He exhorts them to a correspondence with God’s grace and not to associate with unbelievers.

¹ But, as a help to you, we exhort you not to receive the grace of God in vain.

² For he says: “In a favorable time, I heeded you; and on the day of salvation, I helped you.” Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.

³ May we never give offense to anyone, so that our ministry may not be disparaged.

⁴ But in all things, let us exhibit ourselves as ministers of God with great patience: through tribulation, difficulties, and distress;

⁵ despite wounds, imprisonment, and rebellion; with hard work, vigilance, and fasting;

⁶ by chastity, knowledge, and longsuffering; in pleasantness, in the Holy Spirit, and in unfeigned charity;

⁷ with the Word of truth, with the power of God, and with the armor of justice to the right and to the left;

⁸ through honor and dishonor, despite good reports and bad, whether seen as deceivers or truth-tellers, whether ignored or acknowledged;

⁹ as if dying and yet truly alive; as if chastised and yet not subdued;¹

1. 6:9The word ‘mortificati’ in this context does not refer to death itself, but to the mortification of the flesh by temporal punishment; the meaning is that the Christian is castigated (severely punished with bodily sufferings) by the unbelievers, but is not subdued so as to turn away from Christ.(Conte)

¹⁰ as if sorrowful and yet always rejoicing; as if needy and yet enriching many; as if having nothing and possessing everything.

¹¹ Our mouth is open to you, O Corinthians; our heart is enlarged.

¹² You are not narrowed by us, but it is by your own inner selves that you are narrowed.

¹³ But since we have the same recompense, (I am speaking as if to my own sons), you, too, should be enlarged.

¹⁴ Do not choose to bear the yoke with unbelievers. For how can justice be a participant with iniquity? Or how can the fellowship of light be a participant with darkness?

¹⁵ And how can Christ join together with Belial? Or what part do the faithful have with the unfaithful?

¹⁶ And what consensus does the temple of God have with idols? For you are the temple of the living God, just as God says: “I will dwell with them, and I will walk among them. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

¹⁷ Because of this, you must depart from their midst and be separate, says the Lord. And do not touch what is unclean.

¹⁸ Then I will accept you. And I will be a Father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty.”