A Choral Reading of 2 Corinthians 5:11-6:2

2 Corinthians 5:11-6:2 for 4 voices

ONE: Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we try to persuade others;

TWO: but we ourselves are well known to God, and I hope that we are also well known to your consciences. 

THREE: We are not commending ourselves to you again,

FOUR: but giving you an opportunity to boast about us, so that you may be able to answer those who boast in outward appearance and not in the heart. 

TWO: For if we are beside ourselves,

ALL: it is for God;

THREE: if we are in our right mind,

ALL: it is for you. 

ONE: For the love of Christ urges us on,

FOUR: because we are convinced that one has died for all; therefore

ALL: all have died. 

TWO: And he died for all, so that those who live might live no longer for themselves,

ONE: but for him who died and was raised for them. 

FOUR: From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view; even though we once knew Christ from a human point of view, we know him no longer in that way.  

THREE: So if anyone is in Christ,

ALL: there is a new creation: 

THREE: everything old has passed away; see,

ALL: everything has become new!  

ONE: All this is from God, who reconciled us to God’s self through Christ, and has given 

ALL: us

ONE: the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to God’s self, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us. 

TWO: So

ALL: we are ambassadors for Christ,

TWO: since God is making this appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ,

ALL: be reconciled to God. 

THREE: For our sake God made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him

ALL: we

THREE: might become the righteousness of God.

FOUR: As we work together with him, we urge you also not to accept the grace of God in vain. For God says, “At an acceptable time I have listened to you, and on a day of salvation I have helped you.”

See, now is the acceptable time; see, now is the

ALL: day of salvation!