A Choral Reading of 2 Corinthians 5:11-6:2
This choral reading on 2 Corinthians 5:11-6:2 is adapted for 4 voices.
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!