2 Corinthians 6

2Co 6:1-18.

HIS

APOSTOLIC

MINISTRY

IS

APPROVED BY

FAITHFULNESS IN

EXHORTATION, IN

SUFFERINGS, IN

EXHIBITION OF THE

FRUITS OF THE

HOLY GHOST:

HIS

LARGENESS OF

HEART TO

THEM

CALLS FOR

ENLARGEMENT OF

THEIR

HEART TO

HIM.

EXHORTATIONS TO

SEPARATION FROM

POLLUTION.

1. workers together--with God

(Ac 15:4;

1Co 3:9).

Not only as "ambassadors."

beseech--entreat

(2Co 5:20).

He is describing his ministry, not exhorting directly.

you also--rather, "WE ALSO

(as well as God,

2Co 5:20)

beseech" or "entreat you":

2Co 6:14, 15,

on to

2Co 7:1,

is part of this entreaty or exhortation.

in vain--by making the grace of God a ground for continuance in sin

(2Co 6:3).

in vain, so far as you are concerned

(Heb 12:15;

Jude 4).

"The grace of God" here, is "the reconciliation" provided by God's love

(2Co 5:18, 19;

compare

Ga 2:2).

2. For--God's own promise is the ground of our exhortation.

he saith--God the Father saith to God the Son, and so to all

believers who are regarded as one with Him.

heard thee--In the eternal purposes of my love I have hearkened to

thy prayer for the salvation of thy people (compare

Joh 17:9, 15, 20, 24).

accepted . . . accepted--The Greek of the latter is more emphatic,

"well-accepted." What was "an accepted time" in the prophecy

(Isa 49:8,

Hebrew, "in the season of grace") becomes "the

well-accepted time" in the fulfilment (compare

Ps 69:13).

As it is God's time of receiving sinners, receive

ye His grace: accept

(2Co 6:1)

the word of reconciliation in His accepted time.

in the day of salvation--"in a day of salvation"

(Lu 4:18, 19, 21; 19:42;

Heb 3:7).

3. Resuming the connection with

2Co 6:1,

interrupted by the parenthetical

2Co 6:2.

"Giving no offense" (compare

1Co 10:33),

"approving ourselves," and all the other participles down to

2Co 6:10,

are nominatives to "we also entreat you"

(2Co 6:1),

to show the pains he took to enforce his exhortation by example, as

well as precept [ALFORD]. "Offense" would be

given, if we were without "patience" and the other qualifications which

he therefore subjoins (compare

Ro 14:13).

4. Translate, to mark the true order of the Greek words, "in

everything, as God's ministers recommending ourselves," that is, that

our hearers may give our message a favorable hearing, through our

consistency in every respect, not that they may glorify us. Alluding to

2Co 3:1,

he implies, We commend ourselves, not like them by word, but by

deed.

patience--

(2Co 12:12).

Put first. "Pure-minded" follows

(2Co 6:6).

Three triplets of trials exercising the "patience" (patient endurance)

follow: Afflictions (or "tribulations"), necessities, distresses (or

"straits"); stripes, imprisonments, tumults; labors, watchings,

fastings. The first triplet expresses afflictions generally; the

second, those in particular arising from the violence of men; the

third, those which he brought on himself directly or

indirectly.

5. stripes--

(2Co 11:23, 24;

Ac 16:23).

imprisonments--

(2Co 11:23).

He had been, doubtless, elsewhere imprisoned besides at Philippi when

he wrote this Epistle.

tumults--

(Ac 13:50; 14:5, 19; 16:22;

and recently

Ac 19:23-41).

labours--in the cause of Christ

(2Co 11:23;

Ro 16:12).

watchings--

(2Co 11:27).

Sleepless nights.

fastings--The context here refers to his trials, rather than

devotional exercises (compare

2Co 11:27).

Thus "foodlessness" would seem to be the sense (compare

1Co 4:11;

Php 4:12).

But the usual sense of the Greek is fasts, in the strict

sense; and in

2Co 11:27

it is spoken of independently of "hunger and thirst." (Compare

Lu 2:37;

Ac 10:30; 14:23).

However,

Mt 15:32;

Mr 8:3,

justify the sense, more favored by the context, foodlessness,

though a rare use of the word. GAUSSEN remarks

"The apostles combine the highest offices with the humblest exterior:

as everything in the Church was to be cast in the mould of death and

resurrection, the cardinal principle throughout Christianity."

6. By . . . by, &c.--rather, as Greek, "In . . . in," implying

not the instrument, but the sphere or element in which his ministry

moved.

knowledge--spiritual: in Gospel mysteries, unattainable by mere

reason

(1Co 2:6-16;

2Co 3:6, 17, 18).

long-suffering . . . kindness--associated with

"charity" or "love"

(1Co 13:4),

as here.

graces, and other gifts, "love unfeigned" being the foremost of them.

7. By the word of truth, by the power of God--rather, "IN

. . . in,"

&c. As to "the word of truth" (compare

2Co 4:2;

Col 1:5),

and "the (miraculous) power of God"

(2Co 4:7);

1Co 2:4,

"in demonstration of the Spirit and of power."

"Righteousness," which is the breastplate alone in

Eph 6:13-17,

here is made the whole Christian panoply (compare

2Co 10:4).

on . . . right . . . and . . .

left--that is, guarding on every side.

8. Translate, "Through glory and dishonor (disgrace),"

namely, from those in authority, and accruing to us

present. "By," or "through evil report and good report,"

from the multitude, and affecting us absent [BENGEL]. Regarded "as deceivers" by those who, not

knowing

(2Co 6:9),

dishonor and give us an evil report; "as true," by those

who "know"

(2Co 6:9)

us in the real "glory" of our ministry. In proportion as one has more

or less of glory and good report, in that degree has he

more or less of dishonor and evil report.

9. unknown . . . yet well known--"unknown" in our true

character to those who "evil report" of us, "well known" to those who

hold us in "good report"

(2Co 6:8).

CONYBEARE explains, "Unknown by men, yet

acknowledged by God"

(1Co 13:12).

Perhaps both God and men (believers) are intended as knowing him

(2Co 5:11; 11:6).

dying . . . live--

(2Co 1:9; 4:10, 11; 11:23).

Compare GAUSSEN'S remark, see on

2Co 6:5.

"Behold" calls attention to the fact as something beyond all

expectation.

chastened . . . not killed--realizing

Ps 118:18.

10. The "as" no longer is used to express the opinion of his

adversaries, but the real state of him and his fellow laborers.

making many rich--Spiritually

(1Co 1:5),

after the example of our Lord, who "by His poverty made many rich"

(2Co 8:9).

having nothing--Whatever of earthly goods we have, and these are

few, we have as though we had not; as tenants removable at will, not

owners

(1Co 7:30).

possessing all things--The Greek implies

firm possession, holding fast in possession

(compare

1Co 3:21, 22).

The things both of the present and of the future are, in the truest

sense, the believer's in possession, for he possesses them all in

Christ, his lasting possession, though the full fruition of them

is reserved for the future eternity.

11. mouth . . . open unto you--I use no concealment,

such as some at Corinth have insinuated

(2Co 4:2).

I use all freedom and openness of speech to you as to beloved friends.

Hence he introduces here, "O Corinthians" (compare

Php 4:15).

The enlargement of his heart towards them

(2Co 7:3)

produced his openness of mouth, that is, his unreserved

expression of his inmost feelings. As an unloving man is narrow

in heart, so the apostle's heart is enlarged by love, so as to

take in his converts at Corinth, not only with their graces, but with

their many shortcomings (compare

1Ki 4:29;

Ps 119:32;

Isa 60:5).

12. Any constraint ye feel towards me, or narrowness of heart, is not

from want of largeness of heart on my part towards you, but from want of

it on your part towards me.

bowels--that is, affections (compare

2Co 12:15).

not straitened in us--that is, for want of room in our hearts to

take you in.

13. Translate, "As a recompense in the same kind . . .

be enlarged also yourselves" [ELLICOTT]. "In the

same way" as my heart is enlarged towards you

(2Co 6:11),

and "as a recompense" for it

(Ga 4:12).

I speak as unto my children--as children would naturally be

expected to recompense their parents' love with similar love.

14. Be not--Greek, "Become not."

unequally yoked--"yoked with one alien in spirit." The image is from

the symbolical precept of the law

(Le 19:19),

"Thou shalt not let thy cattle gender with a diverse kind"; or the

precept

(De 22:10),

"Thou shalt not plough with an ox and an ass together." Compare

De 7:3,

forbidding marriages with the heathen; also

1Co 7:39.

The believer and unbeliever are utterly heterogeneous. Too close

intercourse with unbelievers in other relations also is included

(2Co 6:16;

1Co 8:10; 10:14).

fellowship--literally, "share," or "participation."

righteousness--the state of the believer, justified by faith.

unrighteousness--rather, as always translated elsewhere, "iniquity";

the state of the unbeliever, the fruit of unbelief.

light--of which believers are the children

(1Th 5:5).

15. Belial--Hebrew, "worthlessness, unprofitableness, wickedness."

As Satan is opposed to God, and Antichrist to Christ; Belial being here

opposed to Christ, must denounce all manner of Antichristian uncleanness

[BENGEL].

he that believeth with an infidel--Translate, "a believer with an

unbeliever."

16. agreement--accordance of sentiments (compare

1Ki 18:21;

Eph 5:7, 11).

the temple of God--that is, you believers

(1Co 3:16; 6:19).

with idols--Compare Dagon before the ark

(1Sa 5:2-4).

as--"even as God said." Quotation from

Le 26:12;

Jer 31:33; 32:38;

Eze 37:26, 27;

compare

Mt 28:20;

Joh 14:23.

walk in them--rather, "among them." As "dwell" implies the divine

presence, so "walk," the divine operation. God's dwelling in the

body and soul of saints may be illustrated by its opposite, demoniacal

possession of body and soul.

my people--rather, "they shall be to me a people."

17. Quoted from

Isa 52:11,

with the freedom of one inspired, who gives variations sanctioned by

the Holy Spirit.

be ye separate--"be separated"

(Ho 4:17).

touch not the unclean thing--rather, "anything unclean"

(2Co 7:1;

Mic 2:10).

Touching is more polluting, as implying participation, than

seeing.

receive you--The Greek implies, "to myself"; as persons

heretofore out of doors, but now admitted within

(2Co 5:1-10).

With this accords the clause, "Come out from among them,"

namely, so as to be received to me. So

Eze 20:41,

"I will accept you"; and

Zep 3:19,

"gather her that was driven out." "The intercourse of believers with

the world should resemble that of angels, who, when they have been sent

a message from heaven, discharge their office with the utmost

promptness, and joyfully fly back home to the presence of God"

(1Co 7:31; 5:9, 10).

18. Translate, "I will be to you in the relation of a Father,

and ye shall be to me in the relation of sons and daughters." This

is a still more endearing relation than

(2Co 6:16),

"I will be their God, and they . . . My

people." Compare the promise to Solomon

(1Ch 28:6;

Isa 43:6;

Re 21:3, 7;

Jer 31:1, 9).

Lord Almighty--The Lord the Universal Ruler: nowhere else found

but in Revelation. The greatness of the Promiser enhances the greatness

of the promises.