Rachel Workman: 6 As God’s partners,[a] we beg you not to accept this marvelous gift of God’s kindness and then ignore it. 2 For God says,
“At just the right time, I heard you.
On the day of salvation, I helped you.”[b]
Indeed, the “right time” is now. Today is the day of salvation. I love this verse. At just the right time I heard you. It didn't say at my time or your time but at the right time I heard you. It's very easy to get caught up in what we want and when we want it. But God's time is the perfect time.
3 We live in such a way that no one will stumble because of us, and no one will find fault with our ministry. 4 In everything we do, we show that we are true ministers of God. We patiently endure troubles and hardships and calamities of every kind. 5 We have been beaten, been put in prison, faced angry mobs, worked to exhaustion, endured sleepless nights, and gone without food. 6 We prove ourselves by our purity, our understanding, our patience, our kindness, by the Holy Spirit within us,[c] and by our sincere love. 7 We faithfully preach the truth. God’s power is working in us. We use the weapons of righteousness in the right hand for attack and the left hand for defense. 8 We serve God whether people honor us or despise us, whether they slander us or praise us. We are honest, but they call us impostors. 9 We are ignored, even though we are well known. We live close to death, but we are still alive. We have been beaten, but we have not been killed. 10 Our hearts ache, but we always have joy. We are poor, but we give spiritual riches to others. We own nothing, and yet we have everything.
11 Oh, dear Corinthian friends! We have spoken honestly with you, and our hearts are open to you. 12 There is no lack of love on our part, but you have withheld your love from us. 13 I am asking you to respond as if you were my own children. Open your hearts to us!
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John Burnett: 6 As God’s
co-workers we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain. 2 For
he says,
“In the time of my favor I heard you,
and in the day of salvation I helped you.”[a]
and in the day of salvation I helped you.”[a]
I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of
salvation. God’s
favor is given every time we humble ourselves knowing that we need His amazing
grace.
Paul’s
Hardships
3 We put no stumbling block in anyone’s path, so
that our ministry will not be discredited. 4 Rather,
as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in
troubles, hardships and distresses; 5 in beatings,
imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; 6 in
purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in
sincere love;7 in truthful speech and in the power
of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the
left; 8 through glory and dishonor, bad
report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors; 9 known,
yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet
not killed; 10 sorrowful, yet always
rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet
possessing everything. What makes this passage so amazing is that this is the same man that
was killing Christians before Christ took ownership.
11 We have spoken freely to you, Corinthians, and opened
wide our hearts to you. 12 We are not withholding
our affection from you, but you are withholding yours from us. 13 As
a fair exchange—I speak as to my children—open wide your hearts also.
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Allen Michaels: 6 As God’s co-workers we urge you not to
receive God’s grace in vain. The people heard God’s
message, but did not let it affect what the said and did. God’s message often
reaches me in vain. 2 For
he says,
“In the time of my favor I heard
you,
and in the day of salvation I helped you.”
and in the day of salvation I helped you.”
I tell you, now is the time of
God’s favor, now is the day of salvation. God offers salvation to all
people. Many people put off a decision for Christ, thinking that there will be
a better time—but they could easily miss their opportunity altogether. NOW is
the time to receive God’s forgiveness. We should never let anything hold us
back from coming to Christ.
Paul’s Hardships
3 We put no stumbling block in anyone’s path, so that
our ministry will not be discredited. Paul always considered what
his actions communicated about Jesus the Christ. If we are truly believers, we
are ministers for God. Every day non-Christians observe our behavior and
actions; they hear what we say. We never want our careless or undisciplined
actions to be another person’s excuse for rejecting Christ. 4 Rather, as servants of God we
commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and
distresses; 5 in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard
work, sleepless nights and hunger; 6 in purity, understanding,
patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; 7 in
truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the
right hand and in the left; 8 through glory and dishonor, bad
report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors; 9 known,
yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed;
10 sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich;
having nothing, and yet possessing everything.
What a difference it makes to know
Jesus! He cares for us in spite of what the world thinks. As Christians we
don’t have to give in to public opinion and pressure. We shouldn’t let
circumstances or people’s expectations control us. We must be firm as we stand
true to God, and refuse to compromise his standards for living.
11 We have spoken freely to you, Corinthians, and
opened wide our hearts to you. 12 We are not withholding our
affection from you, but you are withholding yours from us. 13 As
a fair exchange—I speak as to my children—open wide your hearts also.
“Opened wide our hearts to you” and
“not withholding our affection from you” mean that Paul had told the Corinthian
believers his true feelings for them, clearly revealing how much he loved them.
It is easy to react against those whom God has placed over us in leadership,
rather than to accept their exhortations as a sign of their love for us. We
need an open rather than a closed heart toward God’s messengers.
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Tomorrow's reading for 2 Corinthians 6:14-18
14 Don’t team up with those who are
unbelievers. How can righteousness be a partner with wickedness? How can light
live with darkness? 15 What harmony can there be between Christ
and the devil[d]? How can a believer be a
partner with an unbeliever? 16 And what union can there be
between God’s temple and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God
said:“I will live in them
and walk among them.
I will be their God,
and they will be my people.[e]
17 Therefore, come out from among unbelievers,
and separate yourselves from them, says the Lord.
Don’t touch their filthy things,
and I will welcome you.[f]
18 And I will be your Father,
and you will be my sons and daughters,
says the Lord Almighty.[g]”
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