Deeper Commentary
CHAPTER 6
6:1 And working together with him we entreat you not to receive the
grace of God in vain- God's desire for the salvation of the
Corinthians involved Him working through Paul. And in that sense God and
Paul became fellow workers (see on 1 Sam. 14:45). Paul seems to have the
great commission in mind, when he wrote in 5:19-21 that to all of us has
been committed the ministry of reconciliation, and in discharging it we
are ‘workers together’ with God- the very same word used in Mk. 16:20
concerning how the Lord Jesus ‘worked with’ His men as they fulfilled the
commission.
The "grace" in view is surely the charis of the Spirit. The
Corinthians had been given the Spirit at baptism, but had not made use of
it. They had received it in vain. The same word for "received" is used in
1 Cor. 2:14 to lament how the natural man does not receive the Spirit. And
yet 1 Cor. 1 is clear that the Corinthians had received the Spirit. But
they were not spiritual (1 Cor. 3:1). The Spirit had been received, but in
vain. In contrast, Paul can say that he has not received God's grace in
vain (1 Cor. 15:10); he is bidding them follow his example of
transformation.
6:2- see on Ps. 69:13.
For He said: In a time of acceptance I hearkened to
you, and in a day of salvation did I succour you. Behold, now is the time
of acceptance; behold, now is the day of salvation- This quotation is in
support of the statement that we have received God's grace, charis,
gift of the Spirit; but we are not to receive it in vain, but rather make
use of it. The 'succouring' in view refers to just that. The same word is
used in Heb. 2:18 of how the Lord Jesus gives us such help in time of
temptation. Seeing that temptation is internal to the human mind, this
help is surely psychological, within the heart- which is exactly what the
gift of the Spirit is all about. Forgiveness is indeed in view, but beyond
that- strength against falling into sin.
There's an allusion here to Ps. 32:6. For every sinner, for whom David is
our example, now is the time when God may be "found" in the sense
of experiencing His forgiveness. God is love towards men, He is
forgiveness. To experience this and respond back to it is therefore to
find the knowledge of God. This "time when You (i.e. God's forgiveness,
which is God) may be found" which David speaks of is that of 2 Cor.
6:2: "Now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation",
literally the 'today' of salvation. We get the sense of urgency,
of using every moment to repent and find salvation. That must be refleted
in our urgency of appeal to men, and also in our attitude to our own
repentance. Paul
was speaking of how all sinners, baptized or not, need to realize this; we
are all in David's position. Some complain that they did not experience a
very great upsurge in finding and knowing God at the point of baptism.
This may be due to an insufficient emphasis on the need for repentance and
appreciating the seriousness of sin before baptism; and not being willing
to make use of the Spirit gift which we are then given. We must not think
that we know God because we believe a Statement of Faith and have been
baptized. "Now is the accepted time", Paul wrote to the baptized
Corinthians, to truly take on board the marvel of God's forgiveness, to
know it and respond to it for ourselves, and thereby to come to a dynamic,
two-way relationship with God.
But the allusion is also to Is. 49:8 “In an acceptable time have I heard
you”. This is one of a number of instances of where Old Testament
Messianic Scriptures are applied to Paul in the context of his preaching
Christ. Is. 49:8,9: “In an acceptable time have I heard you, and in a day
of salvation have I helped you” is quoted about us in 2 Cor. 6:2 in the
context of us being preachers, labouring with God. Isaiah continues: “And
I will preserve thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, to raise
up the land, to make them inherit the desolate heritages; saying to them
that are bound, Go forth; to them that are in darkness, Shew yourselves”
(RV). This is the language of the Lord’s preaching, which freed men from
the prison house (Is. 61:1,2). Yet because we are in Him, we too have His
ministry; our words too can make men inherit the Kingdom, and free
men from their bondage. “We are witnesses [through being] in him” (Acts
5:32 RVmg.). As the Lord in Isaiah’s servant songs was the suffering,
saving, atoning servant, lifted up to give salvation world-wide- so are
we. This is why a Messianic passage like Is. 49:8 is quoted by Paul in 2
Cor. 6 about us, sinners that we are. The next verse, Is. 49:9, must therefore also be
about us: "That thou mayest say to the prisoners, Go forth; to them that
are in darkness, Shew yourselves... they shall not hunger nor thirst;
neither shall the heat nor sun smite them: for he that hath mercy on them
shall lead them, even by the springs of water” (AV). In the same way as
we have experienced the "acceptable time" in this life, so we will be
able to encourage others to make use of the "accepted time" of God's
grace.
6:3 We aim to give no reason for stumbling in anything, that our
ministry is not blamed- The "ministry" received is to speak and act on
God's behalf; for "our ministry" is His ministry of reconciliation
which has been given to us (5:19). It is therefore critical that our
service or ministry saves others, or works towards that; and therefore we
will be careful not to cause any to stumble from the path towards that
great salvation. As an "ambassador" (5:20), we must be careful not to
discredit the Lord whom we represent and whose messengers and
representatives we are.
6:4 But in everything, commending ourselves as servants of God, in much
patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses- An
"ambassador" (5:20) was a servant. The authentication of him as an
ambassador was in all the troubles he had experienced for the sake of that
work, and his patient response to them. "Patience" or endurance was [and
still is] the foremost qualification and characteristic. All the
afflictions, necessities etc. were endured and did not stop Paul from
continuing- for the idea of "patience", hupomone, is of
"endurance". This is what authenticates a servant of God- keeping on
keeping on, rather than a brief impressive mission trip or moment of
sacrifice. We are not only Jesus to this world but also effectively we are
the witness to God Himself. We minister His care to others; to the extent
that Paul could write both that he was a minister of God, and also a
minister of the church (2 Cor. 6:4; Col. 1:24,25). It is primarily
people who communicate, not words or ideas. Personal authenticity is
undoubtedly the strongest credential in our work of communicating the
message. Thus Paul could speak of his afflictions as being his credentials
(2 Cor. 11:21-33; 1 Thess. 2:1-4; 2 Tim. 3:10-12). And God’s true servant
commends himself by the endurance of opposition (2 Cor. 6:4,5).
6:5 In stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labours, in
watchings, in fastings- These kinds of afflictions, especially the
riots ["tumults"], had come upon Paul in Corinth and surrounding areas
(Acts 18:13). His readership knew he was telling the truth. "Watchings" is
literally 'sleepless nights' (NIV); the reference could be to how his hard
labour as a tentmaker had to be done through the night at times, so that
he could do ministry work during the day (1 Thess. 2:9 gives an example).
6:6 In pureness, in knowledge, in patience, in kindness- This group
of sufferings refer to Paul's internal efforts and sacrifices in order for
the ministry to go ahead. Paul's loving patience and care for the
Corinthians exemplified all these characteristics.
In the Holy Spirit-
The fruit of the gift of
the Spirit included love and all that flows from it. Paul could sense that
this fruit had been brought forth in him. Hence he goes on to list real
love. This is why he so often links the Holy Spirit with love (Rom. 5:5;
15:30; Gal. 5:22; Phil. 2:1,2).
In sincere love-
There is repeated N.T. warning against the ease of
slipping into a mindset which thinks itself to be 'loving' when actually
it isn't. "Let love be without dissimulation" (s.w. "unfeigned"; Rom.
12:9). The fact he knew himself to have "love unfeigned" (2 Cor. 6:6) was
one of Paul's credentials as a genuine apostle. James 3:17 speaks of the
true spirituality, including gentleness, patience, kindness etc., as being
"without hypocrisy" (s.w. "unfeigned"). A true response to the doctrines
of the basic Gospel will result in "love unfeigned" (1 Pet. 1:22). Israel
of old failed in this: "With their mouth they shew much love; but their
heart goeth after their covetousness" (Ez. 33:31). This is all some
emphasis. It helps explain why both in ourselves and in others it is
possible to behold a great emphasis on love whilst at the same time
harbouring a very unloving attitude. I think all of us with any ecclesial
experience will be able to recall conversations where 'love' has been
advocated, or 'unloving behaviour' criticized, in language which simply
breathes bitterness and contempt!
6:7 In the word of truth, in the power of God- The word of truth
is the Gospel (Col. 1:5), and Paul's truthful preaching of it was
confirmed by the power of God allowing miracles to be done to confirm his
preaching.
By the armour of righteousness on the right hand and
on the left-
The idea is of a warrior holding weapons in both hands, defensive in one,
offensive weapons in the other.
6:8 By glory and dishonour, by evil report and good report. As
deceivers and yet true- Paul lists these things as an evidence that he
is well authenticated as a preacher or minister of the Gospel. But the
personal integrity of every true preacher is always going to be
questioned. Paul was not beyond criticism or false accusation. That can
never be a required feature of those who minister the Gospel; for
according to Paul here, the very fact the preacher becomes the object of
slander and even exaggerated "good report" is all what confirms the
credentials of a true minister of Christ. We could conclude that being
unfairly gossiped about is a characteristic of the true servant of God. So
here when Paul lists the things which confirm his apostleship, he not only
lists his imprisonments and shipwrecks; he says that the fact he has been
slandered is another proof that he is a servant of Christ. See on 1 Tim.
5:19.
6:9 As unknown and yet well known- The accusation was that Paul
was a nobody, unknown. When as they knew, he was well known. This may
explain the otherwise strange comment of the Jews in Rome that they had
never heard of Paul. They surely had, but they treated him as "unknown".
As dying and behold we live-
It is common for public
figures to be gossiped about as having an illness, being terminally ill,
and having only limited time left. It seems Paul had experienced that.
As chastened and not killed-
Chastening may refer to
public whipping, as it does in Lk. 23:16,22. Paul had five times been
whipped or 'chastened' by the Jewish synagogue courts with 39 lashes (2
Cor. 11:24). Forty lashes were considered enough to kill- Paul was taken
right up to the point of death. But he didn't die. Perhaps he has in mind
the resurrection which occurred on one occasion after he was whipped to
death in Acts 14:19,20.
6:10- see on Mt. 26:39.
As sorrowful, yet always rejoicing-
In :9, Paul has cited
the false accusations against him and answered them. Now he appears to
comment upon some of his characteristics which his critics disliked, and
justifies them, or at least presents them in another light. He so often
writes of his tears and worry for his brethren; he was sorrowful, and yet
it is part of the Christian life to also at the same time have joy. He has
in view the Lord Jesus, who was the man of sorrows on the cross, and yet
could speak of "My joy" at the same time. But surely he also alludes to
how he has used the same words in telling the Corinthians that he had
sorrow from them when he ought to have rejoicing from them (2 Cor. 2:3).
He sorrowed over them, and yet he also rejoiced over them for who they
were by status in Christ (2 Cor. 7:7,9,13,16; 13:9).
As poor, yet making many rich-
Critics leave the
accused guilty whatever the truth is. Paul was accused of seeking wealth
from his ministry, and yet apparently mocked for being poor- for wealth
was seen, as today, as proof that a minister was of God. Paul clearly
intends a linkage with his teaching in 8:9 that it was through the poverty
of the Lord Jesus that we are made rich. And Paul saw that working out in
his own life. He speaks of how we received the riches of God’s grace (Eph.
1:18; 2:7; 3:8,16); and yet in writing to the Corinthians he uses only to
them a specific Greek word meaning ‘to enrich’. He reminds them of how we
are enriched by Him in the knowledge of forgiveness which we have
(1 Cor. 1:5; 2 Cor. 9:11), and therefore we are to ‘enrich’ others
in our preaching to them of the same grace (2 Cor. 6:10).
As having nothing-
In our attitudes
we must be as if we possessed nothing, as if we have in our heart of
hearts resigned everything, even the very concept of personal
'possession'. Paul could say that he was as if he possessed
nothing, although he evidently had at least some money to his name (Acts
24:26), and could offer to re-imburse Philemon for any damages. There is a
great freedom in this, if only we would know it.
And yet possessing all things-
It is the Lord Jesus who
possesses all things. The three characteristics mentioned in this verse
each apply to the Lord Jesus in His time of dying. Clearly Paul felt
identity with Him.
6:11- see on 2 Cor. 8:24.
Our mouth is open to you, O Corinthians, our heart
is enlarged-
The openness of Paul, his self-revelation of his innermost spirit,
especially to his detractors at Corinth, is incredible. In such situations
one tends to be cagey and reserved rather than open-hearted. But much of
what we learn about Paul's innermost struggles comes from his letters to
the Corinthians, who seemed ready to abuse his every word. And he asks
them, as his very own children, to respond to his transparency by being
open with him: "In return (I speak as to children) widen your hearts also"
(2 Cor. 6:13). Many find that human leaders or elders come between them
and a personal following of Jesus. Yet we need to remember that Jesus
never delegated his personal authority over His people to anyone. This is
where the Catholic idea of the Pope as the personal representative of
Jesus is so wrong. Much as we should respect our elders, this respect
shouldn’t come between us and the Lord Jesus. Note how Paul never demanded
power over his converts. He made himself vulnerable to them, in the hope
that they would respond to him in an open relationship. Note the parallel
between mouth and heart. This is very common in the Bible (at least 25
examples)- for our words issue from the heart.
6:12 You are not restricted by us, but you are restricted in your own
affections- The GNB seems to well summarize this awkward phrasing: "It
is not we who have closed our hearts to you; it is you who have closed
your hearts to us". This sounds as if one of the criticisms of Paul was
that he had closed his heart to the Corinthians, he was all theory and no
heart, a distant man hidden behind his own theology. And Paul's
openhearted sharing of his life and feelings is therefore to be understood
as a response to that slander.
Their sense of 'limitation' or being 'cramped' [Gk.] was not due to what
he'd said, but more because of their own consciences as believers: "You
are not cramped in us, but you are cramped by your own hearts... be you
also enlarged! Be not unequally yoked together with unbelievers; for what
fellowship has righteousness with unrighteousness?" (2 Cor. 6:12-14). He's
saying that the apparent 'cramping' or 'limitation' of being separate from
the ways of the world is actually not a cramping at all- it's an
enlargement of the heart's horizons. And this fits in admirably with the
Hebrew idea of 'holiness'- a separation from sin /the world
unto so much more.
6:13 In return (I speak as to children) widen your hearts also-
The "return" was in that Paul wanted them to respond to his open hearted
position before them. He wanted his attitude of transparency to elicit the
same from them. Despite their revolt against him, he considers them his
spiritual children (although he had baptized few of them); and so he
wanted them to mimic his attitude in this.
6:14 Be not unequally yoked with unbelievers- Paul now attempts to
put his finger on why they were not acting to him as towards a parent,
mimicking his openness (:13). It is because of associations with others.
Paul's selfless relationship with Corinth was inspired by that of Moses
with Israel. Thus Paul warns Corinth not to be unequally yoked with
unbelievers (2 Cor. 6:14), or else he would come to them and not spare. He
is quoting the LXX of Num. 25:3 concerning how Israel joined themselves to
Baal-peor, resulting in Moses commanding the murder of all those guilty-
just as Paul later did to Corinth. Israel were not to sow "mingled seed"
in their fields, or make clothes of "mingled" materials (s.w. LXX Lev.
19:19). The materials would, as the Lord Himself mentioned, tear apart.
The garment wouldn't last. And sowing different seeds together likewise
would bring no fruit to perfection. But the LXX in these passages is
quoted in one place only in the NT: "Be not unequally yoked together with
unbelievers" (2 Cor. 6:14). If we are, the relationship can't work.
So don't think that if we yoke with unbelievers, as Corinth were with the
Judaizers, or if we marry out of the Faith, it will all work out OK
somehow. Unless there is serious repentance (and even then, not always),
it won't work. It will be a garment patched up with two different
materials.
For what fellowship have righteousness and iniquity?
Or what communion has light with darkness?- "Fellowship" and
"communion", kioinonia, here carries the sense of 'What do they
have in common?'. The Corinthians thought that they could be Christians,
yoked to the Lord, whilst involved in idol worship and Judaism. But if
Christ is the light- then all else is darkness. Paul has earlier used the
metaphor of how in the new creation, light shines forth out of the
darkness. Although Paul was very tolerant of the Corinthians, he knew that
ultimately there can be no compromise. It's not that they 'ought not to
fellowship' with darkness; his point is that light and darkness are
mutually exclusive categories, there is nothing in common between them.
This is all being said in support of the appeal earlier in this verse not
to be unequally yoked with unbelievers. Equal yoking is in order to get a
job done- ploughing for the Lord, doing His work. And we shall not be able
to participate in His work if we are unequally yoked. Not because we are
not 'allowed' to, but because in practice we will be pulling different
ways.
6:15 And what agreement has Christ with Belial? Or what portion has a
believer with an unbeliever?- "Belial" was a specifically Jewish term
for 'satan'. The fact Paul uses it here demonstrates the degree of Judaist
influence upon the Corinthians. The Bible doesn't teach the existence of a
cosmic Satan figure as believed in by first century Judaism; the word
"Belial" never occurs again in the Bible. But (as he often does) Paul
reasons with them from their perspective. It was unthinkable in Judaism to
suggest that there was middle ground between Belial and God; but this in
practice was how they were living. But when "Belial" occurs in the Old
Testament, the Septuagint translates it as transgressor, impious, foolish
or pest. It does not occur in the Septuagint as a proper name- i.e.
'Satan' as a personal cosmic being. Belial in Hebrew means
'worthless', and it seems that it became personified in Jewish thought,
eventually being twisted by them into a term for the cosmic 'Satan'
figure which they came to wrongly believe in. So it could be that Paul is
putting 'Belial' for what the Old Testament would call "sons of Belial",
i.e. wicked men. They are then made parallel with "unbelievers", just as
"Christ" is matched by "believers".
6:16 And what agreement has a temple of God with idols?- Paul here
appeals to the Jewish obsession with the sanctity of the temple. To have
idols within it was the greatest sacrilege. And yet the Corinthians were
worshipping idols within the church, which is God's temple.
For we are a temple of the living God, even as God
said-
God 'lived' in the temple in that His glory and Spirit were present there;
and He has placed His Spirit within each person who has believed and been
baptized into His Son. But the Corinthians refused to be aware of this;
hence in their personal and collective lives they were unaware of His
presence and activity, and the need to keep themselves from defiling that
holy space with idolatry. The quotation is not from any one place, but as
was commonly done by Rabbis, is a mixture of language from Ex. 29:45; Lev.
26:11,12; Ez. 37:26,27; 43:7 and Zech. 2:10,11.
I will dwell in them and walk in them, and I will be
their God and they shall be My people- God now dwells in His people through the Spirit
("In whom you also are being built up together for a dwelling place of God
by the Spirit", Eph. 2:22). John's Gospel records the many times where the
Lord Jesus speaks of abiding or dwelling within His people, especially
through the Comforter, which is the Holy Spirit. Paul has questioned
whether the Corinthians appreciate that the Spirit is indeed within them,
thereby making them the temple of God (1 Cor. 3:16,17). The presence of
the Spirit makes our hearts and lives exclusively God's. But because
Corinth failed to permit the Spirit to function and were wilfully ignorant
of it, they therefore failed to perceive the exclusivity of God's claim
upon them, and were involved with idol worship. Paul is writing to a
church which included Gentiles who had fallen under the influence of
Judaism. He is saying that the Old Testament people of God are now the
baptized Christian community, indwelt by the Spirit, for whom holy place
and space is now the heart of the believer and the collective church of
God. If God is walking amongst us and within us- then to be yoked together
with an unbeliever is going to be impossible (:14).
The experience of God as "their God" was only if they came out from the
world (:17). Paul has earlier stated that some of them have no
relationship with God; "some have not the knowledge of God" (1 Cor.
15:34). God was not "their God"; for in practice, they refused to be
indwelt by His Spirit, which was His stamp of exclusive ownership of them.
Paul spoke of how those who join themselves with unbelievers (and marriage
must surely have been in his mind) had to retract or repent of that
relationship, and then God would receive them and be their God
(2 Cor. 6:14-17). He was referring back to the Abrahamic promise of Gen.
17:7, that God would be the God of Abraham's seed. Although baptism makes
us the seed of Abraham, we can step out of that covenant; and it seems
this is what the Corinthians had done.
6:17 Therefore come out from among them and be separate, says the
Lord, and touch no unclean thing; and I will welcome you- This is a
quotation of Is. 52:11,12, initially concerning the need for the Jews to
quit Babylon. Clearly Paul felt that the Corinthians were still within
"Babylon" and needed to leave it, lest they be consumed in its judgments.
This would be one of many examples of where Paul clearly saw the apostasy
of the Corinthians; and yet he respects their status "in Christ" and
assumes their final salvation, for he cannot personally consign them as
individuals to condemnation at the last day. For we are not to judge in
that sense.
God will confirm us in coming out from the world. He told His people to
flee from Babylon, to come out of her and return to His land and Kingdom
(Is. 48:20; 52:7; Jer. 50:8; Zech. 2:7). Babylon offered them a secure
life, wealth, a society which accepted them (Esther 8:17; 10:3), houses
which they had built for themselves (Jer. 29:5). And they were asked to
leave all this, and travel the uncertain wilderness road to the ruins of
Israel. They are cited in the NT as types of us in our exit from this
world (2 Cor. 6:17; Rev. 18:4). Those who decided to obey God’s command
and leave Babylon were confirmed in this by God: He raised up their spirit
to want to return and re-build Jerusalem, and He touched the heart of
Cyrus to make decrees which greatly helped them to do this (Ezra 1:2-5).
And so the same Lord God of Israel is waiting to confirm us in our every
act of separation from the kingdoms of this world, great or small; and He
waits not only to receive us, but to be a Father unto us, and to make us
His sons and daughters (2 Cor. 6:18).
We are to "be separate" in this life, as an act of choice in the myriad
of daily decisions we face (2 Cor. 6:17)- and yet at the judgment, the
Lord will "sever" (s.w.) the wicked from the just (Mt. 13:49), or
"separate" the sheep from the goats (Mt. 25:32). But we are to live out
the judgment now in our separation from wickedness. And if we do this,
wicked men shall "separate" from us- the judgment is worked out ahead of
time (Lk. 6:22).
"I will welcome / receive you" quotes from Ez. 20:34, which is a plea for Judah to repent and enter the new covenant. They will be 'received' on forgiveness of their sins. As laboured in 2 Cor. 3, the Corinthians stood related to the new covenant, as we do. But we can be received if we come out from the Gentile world and make the journey to Zion, confessing our sins.
6:18 And I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and
daughters to Me, says the Lord Almighty- Some in Corinth did not have
"the knowledge of God" (1 Cor. 15:34), i.e. living relationship with Him.
If they came out from the world, then God would accept them as His
children. And yet Paul writes and feels towards Corinth as if they are
indeed God's children; even though in another sense he appeals for them to
enter exclusive covenant with Him and become His children. This is a
powerful paradigm for us to follow, in our struggles as to how we should
relate to children of God who by behaviour and beliefs are apparently not
His children. We are to accept them as His children, ever honouring
and respecting their commitment to Christ in baptism- but appeal for them
to act appropriately and repent of their inappropriate positions.
Paul is alluding here to the LXX of 2 Sam. 7:14, where God promises David
that He will be a father to David's Son, the Lord Jesus. As noted earlier,
Paul applies language specifically relevant to the Lord Jesus to us; for
this is what it means to be "in Christ".
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