2 Corinthians 6:11-18

Applebury's Comments

Scripture
The Plea For Acceptance

2 Corinthians 6:11-18 Our mouth is open unto you, O Corinthians, our heart is enlarged. 12 Ye are not straitened in us, but ye are straitened in your own affections. 13 Now for a recompense in like kind (I speak as unto my children), be ye also enlarged.

14 Be not unequally yoked with unbelievers: for what fellowship have righteousness and iniquity? or what communion hath light with darkness? 15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what portion hath a believer with an unbeliever? 16 And what agreement hath a temple of God with idols? for we are a temple of the living God; even as God 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 ye out from among

them, and be ye separate,

saith the Lord,

And touch no unclean thing;

And I will receive you,

18 And will be to you a Father,

And ye shall be to me sons and daughters,

Comments

Our mouth is open unto you.Paul had urged the Corinthians not to receive the grace of God in vain. He continued the appeal by urging them to accept him as the servant of God through whom the message of grace and reconciliation had been preached to them. With a clear message, a pure heart, and sincere motives he urged them to understand his great love for them.

Ye are not straitened in us.The place the Corinthians occupied in the affections of Paul was not limited. His deep concern for them had led him to do more for them than for any other congregation among the many he had established. If there was any limitation, it was in their love for him. Some of them had come under the influence of false teachers and were failing to show proper respect for him as the one who had taught them to love the Lord. See 1 Corinthians 4:14-21.

Now for a recompense in like kind.Since Paul had boldly declared his love for them, he appealed to them as his children in Christ to demonstrate the same love for him.

Be not unequally yoked with unbelievers.Some have assumed that it would have been impossible for Paul to have written these words immediately after the fervent declaration of his deep love for them. They seem to think that the contrast is too great and that he could not have changed from the expression of love to one of criticism which they assume characterizes this passage. See 2 Corinthians 6:14-18; 2 Corinthians 7:1.

On these assumptions they build still another: That this section must have been taken from some other letter which he had written at another time. The absence of manuscript evidence to support the theory argues strongly against it. It also fails on two other counts: (1) This section, rather than being a rebuke is a continuation of Paul's earnest appeal for the Corinthians to rid themselves of whatever thing that had caused them to limit their love for the one who had led them to Christ and whose love for them was like that of a father. (2) Paul's writings abound in such sharp contrasts. For example, see his condemnation of the works of the flesh in contrast to his praise of the fruit of the spirit in Galatians 5:16-24. He did not hesitate to speak freely about his deep sorrow over someone who had fallen away from Christ and in the next moment tell of his joy as he contemplated the victory through Christ for all those who remain faithful to Him.

with unbelievers.This passage is invariably interpreted as having to do with marriage. But there is no evidence in the context to show that Paul had this subject in mind at all. He had discussed that subject at length in the first epistle. See 1 Corinthians 7:1-40. There, he indicated that marriage should be within the regulation of the Lord. He also gave instruction for the believer who was married to an unbeliever. The life of the believer was to be such that the unbelieving partner might be led to salvation in Christ. See also 1 Peter 3:1-2. There is no question, of course, that it would be better for both husband and wife to be believers in the Lord Jesus Christ.

In this context, Paul seems to be referring to those unbelievers who were disturbing the church and keeping them from the proper attitude of Christian love toward him. The series of questions that follow shows the utter incompatibility of belief and unbelief.

what fellowship have righteousness and iniquity?Can righteousness and lawlessness be partners? Some at Corinth seemed to think that these opposites could be yoked together. See 1 Corinthians 5:1-13 for an attempt to do so.

The Corinthians were not the only ones who have tried to do this. Some church people today excuse their bent to sinning by blaming Adam for their sinful nature and insist that John said that we sin every day. They miss the message of 1 John 1:8 by failing to read what he wrote in 1 John 3:1-10. They miss Paul's point in Romans 7:17 by failing to read Romans 6:16-18.

light with darkness?These opposites cannot be yoked together as one team. John says, God is light and in him is no darkness at all (1 John 1:5). Then he adds, If we say that we have fellowship with him and walk in the darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: but if we walk in the light as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin (1 John 1:6-7).

Still some argue that there are no such absolutes in the Christian life. They insist that there must be some mixing of light and darkness, for we all sin; nobody is perfect. Nobody is perfect in the sense that he cannot commit an act of sin. See 1 John 2:1-2. But the fact remains that the Bible allows no such mixing of light and darkness. James says that God is the Father of lights, with whom there can be no variation, neither shadow that is cast by turning (James 1:17). Then he adds, wherefore putting away all filthiness and overflowing of wickedness receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. But be ye doers of the word, not hearers only, deluding your own selves (James 1:21-22).

Christ with Belial?Belial is Satan. Yoking a believer with an unbeliever is like attempting to yoke Christ with Satan. Could there possibly be any accord between Christ and the devil? What is there that belongs to the believer and at the same time to the unbeliever? Not Christ, nor salvation, nor heaven!

temple of God with idols?How could there possibly be any agreement between the temple where the Spirit of God dwells and a pagan temple where idols are kept? This is the climax of Paul's argument showing that the believers at Corinth were not to be unequally yoked with unbelievers. Paul had warned them of the punishment for destroying the temple of God. See 1 Corinthians 3:16-17. Were they willing to risk destruction of the temple of God by attempting to mix unbelievers and believers in the church?

God had promised Israel that He would be in them and dwell in their midst and be their God. They were to be His people, but on the condition that they separate themselves from every unclean thing. Then He would be like a father to them and they would be like sons and daughters to Him. Will God tolerate anything less in the church?

Summary

As an ambassador of Christ, working together with God, Paul urged the Corinthians not to receive the gracious gift of righteousness as if it were an empty, meaningless thing. He reminded them of the prophetic word in which God had said to Israel, At an acceptable time, I heard you, and in a day of salvation I came to help you. Paul explained it by saying that the acceptable time is now, and the day of salvation is now. The whole Christian age that began on Pentecost and will end when Christ comes again is the day of salvation. But no individual has more than a lifetime in which to accept it. The Corinthians were in danger of failing to respond to the urgent plea to be reconciled to God. Paul had been careful not to give offense to anyone, so that no one could blame him if one should fail to respond to God's plea to be reconciled to Him.
Paul's ministry was blameless in areas ranging from patience to power of God. He carried it on by weapons of righteousness, by glory and dishonor, by evil report and good report. He served as one who was unknown, yet well known; as one who was dying, but to the amazement of the disciples, he lived; as one severely punished, but not killed; as one who knew the meaning of sorrow, yet he always rejoiced; as having nothing, yet he possessed all things, for he was a child of the heavenly Father.
Looking back on this frank explanation of his motives and experiences of his ministry in their behalf, Paul plead with the Corinthians to make room for him in their affections. His mouth was open, for he had been speaking openly and freely of his love for them. In his heart there was ample space for all the Christians at Corinth. Any restriction of affection was on their part, not his. He urged them to make room for him in their hearts.

Evidently the attack of false teachers on Paul had caused some of the Corinthians to have an improper regard for him. It became necessary for him to follow his declaration of love for them with a sharp warning: Stop becoming unequally yoked with unbelievers. The Old Testament regulation forbade yoking animals of different species together. See Deuteronomy 22:10. Putting an unbeliever in the same yoke with a believer was as bad as yoking an ox and an ass together. Believers in Christ are not in the same class with unbelievers.

To assume that this was a reference to the marriage of the Christian and an unbeliever is to miss the main import of the lesson. Some Christians at Corinth were married to unbelievers, and Paul had reminded them of their opportunity to win the unbelieving partner to Christ.
Paul ordered them to stop the practice of being yoked with unbelievers without saying who the unbelievers were. We know he had ordered them to deliver the immoral person to Satan. A little leaven leavens the whole lump. Those who were denying the resurrection were like evil companionships that corrupt good morals. False apostles were ministers of Satan; they were to quit associating with such unbelievers.
Paul used a series of contrasts to illustrate what he meant. Righteousness and lawlessness are opposites and cannot be mixed. The same is true of light and darkness. Christ has nothing in common with the devil. God's temple cannot rest on the same foundation as that of the temple of an idol. Believers cannot be linked with unbelievers.
Christians are to be separated from the defilements of sin so that God may dwell in their midst. Then He can be as a father to them, and they as sons and daughters to Him.