CHAPTER 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). By a life of sin, showing that the word of reconciliation
has been in vain, so far as you are concerned (Heb 12:15; Jud 1:4). “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 Jn
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 (Is 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; 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; Mk 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.
by
the Holy Ghost—in virtue of His influences which
produce these 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.”
by
the armour—Greek, “through” or “by
means of the armor.” “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; 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 (compare1Co 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; Is 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; Je
31:33; 32:38; Ez 37:26, 27; compare Mt 28:20; Jn 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 Is 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 Ez 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).
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; Is
43:6; Rev 21:3, 7; Rev 21:3, 7, Je 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.
Excerpt from:
A Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
by Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset and David Brown
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