Letters to the Churches

through glory and dishonor, slander and praise; viewed as imposters, yet genuine;

as unknown, yet well-known; dying, and yet we live on; punished, yet not killed;

sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything.

We have spoken freely to you, Corinthians. Our hearts are open wide.

It is not our affection, but yours, that is restrained.

As a fair exchange, I ask you as my children: Open wide your hearts also.

Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership can righteousness have with wickedness? Or what fellowship does light have with darkness?

What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever?

What agreement can exist between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will dwell with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be My people.”

“Therefore come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.”

And: “I will be a Father to you, and you will be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.”

Therefore, beloved, since we have these promises, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that defiles body and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

Make room for us in your hearts. We have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have exploited no one.

I do not say this to condemn you. I have said before that you so occupy our hearts that we live and die together with you.

Great is my confidence in you; great is my pride in you; I am filled with encouragement; in all our troubles my joy overflows.

For when we arrived in Macedonia, our bodies had no rest, but we were pressed from every direction—conflicts on the outside, fears within.

But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the arrival of Titus,

and not only by his arrival, but also by the comfort he had received from you. He told us about your longing, your mourning, and your zeal for me, so that I rejoiced all the more.

Even if I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it. Although I did regret it, I now see that my letter caused you sorrow, but only for a short time.

And now I rejoice, not because you were made sorrowful, but because your sorrow led you to repentance. For you felt the sorrow that God had intended, and so were not harmed in any way by us.

Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation without regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.

Consider what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what zeal, what vindication! In every way you have proved yourselves to be innocent in this matter.

So even though I wrote to you, it was not on account of the one who did wrong or the one who was harmed, but rather that your earnestness on our behalf would be made clear to you in the sight of God.

On account of this, we are encouraged. In addition to our own encouragement, we were even more delighted by the joy of Titus. For his spirit has been refreshed by all of you.

Indeed, I was not embarrassed by anything I had boasted to him about you. But just as everything we said to you was true, so our boasting to Titus has proved to be true as well.