2 Corinthians 6

2 Corinthians 6:1

6:1 Some understand that in this verse Paul is addressing the Corinthians and encouraging them to make full use of the grace that had been shown to them. We rather think that Paul is still giving an account of the message which he preached to the unsaved. He has already told unbelievers of the marvelous grace which has been offered to them by God. Now he further begs them not to receive such grace in vain. They should not allow the seed of the gospel to fall in barren soil. Rather they should respond to such a marvelous message by receiving the Savior of whom it tells. 6:2 Paul now quotes from Isa_49:8. If we go back and study that chapter, we find that God is in controversy with His people because of their rejection of the Messiah. In verse 7 you see the Lord Jesus rejected by the nation, and we know that His rejection led to His death. But then in verse 8 we have the words of Jehovah, assuring the Lord Jesus that His prayer has been heard and that God would help and preserve Him. In the day of salvation I have helped you. This refers to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. The acceptable time and the day of salvation would be ushered in by Christ’s resurrection from among the dead. In his preaching of the gospel, Paul seizes upon this marvelous truth and announces to his unsaved listeners, Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation. In other words, the era of which Isaiah had prophesied as the day of salvation has already come, so Paul urges men to trust the Savior while it is still the day of salvation.

2 Corinthians 6:3

J. Paul’s Behavior in the Ministry (6:3-10) 6:3 Here Paul switches from the message which he preached to his own behavior in the Christian ministry. He realized that there are always people who are looking for an excuse not to listen to the message of salvation, and if they can find that excuse in the inconsistent life of the preacher, so much the better. So he reminds the Corinthians that he gave no offense in anything, that the ministry might not be blamed. As we pointed out previously, the ministry here does not refer to some dignified, ecclesiastical office, but rather to the service of Christ. The idea of human ordination is not involved. The ministry belongs to all who are Christ’s. 6:4 In verses 4 through 10 the apostle describes the way he sought to carry out his ministrya manner that was above approach. Conscious that he was a servant of the Most High, he always sought to behave in a manner worthy of such a calling. On this section Denney finely comments: The fountains of the great deep are broken up with him as he thinks of what is at issue; he is in all straits, as he begins, and can speak only in disconnected words, one at a time; but before he stops, he has won his liberty, and pours out his soul without restraint. Verses 4 and 5 describe the physical sufferings which Paul endured and which attested him as a sincere, faithful servant of the Lord. The next two verses have to do with the Christian graces which he exhibited. Then in verses 8 through 10 he lists the contrasting experiences which are so typical of the Christian ministry. In much patience doubtless describes Paul’s longsuffering toward individuals, local churches, and all the afflictions which were calculated to move him from his pathway of steadfastness. Tribulations might refer to actual persecutions which he endured for the name of Christ. Needs convey the idea of the privations he suffered, probably of food, clothing, and lodging. Distresses might well include the unfavorable circumstances in which he often found himself. 6:5 Paul suffered many stripes as stated in Act_16:23. His imprisonments are later referred to in 2Co_11:23, and doubtless the tumults refer to the riots and uproars which often followed his preaching of the gospel. (The message that Gentiles could be saved in the same way as Jews caused some of the most violent outbursts.) Paul’s labors might include his tent-making but also doubtless other forms of manual labor, to say nothing of his travels. Sleeplessness describes his constant need for being on the alert against the wiles of the devil and the efforts of his enemies to harm him. Fastings might include voluntary abstinence from food, but here it more probably means hunger that was forced by poverty. 6:6 Paul’s ministry was conducted by purity, that is, in chastity and holiness. He could never be justly accused of immorality. It was also conducted by knowledge, and this perhaps refers to the fact that it was not a ministry of ignorance but of divinely imparted knowledge. This is wonderfully shown by the breadth of divine truth revealed in Paul’s Epistles. The Corinthians should not need any proof of his longsuffering! The patient way in which he had put up with their sins and failings should have been proof enough! Paul’s kindness was shown in his unselfish giving of himself for others, in his loving attitude toward the people of God, and in his sympathetic demeanor. The expression by the Holy Spirit doubtless means that all Paul did was done in the Spirit’s power and in subjection to Him. By sincere love suggests that the love which was so obvious in the life of the Apostle Paul toward others was not pretended or hypocritical, but genuine. It characterized all his actions. 6:7 By the word of truth may indicate that all of Paul’s ministry was carried out in obedience to the word of truth, or it may mean that it was an honest ministry, consistent with the type of message which he preached, namely, the word of truth. By the power of God doubtless signifies that the apostle did not carry on his work in his own power, but in simple dependence on the strength which God provides. Some have also suggested that this may be a reference to the miracles which the apostle was empowered to perform because he was an apostle. The armor of righteousness is described in Eph_6:14-18. It pictures an upright, consistent character. Someone has said, When a man is clothed in practical righteousness, he is impregnable. If our conscience is void of offense toward God and man, the devil has little to shoot at. There is some doubt as to the exact meaning of the expression on the right hand and on the left. One of the more probable explanations is that in ancient warfare the sword was held in the right hand and the shield in the left. The sword spoke of offensive combat and the shield of defensive. In that case, Paul would here be saying that a good Christian character is the best offense and defense. 6:8 Here and in verses 9 and 10 Paul describes some of the sharp contrasts that are found in service for the Lord Jesus. The true disciple experiences the mountain tops and the valleys, as well as all the territory that lies between. It is a life of honor and dishonor, of victory and seeming defeat, of commendation and criticism. The true servant of God is the object of evil report and good report. Some speak well of his zeal and courage, whereas others have only condemnation for him. He is treated as a deceiver or impostor, and yet he is true for all that. He is no impostor, but a genuine servant of the Most High God. 6:9 In one sense Paul was unknown, unappreciated, and misunderstood as far as the world was concerned, and yet he was well known to God and to his fellow believers. His life was one of daily dying, and yet behold he lived! Threatened, hunted, pursued, persecuted, and imprisoned, he won his freedom only to preach the gospel with greater zeal. This is further emphasized in the expression as chastened, and yet not killed. Chastened here has to do with the punishment which he endured at the hands of men. Many times, perhaps, they thought they had brought his tumultuous life to a closeonly to hear of his exploits for Christ in other cities! 6:10 There was sorrow in connection with the ministry, and yet Paul was always rejoicing. Needless to say, he sorrowed over rejection of the gospel message, over the failures of God’s people, and over his own shortcomings. Yet, when he thought of the Lord, and of the promises of God, there was always great cause to look up and rejoice. Paul was a poor man as far as this world’s goods are concerned. We do not read of his having property and wealth. Yet think of the lives that have been enriched through his ministry! Though he possessed nothing, yet in a sense he had all things that really counted. In these climacteric sentences, writes A. T. Robertson, Paul lets his imagination loose and it plays like lightning on the clouds.

2 Corinthians 6:11

K. Paul’s Appeal for Openness and Affection (6:11-13) 6:11 And now the apostle bursts into an impassioned appeal for the Corinthians to open their hearts to him. He had spoken openly and frankly to them of his love. Since the mouth speaks out of the abundance of the heart, Paul’s opened mouth spoke of a heart that was wide with affection for these people. That this is the general meaning of the verse is indicated by the following words: our heart is wide open, that is, ready to receive them in love. As Tozer expressed it: Paul was a little man with a vast interior life; his great heart was often wounded by the narrowness of his disciples. The sight of their shrunken souls hurt him much.6:12 Any restriction in affections between the Corinthians and Paul is not in himself but in them. They might have limited love toward him, so that they were not sure whether they should receive him or not, but he was not at all limited in his love toward them. The lack of love was on their side, not Paul’s. 6:13 If they want to recompense his love to them (he is speaking to those who were his children in the faith), they should allow their affections toward him to be more open. Paul felt toward them as a father. They should love him as their father in the faith. Only God could bring this about, but they should allow Him to do it in their lives. The Moffatt translation catches the idea of verses 11 through 13 nicely: O Corinthians, I am keeping nothing back from you; my heart is wide open for you. Restraint?that lies with you, not me. A fair exchange now, as the children say! Open your hearts wide to me.

2 Corinthians 6:14

L. Paul’s Appeal for Scriptural Separation (6:14-7:1) 6:14 The connection between verses 13 and 14 is this: Paul has told the saints to be open in their affections toward him. Now he explains that one way to do this is to separate from all forms of sin and unrighteousness. Doubtless he is thinking, in part, of false teachers who had invaded the assembly at Corinth. Mention of the unequal yoke suggests Deu_22:10 : You shall not plow with an ox and a donkey together. The ox was a clean animal and the donkey unclean, and their step and pull are unequal. By way of contrast, when believers are yoked with the Lord Jesus, they find that His yoke is easy and His burden is light (Mat_11:29-30). This section of 2 Corinthians is one of the key passages in all the word of God on the subject of separation. It is clear instruction that the believer should separate himself from unbelievers, iniquity, darkness, Belial, idols. It certainly refers to the marriage relationship. A Christian should not marry an unsaved person. However, in cases where a believer is already married to an unbeliever, this passage does not justify separation or divorce. God’s will in such a case is that the marriage relationship should be maintained with a view to the eventual salvation of the unsaved member (1Co_7:12-16). In addition to this, it refers to business. A Christian should not go into partnership with one who does not know the Lord. It applies clearly to secret orders or fraternities: How could one who is faithful to Christ consistently go on in an association where the name of the Lord Jesus is unwelcome? Its application to social life would be as follows: A Christian should maintain contact with the unsaved in an effort to win them to Christ, but he should never engage in their sinful pleasures or in any of their activities in such a way as to lead them to think he is no different than they. Then this section would also apply to religious matters: A faithful follower of Christ would not want to hold membership in a church where unbelievers were knowingly admitted as members. Verses 14 through 16 cover all the important relationships of life: Righteousness and lawlessness describe the whole sphere of moral behavior. Light and darkness have to do with intelligence as to the things of God. Christ and Belial have to do with the realm of authority, in other words, the person or thing whom one acknowledges as master in his life. Believer and unbeliever have to do with the realm of faith. The temple of God and idols take in the whole subject of a person’s worship. Righteousness and lawlessness can have no fellowship together: they are moral opposites. Neither can light have communion with darkness. When light enters a room, the darkness is dispelled. Both cannot exist together at the same time. 6:15 The name Belial means worthlessness or wickedness. Here it is a name for the evil one. Can there ever be peace between Christ and Satan? Obviously not! Neither can there be fellowship between a believer and an unbeliever. To attempt it is treason against the Lord. 6:16 Idols have nothing to do with the temple of God. That being the case, how can believers traffic with idols, since they are the temple of the living God. Idols here, of course, mean not only carved images but any objects which come between the soul and Christ. They could be money or pleasure or fame or material things. The apostle finds abundant proof that we are the temple of the living God in such passages as Exo_29:45, Lev_26:12 and Eze_37:27. Denney says: [Paul] expects Christians to be as much in earnest as Jews to keep the sanctity of God’s house inviolate; and now, he says, that house are we: it is ourselves we have to keep unspotted from the world. 6:17 That being so, Paul issues a challenging call to come out. He quotes from Isa_52:11. These are God’s plain instructions to His people concerning separation from evil. Christians are not to stay in the midst of it, as part of it, in order to remedy it. God’s program is come out. The unclean thing in this verse is primarily the heathen world, no doubt, but it also applies to any form of evil, whether commercial, social, or religious. The verse should not be used to teach separation from other believers. Christians are exhorted to endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.6:18 It is often very hard for Christians to sever ties that have existed for years in order to be obedient to the word of God. It would seem that God anticipates such a difficulty in verse 18. He has already said in verse 17, I will receive you, and now He adds, I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty. The recompense for standing with Christ outside the camp of evil is to know fellowship with the Father in a new and more intimate way. It does not mean that we become sons and daughters by obedience to His word, but that we are manifestly His sons and daughters when we behave in this way, and we will experience the joys and delights of sonship in a way we never have before. The blessedness of true separation is nothing less than the glorious companionship of the great God Himself (Selected). The problem abounds on every hand today among evangelical Christians in liberal and neo-orthodox churches. They are continually asking, What shall I do? God’s answer is found here. They should leave a fellowship where the Lord Jesus is not honored and exalted as God’s well-beloved Son and the Savior of the world. They can do more for God outside such a fellowship than they will ever accomplish inside it.