2 Corinthians 6:1 We then, as workers together with Him also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain. 2 For He says: “In an acceptable time I have heard you, and in the day of salvation I have helped you.” [Isaiah 49:8] Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.
We are workers together with Christ. Do not receive the grace of God in vain. This is the time of reconciliation, as prophesied by Isaiah. Yahweh said to Jesus, "You are My servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified.’” (Isaiah 49:3) Accordingly, “His earthly work would appear to fail (Isaiah 49:4); his future success, however, would be glorious (Isaiah 49:5,6). He would gather in the righteous remnant of the old physical nation of the Jews; but he would also become a light to the heathen of all nations, bringing salvation to the ends of the earth… Men would indeed despise and reject him (Isaiah 49:7). No matter what the Old Israel [according to the the flesh] did, Jehovah would make Jesus Christ the basis of a New Covenant for all men, the basis of mankind's renewal of their lost fellowship with God (Isaiah 49:8). He would free the prisoners (from their sins) and provide light for the peoples walking in darkness (Isaiah 49:9). He would remove all obstacles from the way of the peoples who would desire to serve him (Isaiah 49:10-12).” (Coffman Commentary on Isaiah)
3 We give no offense in anything, that our ministry may not be blamed. 4 But in all things we commend ourselves as ministers of God: in much patience, in tribulations, in needs, in distresses, 5 in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in fastings; 6 by purity, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Spirit, by sincere love, 7 by the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, 8 by honor and dishonor, by evil report and good report; as deceivers, and yet true; 9 as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold we live; as chastened, and yet not killed; 10 as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.
As the Master’s ministry appeared to fail, so might ours to the natural eye. So, we don’t unnecessarily cause offense to others. But for the man trusting in his own righteousness to be reconciled to God, he must be told that he is estranged from Him and strangers to the commonwealth of Israel- that he is without Christ in the world. And the natural man reacts rather naturally to that Message. So Paul tells us that he endured all of the sufferings named above from others: "by fastings, by purity, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Spirit, by sincere love, by the Word of truth, by the power of God, by the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left;” by both our Christ's righteousness imputed to us... and our own actual righteousness, as empowered by Him over time.
"By honour and dishonour; rather, by glory and dishonour… The honour and dishonor are alike means which contribute to the commendation of the ministry. Of our Lord some said, 'He is a deceiver,' while others said, 'He is a good man' (John 7:12);” (Pulpit Commentary) [SO IT IS FOR TRUE MINISTERS OF THE WORD OF RECONCILIATION] "By honour and dishonour,.... Some persons think and speak honourably of us, and behave in a reverent manner towards us; they wish us well, bid us God speed, receive us into their houses, and treat us with respect: others think meanly of us, speak of us with the utmost contempt, and use us as if we were the filth of the world, and the offscouring of all things...
By evil report and good report… we are charged with the vilest of crimes, and our doctrines loaded with the most absurd and wicked consequences, and both branded in the most infamous manner by one set of men; and by others both our persons and principles are cleared and vindicated from all such aspersions, and are highly commended and applauded.
As deceivers… for so they were accounted, as Christ was before them, by the unbelieving Jews, and by the false apostles, as if they were the authors, or abettors, and spreaders of errors, and the instruments of leading people aside. AND YET TRUE; true and faithful ministers of the word; true to their Lord and master; true to the trust committed to them; true to the Gospel of Christ, and to the souls of men.
As unknown… to the world… as that they were not owned, esteemed, and approved of by them, but slighted, despised, hated, and persecuted: AND YET WELL KNOWN; to God the Father, who loved them with an everlasting love, chose them in Christ,... made a covenant with him on their account, and sent his Son to redeem them, which knowledge of them is special, eternal, affectionate, approbative, and attended with care of them...
As dying... They were as dying men, having the seeds of mortality in them... and especially as they carried about with them the dying of the Lord Jesus, were continually exposed to death, and in danger of it, lived in the views of it, had the sentence of it in themselves, and were appointed to it. AND BEHOLD WE LIVE.
As chastened... ‘chastened' by men… BUT NOT KILLED, or put to a corporeal death by our persecutors, who have sought to take away our lives… [For until our Father appoints it, death cannot take hold of them.]
As sorrowful... by reason of afflictions... and as to the state and condition of the church of Christ, and the interest of religion: AND YET ALWAYS REJOICING; not in themselves, or in any creature, but in the Lord, in the person, blood, and righteousness of Christ, and salvation by him.
As poor… It is, generally speaking, the lot of Christ's ministers to be poor in this world; and there are some reasons for it, why it is, and should be so; as that they might be maintained by the people, which is the ordinance of God; that it might appear that Christ's kingdom is not of this world; that the faith of men might not stand in the riches of the world, but in the power of God;... AND YET MAKING MANY RICH... in things spiritual; by showing them their spiritual poverty, stripping them of what they trusted in, and valued themselves upon; directing them where true riches are, and furnishing them with spiritual knowledge, with the knowledge of things more worth than thousands of gold and silver.
As having nothing… what they had they gave away, and were very destitute of worldly enjoyments: 'AND YET POSSESSING ALL THINGS; [yet] they had [ample] food and raiment, with which they were content,... and then they enjoyed all spiritual good things; they had not only a right unto them, but were possessed of them; they had all things pertaining to life and godliness; they had Christ, and all things with him, and therefore could say as Jacob did, that they had enough, yea, that they had all things.” (Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible)
2 Corinthians 6:11 O Corinthians! We have spoken openly to you, our heart is wide open.
"Since the mouth speaks out of the abundance of the heart, Paul's opened mouth spoke of a heart that was wide with affection for these people. That this is the general meaning of the verse is indicated by the following words: our heart is wide open, that is, ready to receive them in love... 'Paul was a little man with a vast interior life; his great heart was often wounded by the narrowness of his disciples. The sight of their shrunken souls hurt him much’ (Tozer).” (Believer’s Bible Commentary)
12 You are not restricted by us, but you are restricted by your own affections.
The verse ahead are often used to limit affections in marriage and the market place to those of like faith— which is wise, but the meaning is best understood by keeping our eyes on church membership.The Corinthians were influenced in their affections by false teachers. As a result, they were not sure whether they should receive Paul or not, "but he was not at all limited in his love toward them. The lack of love was on their side, not Paul’s." (Believer’s Bible Commentary)
13 Now in return for the same (I speak as to children), you also be open.
"If they want to recompense his love to them (he is speaking to those who were his children in the faith), they should allow their affections toward him to be more open. Paul felt toward them as a father. They should love him as their father in the faith. Only God could bring this about, but they should allow Him to do it in their lives.” (Believer’s Bible Commentary)
14 Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. [Deuteronomy 22:10] For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? 15 And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever?
16 And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you [NU-Text reads we] are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will dwell in them and walk among them. I will be their God. And they shall be My people.”[Lev 26:12; Jer 32:38; Eze 37:27] 17 Therefore “Come out from among them and be separate," says the Lord. "Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you.” [Isa 52:11; Eze 20:34, 41]
False teachers had taught, among other heresies that Christians had no need to regard the Commandments of Yahweh. Many today say that they were nailed to the cross. Rather than disassociating with Paul, they ought to disregard the teachings of these wolves in sheep clothing. They must "separate from all forms of sin and unrighteousness. Doubtless he is thinking, in part, of false teachers who had invaded the assembly at Corinth…Righteousness and lawlessness describe the whole sphere of moral behavior. Light and darkness have to do with intelligence as to the things of God. Christ and Belial have to do with the realm of authority, in other words, the person or thing whom one acknowledges as master in his life. Believer and unbeliever have to do with the realm of faith. The temple of God and idols take in the whole subject of a person's worship.
The apostle finds abundant proof that we are the temple of the living God in such passages as Exodus 29: 45, Leviticus 26: 12 and Ezekiel 37: 27. Denney says: [Paul] expects Christians to be as much in earnest as Jews to keep the sanctity of God's house inviolate; and now, he says, that house are we: it is ourselves we have to keep unspotted from the world... THAT BEING SO, Paul issues a challenging call to come out. He quotes from Isaiah 52: 11. These are God's plain instructions to His people concerning separation from evil. Christians are not to stay in the midst of it, as part of it, in order to remedy it. God's program is come out. The unclean thing in this verse is primarily the heathen world, no doubt, but it also applies to any form of evil, whether commercial, social, or religious." (Believer’s Bible)
18 “'I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters,' says the Lord Almighty.”[2 Samuel 7:14]
In Paul’s day, this may have been more of a call to discern who was being allowed to be a church member and teacher, but today many churches are overtaken and run by these folks. They are on the councils and boards and dictate church theology and direction. "The problem abounds on every hand today among evangelical Christians in liberal and neo-orthodox churches. They are continually asking, 'What shall I do?' God's answer is found here. They should leave a fellowship where the Lord Jesus is not honored and exalted as God's well-beloved Son and the Savior of the world. They can do more for God outside such a fellowship than they will ever accomplish inside it.” (Believer’s Bible Commentary) They must go to Jesus outside such a camp. And “the blessedness of true separation is nothing less than the glorious companionship of the great God Himself.”