonderful all the ways in which this distress has goaded you closer to God? You're more alive, more concerned, more sensitive, more reverent, more human, more passionate, more responsible. Looked at from any angle, you've come out of this with purity of heart.12 And that is what I was hoping for in the first place when I wrote the letter. My primary concern was not for the one who did the wrong or even the one wronged, but for you-that you would realize and act upon the deep, deep ties between us before God.

13 That's what happened-and we felt just great.14 If I went out on a limb in telling Titus how great I thought you were, you didn't cut off that limb. As it turned out, I hadn't exaggerated one bit. Titus saw for himself that everything I had said about you was true.15 He can't quit talking about it, going over again and again the story of your prompt obedience, and the dignity and sensitivity of your hospitality. He was quite overwhelmed by it all!16 And I couldn't be more pleased-I'm so confident and proud of you.

2 Corinthians 8

The Offering

1 Now, friends, I want to report on the surprising and generous ways in which God is working in the churches in Macedonia province.2 Fierce troubles came down on the people of those churches, pushing them to the very limit. The trial exposed their true colors: They were incredibly happy, though desperately poor. The pressure triggered something totally unexpected: an outpouring of pure and generous gifts.3 I was there and saw it for myself. They gave offerings of whatever they could-far more than they could afford! -4 pleading for the privilege of helping out in the relief of poor Christians.

5 This was totally spontaneous, entirely their own idea, and caught us completely off guard. What explains it was that they had first given themselves unreservedly to God and to us. The other giving simply flowed out of the purposes of God working in their lives.6 That's what prompted us to ask Titus to bring the relief offering to your attention, so that what was so well begun could be finished up.7 You do so well in so many things-you trust God, you're articulate, you're insightful, you're passionate, you love us-now, do your best in this, too.

8 I'm not trying to order you around against your will. But by bringing in the Macedonians' enthusiasm as a stimulus to your love, I am hoping to bring the best out of you.9 You are familiar with the generosity of our Master, Jesus Christ. Rich as he was, he gave it all away for us-in one stroke he became poor and we became rich.

10 So here's what I think: The best thing you can do right now is to finish what you started last year and not let those good intentions grow stale.11 Your heart's been in the right place all along. You've got what it takes to finish it up, so go to it.12 Once the commitment is clear, you do what you can, not what you can't. The heart regulates the hands.13 This isn't so others can take it easy while you sweat it out. No, you're shoulder to shoulder with them all the way,14 your surplus matching their deficit, their surplus matching your deficit. In the end you come out even.15 As it is written, Nothing left over to the one with the most, Nothing lacking to the one with the least.16 I thank God for giving Titus the same devoted concern for you that I have.17 He was most considerate of how we felt, but his eagerness to go to you and help out with this relief offering is his own idea.18 We're sending a companion along with him, someone very popular in the churches for his preaching of the Message.19 But there's far more to him than popularity. He's rock-solid trustworthy. The churches handpicked him to go with us as we travel about doing this work of sharing God's gifts to honor God as well as we can,

20 taking every precaution against scandal.21 We're being as careful in our reputation with the public as in our reputation with God.22 That's why we're sending another trusted friend along. He's proved his dependability many times over, and carries on as energetically as the day he started. He's heard much about you, and liked what he's heard-so much so that he can't wait to get there.

23 I don't need to say anything further about Titus. We've been close associates in this work of serving you for a long time. The brothers who travel with him are delegates from churches, a real credit to Christ.24 Show them what you're made of, the love I've been talking up in the churches. Let them see it for themselves!