English · KJV

2 Corinthians 6

Listen to this chapter
0:00 0:00

Workers Together with God 1–10

1
We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain. ​
2
(For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.) ​
3
Giving no offence in any thing, that the ministry be not blamed: ​
4
But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses, ​
5
In stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labours, in watchings, in fastings;
6
By pureness, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned,
7
By the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, ​
8
By honour and dishonour, by evil report and good report: as deceivers, and yet true; ​
9
As unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and, behold, we live; as chastened, and not killed;
10
As sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things. ​

Paul’s Affection and Open Heart 11–13

11
O ye Corinthians, our mouth is open unto you, our heart is enlarged. ​
12
Ye are not straitened in us, but ye are straitened in your own bowels. ​
13
Now for a recompence in the same, (I speak as unto my children,) be ye also enlarged.

Do Not Be Unequally Yoked 14–18

14
Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? ​
15
And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? ​
16
And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. ​
17
Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, ​
18
And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. ​

Bible text: King James Version (1769 Blayney text) · Public domain

Study Notes for 2 Corinthians 6

Verse 1

workers together with him — Synergeo is to work with another, as the Lord did when the apostles preached, 'the Lord working with them' (Mark 16:20). 'Beseech' is parakaleo, the verb of 5:20, 'as though God did beseech you by us'. 'In vain' (kenos, empty) is the word of 1 Cor 15:10, 'his grace… was not in vain'.

Verse 2

now is the accepted time — Quoted from Isa 49:8, the LORD's word to his Servant, who is also given 'for a light to the Gentiles' (Isa 49:6). Paul adds the double 'behold, now'. The last 'accepted' is euprosdektos, 'well accepted', the word of the Gentiles as an offering 'acceptable' in Rom 15:16.

Verse 3

that the ministry be not blamed — 'Offence' is proskope, a stumbling, found only here in the New Testament. 'Blamed' (momaomai) occurs only here and in 2 Cor 8:20, 'that no man should blame us'. The 'ministry' (diakonia) is the one given in 5:18, 'the ministry of reconciliation'.

Verse 4

approving ourselves — Sunistano is to commend or present, the verb of 3:1, 'begin again to commend ourselves?', and 10:18, 'whom the Lord commendeth'. What follows to v.10 is the commendation. 'Distresses' is stenochoria, narrowness of room; the related verb is 'straitened' in v.12. The pair 'necessities… distresses' returns in 12:10.

Verse 7

the armour of righteousness — Hopla is tools or weapons, the word of Rom 6:13, 'instruments of righteousness unto God', and 10:4, 'the weapons of our warfare'. 'The word of truth' and 'the power of God' stand with it as the means by which the ministers commend themselves. 'On the right hand and on the left' leaves no side without it.

Verse 8

as deceivers, and yet true — Planos is a deceiver or impostor, the word the chief priests used of Christ: 'that deceiver said, while he was yet alive' (Matt 27:63). So Paul is called what his Master was called. 'Evil report' (dysphemia) and 'good report' (euphemia) are each found only here in the New Testament.

Verse 10

making many rich — 'Poor' (ptochos) and 'rich' echo 8:9, 'though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich'. 'Possessing' (katecho) is holding as one's own, and 'all things' is the word of 1 Cor 3:21–22, 'all things are yours'. The 'sorrowful' still 'alway' rejoice.

Verse 11

our heart is enlarged — Platuno is to make broad; v.13 uses it again, 'be ye also enlarged', and elsewhere it is found only in Matt 23:5, of broadened phylacteries. The open mouth (anoigo) is plain speech. The heart made roomy leads into v.12, where the Corinthians are 'straitened'.

Verse 12

straitened in your own bowels — Stenochoreo is to hem in or cramp, found only here and in 2 Cor 4:8, 'yet not distressed'. 'Bowels' (splagchna) are the inward parts, the seat of affection, as in Phil 1:8, 'the bowels of Jesus Christ'. The room lacking is in the Corinthians, not in Paul.

Verse 14

unequally yoked together — Heterozugeo is to be yoked with a different kind, found only here. The law has the picture in Deut 22:10, 'Thou shalt not plow with an ox and an ass together'. 'Unbelievers' is apistos, rendered 'infidel' in v.15. 'Fellowship' (metoche) occurs only here, and five paired questions follow in vv.14–16.

Verse 15

Christ with Belial — Belial is the Hebrew beliyya'al, worthlessness, found in the KJV as 'children of Belial' (Deut 13:13) and 'sons of Belial' (1 Sam 2:12), men who 'knew not the LORD'. In the New Testament it stands only here. 'Concord' (symphonesis) is likewise found only here.

Verse 16

ye are the temple of the living God — Naos is the sanctuary itself, as in 1 Cor 3:16, 'ye are the temple of God'. The promise joins Lev 26:12, 'I will walk among you, and will be your God', and Ex 29:45; Paul writes 'in them' for 'among'. 'Agreement' (sunkatathesis) and 'walk in' (emperipateo) occur only here.

Verse 17

come out from among them — From Isa 52:11, 'Depart ye, depart ye, go ye out from thence, touch no unclean thing', the call that follows 'Go ye forth of Babylon' (Isa 48:20). 'I will receive you' (eisdechomai, only here) recalls Ezek 20:34, 41: 'I will bring you out from the people'… 'I will accept you'. The conclusion is 7:1, 'Having therefore these promises'.

Verse 18

a Father unto you — The words of 2 Sam 7:14, 'I will be his father, and he shall be my son', spoken of David's seed, are given to all who come out, with 'daughters' added as in Isa 43:6, 'my sons from far, and my daughters'. 'Almighty' (pantokrator) is found in Paul only here, and elsewhere only in Revelation.