Paul’s Hardships and God’s Grace

Paul says that as God's fellow workers they urge the Corinthians not to receive grace in vain, grounding that appeal in God's own word about the time of favor and salvation. The call is urgent because the fitting time is not postponed but present.

A¹s God’s fellow workers, then, we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain. ²For He says:

Paul says they place no obstacle before anyone, but commend themselves as God's servants through endurance in troubles, beatings, labor, purity, kindness, truthful speech, and the power of God. Their ministry moves through honor and dishonor and through a series of contradictions in which sorrow, poverty, and apparent loss are held inside life, joy, richness, and possession.

³We put no obstacle in anyone’s way, so that no one can discredit our ministry. ⁴Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships, and calamities; ⁵in beatings, imprisonments, and riots; in labor, sleepless nights, and hunger; ⁶in purity, knowledge, patience, and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; ⁷in truthful speech and in the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left; ⁸through glory and dishonor, slander and praise; viewed as imposters, yet genuine; ⁹unknown, yet well-known; dying, and yet we live on; punished, yet not killed; ¹⁰sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything.

Paul tells the Corinthians that he has spoken openly and that his heart stands wide toward them. The narrowness lies not in his affection but in theirs, so he asks for a fitting return by opening their hearts as well.

¹¹We have spoken freely to you, Corinthians. Our hearts are open wide. ¹²It is not our affection, but yours, that is restrained. ¹³As a fair exchange— I speak as to my children— open wide your hearts also.