2 Corinthians 6:1
New International Version
As God’s co-workers we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain.

New Living Translation
As God’s partners, we beg you not to accept this marvelous gift of God’s kindness and then ignore it.

English Standard Version
Working together with him, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain.

Berean Standard Bible
As God’s fellow workers, then, we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain.

Berean Literal Bible
And working together, we also urge you not to receive the grace of God in vain.

King James Bible
We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain.

New King James Version
We then, as workers together with Him also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain.

New American Standard Bible
And working together with Him, we also urge you not to receive the grace of God in vain—

NASB 1995
And working together with Him, we also urge you not to receive the grace of God in vain—

NASB 1977
And working together with Him, we also urge you not to receive the grace of God in vain—

Legacy Standard Bible
And working together with Him, we also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain—

Amplified Bible
Working together with Him, we strongly urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain [by turning away from sound doctrine and His merciful kindness].

Christian Standard Bible
Working together with him, we also appeal to you, “Don’t receive the grace of God in vain.”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Working together with Him, we also appeal to you, “Don’t receive God’s grace in vain.”

American Standard Version
And working together with him we entreat also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain

Contemporary English Version
We work together with God, and we beg you to make good use of God's gift of undeserved grace.

English Revised Version
And working together with him we entreat also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Since we are God's coworkers, we urge you not to let God's kindness be wasted on you.

Good News Translation
In our work together with God, then, we beg you who have received God's grace not to let it be wasted.

International Standard Version
Since, then, we are working with God, we plead with you not to accept God's grace in vain.

Majority Standard Bible
As God?s fellow workers, then, we urge you not to receive God?s grace in vain.

NET Bible
Now because we are fellow workers, we also urge you not to receive the grace of God in vain.

New Heart English Bible
Working together, we entreat also that you not receive the grace of God in vain,

Webster's Bible Translation
We then, as co-workers with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain.

Weymouth New Testament
And you also we, as God's fellow workers, entreat not to be found to have received His grace to no purpose.

World English Bible
Working together, we entreat also that you do not receive the grace of God in vain.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And also working together we call on [you] that you do not receive the grace of God in vain—

Berean Literal Bible
And working together, we also urge you not to receive the grace of God in vain.

Young's Literal Translation
And working together also we call upon you that ye receive not in vain the grace of God --

Smith's Literal Translation
And working together, we also beseech, lest also ye receive the grace of God in vain.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And we helping do exhort you, that you receive not the grace of God in vain.

Catholic Public Domain Version
But, as a help to you, we exhort you not to receive the grace of God in vain.

New American Bible
Working together, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain.

New Revised Standard Version
As we work together with him, we urge you also not to accept the grace of God in vain.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
SO we beseech you, as helpers, that the grace of God which you have received may not be in vain among you.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And as helpers we beg of you that the grace of God that you received would not be wasted on you.
NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
As co-workers with him, we beseech you, that you receive not the grace of God in vain:

Godbey New Testament
But working together we indeed intreat you not to have received the grace of God in vain:

Haweis New Testament
WE then as labourers with him, exhort you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain:

Mace New Testament
Invested then with such a commission, I beseech you let not the offers of divine favour be made to you in vain.

Weymouth New Testament
And you also we, as God's fellow workers, entreat not to be found to have received His grace to no purpose.

Worrell New Testament
And, working together with Him, we also entreat you that ye receive not the grace of God in vain

Worsley New Testament
And we co-operating with Him do also exhort you that ye receive not the grace of God in vain:

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Paul's Hardships and God's Grace
1As God’s fellow workers, then, we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain. 2For He says: “In the time of favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.” Behold, now is the time of favor; now is the day of salvation!…

Cross References
Isaiah 49:8
This is what the LORD says: “In the time of favor I will answer You, and in the day of salvation I will help You; I will keep You and appoint You to be a covenant for the people, to restore the land, to apportion its desolate inheritances,

2 Corinthians 5:20
Therefore we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making His appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ: Be reconciled to God.

1 Corinthians 3:9
For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building.

Philippians 2:12-13
Therefore, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not only in my presence, but now even more in my absence, continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling. / For it is God who works in you to will and to act on behalf of His good purpose.

Hebrews 12:15
See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God, and that no root of bitterness springs up to cause trouble and defile many.

Galatians 2:21
I do not set aside the grace of God. For if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died for nothing.

1 Thessalonians 3:5
For this reason, when I could bear it no longer, I sent to find out about your faith, for fear that the tempter had somehow tempted you and that our labor might have been in vain.

Romans 6:1-2
What then shall we say? Shall we continue in sin so that grace may increase? / Certainly not! How can we who died to sin live in it any longer?

Ephesians 4:1
As a prisoner in the Lord, then, I urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling you have received:

1 Corinthians 15:10
But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace to me was not in vain. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.

Hebrews 3:12-14
See to it, brothers, that none of you has a wicked heart of unbelief that turns away from the living God. / But exhort one another daily, as long as it is called today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. / We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly to the end the assurance we had at first.

Matthew 25:14-30
For it is just like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted them with his possessions. / To one he gave five talents, to another two talents, and to another one talent—each according to his own ability. And he went on his journey. / The servant who had received the five talents went at once and put them to work and gained five more. ...

Romans 12:1-2
Therefore I urge you, brothers, on account of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. / Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.

1 Peter 4:10
As good stewards of the manifold grace of God, each of you should use whatever gift he has received to serve one another.

Colossians 1:28-29
We proclaim Him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. / To this end I also labor, striving with all His energy working powerfully within me.


Treasury of Scripture

We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that you receive not the grace of God in vain.

workers.

2 Corinthians 5:18-20
And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; …

1 Corinthians 3:9
For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building.

beseech.

2 Corinthians 5:20
Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.

2 Corinthians 10:1
Now I Paul myself beseech you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ, who in presence am base among you, but being absent am bold toward you:

Matthew 23:37
O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!

ye.

Jeremiah 8:8
How do ye say, We are wise, and the law of the LORD is with us? Lo, certainly in vain made he it; the pen of the scribes is in vain.

Galatians 3:4
Have ye suffered so many things in vain? if it be yet in vain.

Hebrews 12:15,25
Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled; …

the.

2 Corinthians 8:1,2
Moreover, brethren, we do you to wit of the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia; …

Acts 14:3
Long time therefore abode they speaking boldly in the Lord, which gave testimony unto the word of his grace, and granted signs and wonders to be done by their hands.

Galatians 2:21
I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.

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Accept Beseech Entreat Fellow Fellow-Workmen Found God's Grace Purpose Receive Received Request Together Urge Vain Workers Working
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Accept Beseech Entreat Fellow Fellow-Workmen Found God's Grace Purpose Receive Received Request Together Urge Vain Workers Working
2 Corinthians 6
1. That he has approved himself a faithful minister of Christ by his exhortations,
3. and by integrity of life,
4. and by patiently enduring all kinds of affliction and disgrace for the gospel.
10. Of which he speaks the more boldly amongst them because his heart is open to them,
13. and he expects the like affection from them again;
14. exhorting them to flee the society and pollutions of idolaters,
17. as being themselves temples of the living God.














As God’s fellow workers
This phrase emphasizes the collaborative nature of Paul’s ministry. The Greek term for "fellow workers" is "synergoi," which implies a partnership or cooperation. In the context of the early church, this highlights the unity and shared mission among believers. Historically, Paul often worked alongside others, such as Timothy and Silas, to spread the Gospel. This partnership is not just among humans but with God Himself, indicating a divine calling and empowerment in their mission. It serves as a reminder that believers today are also called to be active participants in God’s work, not merely passive recipients of His grace.

then, we urge you
The word "urge" comes from the Greek "parakaleo," which means to call alongside, exhort, or encourage. This is a strong appeal from Paul, reflecting his pastoral heart and deep concern for the Corinthian church. The historical context reveals that the Corinthian church faced many challenges, including divisions and moral issues. Paul’s urging is both a plea and a command, emphasizing the importance of responding to God’s grace with seriousness and commitment. It is a call to action for believers to live out their faith actively and intentionally.

not to receive God’s grace in vain
The concept of "receiving God’s grace in vain" is profound. The Greek word for "vain" is "kenos," meaning empty or without purpose. Paul warns against a superficial acceptance of God’s grace that does not lead to transformation or action. In the scriptural context, grace is not merely a passive gift but an empowering force that should result in a changed life. Historically, the Corinthian church struggled with living out the implications of the Gospel, and Paul’s admonition serves as a timeless reminder that grace should lead to growth and fruitfulness. For contemporary believers, this is a call to examine whether their lives reflect the transformative power of God’s grace, urging them to live in a way that honors and utilizes the grace they have received.

VI.

(1) We then, as workers together with him, beseech you . . .--The thought of the marvel of the atoning love fills the heart of St. Paul with an almost passionate desire to see its purpose realised in those whom he has taught; and so, "as a fellow-worker with Him"--the pronoun may be referred grammatically either to God or Christ, but the general tone of the context, and St. Paul's language elsewhere (1Corinthians 12:6; Ephesians 1:11; Ephesians 1:20; Philippians 2:13), are decisive in favour of the former--he renews his entreaty. The language in which he does so is every way significant. Those to whom he wrote had believed and been baptised, and so they had "received the grace;" but the freedom of the will to choose good or evil remained, and if they chose evil they would frustrate the end which the grace was intended to work out. (Comp. the language of 1Corinthians 9:27; 1Corinthians 15:10.) . . .

Verse 1. - We then, as fellow workers. Continuing the entreaty of 2 Corinthians 5:20, he adds, "But as [his] fellow workers we also exhort you." The "also" shows that he does not rest content with merely entreating them (δεόμεθα), but adds to the entreaty an exhortation emphasized by a self-sacrificing ministry. "Fellow workers with God" (1 Corinthians 3:9). Beseech. The word is the same as that rendered "beseech" by the Authorized Version in 2 Corinthians 5:20, and it should be rendered "exhort:" "God exhorts you by our means; we therefore entreat you to be reconciled to God; yes, and as Christ's fellow workers we exhort you." That ye receive not. The word means both passively to receive and actively to accept as a personal boon. The grace of God. To announce this is the chief aim of the gospel (Acts 13:43; Acts 20:24). In vain; that is, "without effect." You must not only accept the teaching of God's Word, but must see that it produces adequate moral results. It must not, so to speak, fall "into a vacuum (εἰς κενόν)." "He," says Pelagius, "receives the grace of God in vain who, in the new covenant, is not himself new." If you really are in Christ you must show that you have thereby become "a new creation" (2 Corinthians 5:17). The branches of the true Vine must bear fruit. (For the phrase, "in vain," see Galatians 2:2; Philippians 2:16.) What the grace of God is meant to effect is sketched in Titus 2:11, 12.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
[As]
δὲ (de)
Conjunction
Strong's 1161: A primary particle; but, and, etc.

[God’s] fellow workers,
Συνεργοῦντες (Synergountes)
Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 4903: To cooperate with, work together. From sunergos; to be a fellow-worker, i.e. Co-operate.

we urge
παρακαλοῦμεν (parakaloumen)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 1st Person Plural
Strong's 3870: From para and kaleo; to call near, i.e. Invite, invoke.

you
ὑμᾶς (hymas)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 4771: You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou.

not
μὴ (mē)
Adverb
Strong's 3361: Not, lest. A primary particle of qualified negation; not, lest; also (whereas ou expects an affirmative one) whether.

to receive
δέξασθαι (dexasthai)
Verb - Aorist Infinitive Middle
Strong's 1209: To take, receive, accept, welcome. Middle voice of a primary verb; to receive.

God’s
Θεοῦ (Theou)
Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 2316: A deity, especially the supreme Divinity; figuratively, a magistrate; by Hebraism, very.

grace
χάριν (charin)
Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 5485: From chairo; graciousness, of manner or act.

in
εἰς (eis)
Preposition
Strong's 1519: A primary preposition; to or into, of place, time, or purpose; also in adverbial phrases.

vain.
κενὸν (kenon)
Adjective - Accusative Neuter Singular
Strong's 2756: Apparently a primary word; empty.


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NT Letters: 2 Corinthians 6:1 Working together we entreat also that you (2 Cor. 2C iiC 2Cor ii cor iicor)
2 Corinthians 5:21
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