2 Corinthians 6:11--7:4

6:11 We have spoken freely to you, ¹  Corinthians; our heart has been opened wide to you. 6:12 Our affection for you is not restricted, ²  but you are restricted in your affections for us. 6:13 Now as a fair exchange – I speak as to my ³  children – open wide your hearts to us ⁴  also.

Unequal Partners

6:14 Do not become partners ⁵  with those who do not believe, for what partnership is there between righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship does light have with darkness? 6:15 And what agreement does Christ have with Beliar? ⁶  Or what does a believer share in common with an unbeliever? 6:16 And what mutual agreement does the temple of God have with idols? For we are ⁷  the temple of the living God, just as God said, “I will live in them ⁸  and will walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.” ⁹  6:17 Therefore “come out from their midst, and be separate,” says the Lord, “and touch no unclean thing, ¹⁰  and I will welcome ¹¹  you, ¹²  6:18 and I will be a father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters,” ¹³  says the All-Powerful Lord. ¹⁴ 

Self-Purification

7:1 Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us cleanse ourselves ¹⁵  from everything that could defile the body ¹⁶  and the spirit, and thus accomplish ¹⁷  holiness out of reverence for God. ¹⁸  7:2 Make room for us in your hearts; ¹⁹  we have wronged no one, we have ruined no one, ²⁰  we have exploited no one. ²¹  7:3 I do not say this to condemn you, for I told you before ²²  that you are in our hearts so that we die together and live together with you. ²³ 

A Letter That Caused Sadness

7:4 I have great confidence in you; I take great pride ²⁴  on your behalf. I am filled with encouragement; ²⁵  I am overflowing with joy in the midst of ²⁶  all our suffering.

[6:11]  ¹ tn Grk “our mouth has been open to you,” an idiom for openness in communication.

[6:12]  ² tn Grk “You are not restricted by us.”

[6:13]  ³ tn The word “my” is not in the Greek text but is implied.

[6:13]  ⁴ tn The words “to us” are not in the Greek text but are implied.

[6:14]  ⁵ tn Or “Do not be mismatched.”

[6:15]  ⁶ sn The Greek term Βελιάρ (Beliar) is a spelling variant for Βελιάλ (Belial, see Judg 20:13 LXX). It occurs only here in the NT. Beliar is a reference to Satan.

[6:16]  ⁷ tc Most witnesses, including some important ones (Ì⁴⁶ א² C D² F G Ψ 0209 Ï lat sy Tert), read ὑμεῖς…ἐστε (Jumei"…este, “you are”) instead of ἡμεῖς…ἐσμεν (Jhmei"…esmen, “we are”) here, but several other early and important mss (א* B D* L P 0243 6 33 81 326 365 1175 1739 1881 2464 co Cl Or) have ἡμεῖς…ἐσμεν. The external evidence is somewhat in favor of the first person pronoun and verb; the internal evidence weighs in even stronger. In light of the parallel in 1 Cor 3:16, where Paul uses ἐστε (“you are the temple of God”), as well as the surrounding context here in which the second person verb or pronoun is used in vv. 14, 17, and 18, the second person reading seems obviously motivated. The first person reading can explain the rise of the other reading, but the reverse is not as easily done. Consequently, the first person reading of ἡμεῖς…ἐσμεν has all the credentials of authenticity.

[6:16]  ⁸ tn Or “live among them,” “live with them.”

[6:16]  ⁹ sn A quotation from Lev 26:12; also similar to Jer 32:38; Ezek 37:27.

[6:17]  ¹⁰ sn A quotation from Isa 52:11.

[6:17]  ¹¹ tn Or “will receive.”

[6:17]  ¹² sn A paraphrased quotation from Ezek 20:41.

[6:18]  ¹³ sn A paraphrased quotation from 2 Sam 7:14 and Isa 43:6.

[6:18]  ¹⁴ tn Traditionally, “the Lord Almighty.” BDAG 755 s.v. παντοκράτωρ states, “the Almighty, All-Powerful, Omnipotent (One) only of God…κύριος π. (oft. LXX) 2 Cor 6:18.”

[7:1]  ¹⁵ tn Or “purify ourselves.”

[7:1]  ¹⁶ tn Grk “from every defilement of the flesh.”

[7:1]  ¹⁷ tn Grk “accomplishing.” The participle has been translated as a finite verb due to considerations of contemporary English style, and “thus” has been supplied to indicate that it represents a result of the previous cleansing.

[7:1]  ¹⁸ tn Grk “in the fear of God.”

[7:2]  ¹⁹ tn The phrase “in your hearts” is not in the Greek text, but is implied.

[7:2]  ²⁰ tn “We have ruined no one” may refer to financial loss (“we have caused no one to suffer financial loss”) but it may also refer to the undermining of faith (“we have corrupted no one’s faith,”). Both options are mentioned in L&N 20.23.

[7:2]  ²¹ tn Or “we have taken advantage of no one.”

[7:3]  ²² sn See 2 Cor 1:4-7.

[7:3]  ²³ tn The words “with you” are not in the Greek text, but are implied.

[7:4]  ²⁴ tn Grk “great is my boasting.”

[7:4]  ²⁵ tn Or “comfort.”

[7:4]  ²⁶ tn Grk “I am overflowing with joy in all our suffering”; the words “in the midst of” are not in the Greek text but are supplied to clarify that Paul is not rejoicing in the suffering itself, but in his relationship with the Corinthians in the midst of all his suffering.