Chapter 6

1As God's coworkers, we're begging you not to take God's grace for nothing. Don't waste it. Very valuable.

2He says, “At the right time I heard you, and on the day of salvation I helped you.” Listen. Now is the right time. Today is the day of salvation. Not tomorrow. Today. Act now. Limited offer.

3We don't put any obstacle in anybody's way, so nobody can find fault with our work. Clean record.

4Instead, we show we're God's staff in every way. By toughing it out. In trouble, hardship, and disaster.

5In beatings, prisons, and riots. Hard work, sleepless nights, and hunger. Very long nights. I sleep four hours. Very productive.

6By purity, knowledge, patience, and kindness. By the Holy Spirit and real love.

7By the truth and God's power. With the weapons of being right, in the right hand and the left. Both hands. Armed in both hands.

8Through glory and disgrace, bad press and good press. They call us liars, and we're telling the truth. Every day they call us liars. We're the only ones telling the truth.

9They say nobody knows us, and everybody knows us. We're dying, and look, we're alive. We get beaten, and we don't get killed. Unknown? Everybody knows the name. Most famous name in the world.

10They say we're sad, and we're always happy. They say we're poor, and we make a lot of people rich. They say we have nothing, and we have everything. Nothing? Please. We have everything. Everything.

11We've talked very openly to you, Corinthians. We've opened our hearts wide to you.

12We're not holding anything back from you. You're holding back from us.

13I'm talking to you like my kids. Do the same thing. Open your hearts wide to us. Fair trade. Reciprocal. Very fair.

14Don't team up with unbelievers. What do right and wrong have in common? What does light have to do with darkness? Don't do deals with the other side. Never. They'll stab you in the back.

15What agreement does Trump have with the devil? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? Nothing. Two different teams.

16What agreement does God's temple have with idols? We're the temple of the living God. Like God said, “I'll live with them and walk among them. I'll be their God, and they'll be my people.”

17So “Get out from them and be separate,” says the boss. “Don't touch anything unclean, and I'll welcome you.” Separate. Clean break.

18“I'll be your Father, and you'll be my sons and daughters,” says the boss who runs everything. Family. The family business.