2 Corinthians 6:15

Χριστοῦ (אBCP, Latt. Copt.) rather than Χριστῷ (DFGKL, Syrr.), and Βελίαρ (אBCLP) rather than Βελίαν (DK, some cursives and plurimi codices known to Jerome).

15. τίς δὲ συμφώνησις Χριστοῦ πρὸς Βελίαρ; And what concord is there of Christ with Belial? There can be no harmony between the perfection of holiness and the spirit of heathen impurity. ‘Belial’ in the O.T. is frequent and has various meanings. Its original meaning may be either ‘worthlessness’ or ‘hopeless ruin’; its secondary meaning, either ‘destruction’ or’ extreme wickedness.’ Between the O.T. and the N.T. ‘Belial’ or ‘Beliar’ came to be a proper name = Satan, and perhaps we have the transition to this use in ‘the wicked one’ of Nahum 1:15. We find it thus employed in the Book of Jubilees, and often in the Testaments of the XII. Patriarchs, where it is connected with the spirit of impurity (Reub. 4, 6; Sim. 5), deceit (Leviticus 3; Judah 25; Benj. 6), darkness (Leviticus 18), anger (Daniel 1). There, as in the best MSS. here, the form Βελίαρ is used. Another variation is βερίαρ. In the Sibylline Oracles the name indicates Nero. The Fathers commonly interpret it by ἀποστάτης and use it of Satan. See Chase, The Lord’s Prayer in the Early Church, p. 87.

τίς μερὶς πιστῷ μετὰ�; Here there is a verbal antithesis, and the A.V. destroys it by turning ‘unbeliever’ (2 Corinthians 6:14) into ‘infidel.’ What portion (Luke 10:42; Acts 8:21) is there for a believer (1 Timothy 5:16; Acts 16:1) with an unbeliever (John 20:27). Comp. μετὰ μοιχῶν τὴν μερίδα σου ἐτίθεις (Psalms 49:18). For the true Christian μερίς see Colossians 1:12.