Greek: New Testament (NAS)
English: John Barach
English: John Barach
Chapter 6
The Marks of a True Minister
| 1 Συνεργοῦντες δὲ καὶ παρακαλοῦμεν μὴ εἰς κενὸν τὴν χάριν τοῦ θεοῦ δέξασθαι ὑμᾶς· 2 λέγει γάρ, ἰδοὺ νῦν καιρὸς εὐπρόσδεκτος, ἰδοὺ νῦν ἡμέρα σωτηρίας· 3 μηδεμίαν ἐν μηδενὶ διδόντες προσκοπήν, ἵνα μὴ μωμηθῇ ἡ διακονία, 4 ἀλλ' ἐν παντὶ συνιστάντες ἑαυτοὺς ὡς θεοῦ διάκονοι, ἐν ὑπομονῇ πολλῇ, ἐν θλίψεσιν, ἐν ἀνάγκαις, ἐν στενοχωρίαις, 5 ἐν πληγαῖς, ἐν φυλακαῖς, ἐν ἀκαταστασίαις, ἐν κόποις, ἐν ἀγρυπνίαις, ἐν νηστείαις, 6 ἐν ἁγνότητι, ἐν γνώσει, ἐν μακροθυμίᾳ, ἐν χρηστότητι, ἐν πνεύματι ἁγίῳ, ἐν ἀγάπῃ ἀνυποκρίτῳ, 7 ἐν λόγῳ ἀληθείας, ἐν δυνάμει θεοῦ· διὰ τῶν ὅπλων τῆς δικαιοσύνης τῶν δεξιῶν καὶ ἀριστερῶν, 8 διὰ δόξης καὶ ἀτιμίας, διὰ δυσφημίας καὶ εὐφημίας· ὡς πλάνοι καὶ ἀληθεῖς, 9 ὡς ἀγνοούμενοι καὶ ἐπιγινωσκόμενοι, ὡς ἀποθνῄσκοντες καὶ ἰδοὺ ζῶμεν, ὡς παιδευόμενοι καὶ μὴ θανατούμενοι, 10 ὡς λυπούμενοι ἀεὶ δὲ χαίροντες, ὡς πτωχοὶ πολλοὺς δὲ πλουτίζοντες, ὡς μηδὲν ἔχοντες καὶ πάντα κατέχοντες. |
|
1As fellow workers, we also urge you not to receive the grace of God in vain.
2For He says:
“In a favorable time I listened to you,
Behold, now is the “very favorable” time; behold, now is the day of salvation!
3We put no obstacle in anyone’s way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry.
4On the contrary, in everything we commend ourselves as ministers of God: in great endurance, in afflictions, in hardships, in calamities,
5in beatings, in imprisonments, in riots, in labors, in sleepless nights, in hunger;
6by purity, by knowledge, by patience, by kindness, by the Holy Spirit, by sincere love,
7by truthful speech, and by the power of God; through the weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left;
8through glory and dishonor, through slander and praise. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true;
9as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as punished, and yet not killed;
10as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing everything.
and in a day of salvation I helped you.” {Isa. 49:8} |
A Plea for Open Hearts
| 11 Τὸ στόμα ἡμῶν ἀνέῳγεν πρὸς ὑμᾶς, Κορίνθιοι, ἡ καρδία ἡμῶν πεπλάτυνται· 12 οὐ στενοχωρεῖσθε ἐν ἡμῖν, στενοχωρεῖσθε δὲ ἐν τοῖς σπλάγχνοις ὑμῶν· 13 τὴν δὲ αὐτὴν ἀντιμισθίαν, ὡς τέκνοις λέγω, πλατύνθητε καὶ ὑμεῖς. |
| 11We have spoken freely to you, Corinthians; our heart is opened wide. 12You are not restricted by us, but you are restricted in your own affections. 13As a fair exchange—I speak as to my children—open wide your hearts also! |
The Call to Spiritual Separation
| 14 Μὴ γίνεσθε ἑτεροζυγοῦντες ἀπίστοις· τίς γὰρ μετοχὴ δικαιοσύνῃ καὶ ἀνομίᾳ, ἢ τίς κοινωνία φωτὶ πρὸς σκότος; 15 τίς δὲ συμφώνησις Χριστοῦ πρὸς Βελιάρ, ἢ τίς μερὶς πιστῷ μετὰ ἀπίστου; 16 τίς δὲ συγκατάθεσις ναῷ θεοῦ μετὰ εἰδώλων; ἡμεῖς γὰρ ναὸς θεοῦ ἐσμεν ζῶντος, καθὼς εἶπεν ὁ θεὸς ὅτι |
|
14Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?
15What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? Or what does a believer share with an unbeliever?
16What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God, just as God said:
“I will dwell in them and walk among them;
I will be their God, and they shall be my people.” {Lev. 26:12; Jer. 32:38; Ezek. 32:27} |
| 17 διό |
|
17Therefore,
“Come out from among them and be separate,” says the Lord,
18and I will be a father to you,“and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you, {Isa. 52:11} and you shall be sons {II Sam. 7:8, 14} and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty.” |