2 Corinthians 6
- Who wrote it
- Paul
- Who it was for
- The church in Corinth
- What was happening
- Now is the day of salvation, Paul's catalogue of hardships, and a call to be wholly the Lord's
What’s happening
As God's fellow workers, Paul urges them not to receive the grace of God in vain, for he says, "At an acceptable time I listened to you, in a day of salvation I helped you," and "Now is the acceptable time. Now is the day of salvation." They give no cause for offense so that no fault is found with the ministry, but in everything commend themselves as servants of God: in great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; in purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, sincere love, truthful speech, the power of God; with weapons of righteousness on the right hand and the left; through honor and dishonor, ill repute and good repute. They are "as deceivers, and yet true; as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as punished, and not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things." Paul's heart is wide open to the Corinthians; the restriction is in their own affections, so "open wide your hearts also." Then comes a challenge: "Don't be unequally yoked with unbelievers, for what fellowship have righteousness and iniquity? Or what communion has light with darkness? What agreement has Christ with Belial?" The church is "the temple of the living God," as God said, "I will dwell in them and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they will be my people." So, "Come out from among them, and be separate," and God will be their Father.
Why the setting matters
Paul's quotation of Isaiah 49:8 describes the servant's mission, which Paul applies to the present: "now" is the time of salvation. His long list of hardships follows the form of ancient lists of a wise man's trials but turns it around: each hardship is a proof of ministry, not a sign of failure. The pairs in 6:8-10 ("as unknown, yet well known") are statements of paradox, not contradiction. The paragraph 6:14 to 7:1 is often discussed because it seems to interrupt the flow between 6:13 and 7:2; some scholars think it was a piece written at another time, while others find it fits, as a call to undivided loyalty. "Unequally yoked" echoes Deuteronomy 22:10 (not plowing with an ox and donkey together). What kind of association Paul has in mind is not made explicit: idol feasts, business partnerships, marriages, or following false teachers have all been suggested. "Belial" is a Jewish name for a figure of wickedness. The strong Old Testament quotations, from Leviticus 26, Isaiah 52, Ezekiel 37, and 2 Samuel 7, all describe God dwelling with a holy people.
Who’s in this chapter
Paul
Appeals for open hearts and describes his hardships.
The believers in Corinth
Urged to open their hearts and live as God's temple.
Talk it through
- "Now is the day of salvation." What difference does the word "now" make?
- Paul lists his hardships and then his virtues. How do they belong together?
- Paul's opposites, such as "sorrowful yet always rejoicing," describe one life. What would that look like in practice?
- Why might Paul place a call for separation right after a call for open hearts?
Read 2 Corinthians 6
World English Bible
1Working together, we entreat also that you do not receive the grace of God in vain, 2for he says,
“At an acceptable time I listened to you. In a day of salvation I helped you.”
Behold, now is the acceptable time. Behold, now is the day of salvation. 3We give no occasion of stumbling in anything, that our service may not be blamed, 4but in everything commending ourselves, as servants of God, in great endurance, in afflictions, in hardships, in distresses, 5in beatings, in imprisonments, in riots, in labors, in watchings, in fastings; 6in pureness, in knowledge, in perseverance, in kindness, in the Holy Spirit, in sincere love, 7in the word of truth, in the power of God; by the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, 8by glory and dishonor, by evil report and good report; as deceivers, and yet true; 9as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as punished, and not killed; 10as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.
11Our mouth is open to you, Corinthians. Our heart is enlarged. 12You are not restricted by us, but you are restricted by your own affections. 13Now in return, I speak as to my children: you also open your hearts. 14Don’t be unequally yoked with unbelievers, for what fellowship do righteousness and iniquity have? Or what fellowship does light have with darkness? 15What agreement does Christ have with Belial? Or what portion does a believer have with an unbeliever? 16What agreement does a temple of God have with idols? For you are a temple of the living God. Even as God said, “I will dwell in them and walk in them. I will be their God and they will be my people.” 17Therefore
“ ‘Come out from among them, and be separate,’ says the Lord. ‘Touch no unclean thing. I will receive you. 18I will be to you a Father. You will be to me sons and daughters,’
says the Lord Almighty.”
Text: World English Bible, Public domain. About our sources