2 Corinthians 6

Paul's Hardships and Appeal for Open Hearts

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.

Do Not Be Yoked with Unbelievers

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.”

Previous2 Corinthians 5

Next2 Corinthians 7

Paul urges the Corinthians not to receive God's grace in vain, emphasizing that now is the day of salvation. He catalogs his extensive sufferings and hardships as an apostle, demonstrating his authentic ministry through endurance and paradoxical circumstances. The chapter concludes with his famous command against being unequally yoked with unbelievers, calling for separation from idolatry based on their identity as God's temple.

Context

This chapter continues Paul's defense of his apostolic ministry from chapter 5 while transitioning to themes of holiness and separation that will be developed further in chapter 7.

Key Themes

Outline

1-2
Urgent Appeal for GracePaul entreats the Corinthians not to receive God's grace in vain, declaring now is the day of salvation.
3-10
Catalog of Apostolic SufferingsPaul lists his hardships, virtues, and paradoxical experiences that authenticate his ministry as God's servant.
11-13
Appeal for Open HeartsPaul declares his heart is open to the Corinthians and calls for them to reciprocate with enlarged affections.
14-18
Command for SeparationPaul forbids being unequally yoked with unbelievers, emphasizing believers' identity as God's temple requiring holiness.

Paul's Hardships and Appeal for Open Hearts

6:1–6:13

epistleexhortationurgent

Paul catalogs his hardships and sufferings as proof of authentic ministry, urging the Corinthians not to receive God's grace in vain and to open their hearts to him as he has opened his to them.

person_contrast

Paul paradoxically validates his apostolic ministry through a catalog of sufferings rather than successes, inverting typical ancient credentials of honor and achievement.

Do Not Be Yoked with Unbelievers

6:14–7:1

epistleinstructionsolemn

Paul warns believers not to be unequally yoked with unbelievers, emphasizing the incompatibility between righteousness and wickedness. He calls for separation from unclean things and cleansing from all defilement to perfect holiness.

person_contrast

Paul's five rhetorical questions create an escalating chiasm from general moral categories (righteousness/wickedness) to the climactic opposition between God's temple and idols.

2 Corinthians 6:2

Romans 13:11lexical

Do this, knowing the time, that it is already time for you to awaken out of sleep, for salvation is now nearer to us tha…

Acts 13:11lexical

Now, behold, the hand of the Lord is on you, and you will be blind, not seeing the sun for a season!” Immediately a mist…

Luke 1:20lexical

Behold, you will be silent and not able to speak until the day that these things will happen, because you didn’t believe…

2 Corinthians 6:4

2 Corinthians 12:10lexical

Therefore I take pleasure in weaknesses, in injuries, in necessities, in persecutions, and in distresses, for Christ’s s…

Romans 2:9lexical

oppression, and anguish on every soul of man who does evil, to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

Romans 8:35lexical

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Could oppression, or anguish, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or…

2 Corinthians 6:5

2 Corinthians 11:27lexical

in labor and travail, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, and in cold and nakedness.

2 Corinthians 11:23lexical

Are they servants of Christ? (I speak as one beside himself.) I am more so: in labors more abundantly, in prisons more a…

2 Corinthians 6:6

Galatians 5:22lexical

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith,

Colossians 3:12lexical

Put on therefore, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, a heart of compassion, kindness, lowliness, humility, and pers…

Romans 2:4lexical

Or do you despise the riches of his goodness, forbearance, and patience, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you…

Romans 5:5lexical

and hope doesn’t disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given…

2 Corinthians 6:7

Matthew 6:3lexical

But when you do merciful deeds, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand does,

Luke 23:33lexical

When they came to the place that is called “The Skull”, they crucified him there with the criminals, one on the right an…

2 Corinthians 6:9

Romans 8:13lexical

For if you live after the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will liv…

2 Corinthians 6:10

2 Corinthians 7:9lexical

I now rejoice, not that you were grieved, but that you were grieved to repentance. For you were grieved in a godly way,…

2 Corinthians 6:17

Matthew 13:49lexical

So it will be in the end of the world. The angels will come and separate the wicked from among the righteous,

2 Corinthians 6:18

Matthew 10:37lexical

He who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and he who loves son or daughter more than me isn’t wort…

Luke 12:53lexical

They will be divided, father against son, and son against father; mother against daughter, and daughter against her moth…

Interlinear

Word-by-word original language

v. 1

v. 2

v. 3

v. 4

v. 5

v. 6

v. 7

v. 8

v. 9

v. 10

v. 11

v. 12

v. 13

v. 14

v. 15

v. 16

v. 17

v. 18

Historical Context

Places and events in this chapter

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