Nazarene Commentary 2000©
21st Century Paraphrase of the Hebrew Scriptures©
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21st Century Version of the Christian Scriptures©
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THE SECOND LETTER TO THE CORINTHIANS
CHAPTER SIX:
QUALIFICATIONS AND DISQUALIFICATIONS
Key word: Ministers
Theme verse: 4
2 Corinthians 6:1, 2 – Working in a Day of Salvation
2CO6:1 As co-workers, however, we are entreating you [Corinthians] not to accept the unmerited favor of The God in vain.
| 141 | Not to accept the unmerited favor of The God in vain: Or, GDS: then waste it; BEC: don’t let God’s love be wasted on you. God’s grace is not an absolute assurance for it is conditioned on conviction and obedience. [Hebrews 5:9; 12:15] |
2CO6:2 For he says:
“In an acceptable season I heard you. And in a day of salvation I helped you.”
[Isaiah 49:8] Behold! now is a particularly acceptable season! Behold! now a day of salvation!| 142 | In a day of salvation I helped you:
Paul quotes from Isaiah 49:8 and applies the text to this period of salvation for the Saints. It is a “day of salvation” with regard to the Church in that new members may become members. Absolute salvation awaits that day following the judgment. |
2 Corinthians 6:3-10 – A List of Qualifications
2CO6:3 [We are] not giving a single cause for stumbling, so that the ministry might be without a spot.
| 143 | The ministry might be without a spot: Or, blamed, fault, discredit. |
2CO6:4 Rather,
in everything we recommend ourselves as God’s servants:
in considerable endurance,
in oppressions,
in needs,
in difficulties,
| 144 | In everything we recommend ourselves as God’s servants: Or, ministers. Paul creates a list of identifying characteristics of
a true minister of the Gospel. It is likely that those ministers he mentions later in chapter 11 possessed the opposite of these identifying features. |
| 145 | In considerable endurance: Or, much patience, great endurance, steadfast endurance. The true minister of God is one who has endured every trial over a considerable time. |
| 146 | Oppressions: Or, afflictions, persecutions, tribulations, troubles. The true minister of God is one who has been persecuted or suffered tribulations. [Matthew 5:10-12] |
| 147 | Needs: Or, necessities, distresses. The true minister of God is one who has suffered such needs because of devotion to the service of others
– not one who has every need met by other self-sacrificing persons. It is a person who can sympathize with those in need because of having experienced the same thing. |
| 148 | Difficulties: Or, distresses, anguish, dire straits. The true minister of God knows something of real difficulties. Compare some of Paul’s in 1 Corinthians 4 and 2 Corinthians 11. |
2CO6:5 in blows,
in prisons,
in riots,
in labors,
in sleeplessness,
in fastings,
| 149 | Blows: Or, stripes, floggings, scourgings, under the lash. The true minister of God does not compromise at every turn, but is willing
to accept unjust punishment from those opposed. Jesus and his apostles experienced these. |
| 150 | Prisons: Or, bonds,
put in jail. The reason for the confinement is the Gospel and not wrong-doing. The end-time Saints can expect such experiences. Compare Matthew 25:36 and Revelation 13:10. [Revelation 2:10] |
| 151 | Riots: Or, tumults, angry mobs. Both Jesus and Paul experienced these. |
| 152 |
Labors: Or, toils, tired out. Paul had to sometimes labor to provide for himself and others, particularly when among the Corinthians and the Thessalonians. [Acts 18:3; 20:34; 1 Thessalonians 2:9; 2 Thessalonians 3:8] The true minister of God does not
expect others to work and provide for him. He is willing to share the burden by doing work himself. |
| 153 | Sleeplessness:
Often Paul and others, due to circumstances missed nights without sleep. On other occasions worry for the congregations kept him up late at night. The true minister of God is willing to exhaust himself for others. |
| 154 | Fastings: Or, hunger and thirst, starving, gone without food. [2 Corinthians 11:27] Jesus himself was hungry on occasion. These are not religious or
ceremonial fastings, but real cases of hunger. |
2CO6:6 in purity,
in knowledge,
in tolerance,
in kindness,
in holy Pneuma,
in compassionate affection without hypocrisy,
| 155 | Purity: Or, pureness, innocence, pure-minded, chastity. The true minister of God is characterized by purity in thought, speech and
actions. |
| 156 | Knowledge: Or, insight, enlightened, grasp of truth. Surely the true minister of God knows his Bible
well from years of readings and meditations. |
| 157 | Tolerance: Or, long-suffering, patience, forgiving. The true
minister of God is characterized by a tolerant and understanding disposition, willing to patiently suffer long with those who are slow or not disposed to his zeal. |
| 158 | Kindness: Or, kindliness. The true minister of God is known to be a kind person, looking for opportunities to do good to others. |
| 159 | Holy Pneuma: Paul likely means in manifestations of the Pneuma’s [1 Corinthians 12] operations as well as that fruitage described in Galatians 5:22, 23. |
| 160 | Compassionate affection without hypocrisy: That is, Love without an agenda. The true minister of God is known for his genuine loving concern for the highest good of
others. Not just a false veneer that acts two different ways. |
2CO6:7 in truthful word,
in God’s power;
through the weapons of righteousness for defense and offense,
| 161 | Truthful word: Or, honest speech. The true minister of God will always be honest and truthful, and when speaking the Word he is known
to rely, not on his own understanding, but the Scriptures. |
| 162 | God’s power: Or, PME: living by the power
of God. God’s strength and power is manifest in the life of the true minister of God. |
| 163 | Weapons of righteousness
for defense and offense: Or, right and left. The true minister of God knows how to attack falsehood with the Bible, and also how to defend Scriptural truth. |
2CO6:8 through glory and dishonor,
through ill fame and good fame;
as misleaders and yet truthful,
| 164 | Glory and dishonor: Or, honor and disrepute, glory and shame. Though some will honor the true minister of God, if he continual compromises
belief he will never have dishonor. The true minister has his share of enemies because he has adhered to the Scriptures. |
| 165 |
Ill fame and good fame: Or, slander or praise, evil name and good name. The reputation of the true minister of God will be slandered by his opposers and praised by those who recognize who he is. |
| 166 | Misleaders and yet truthful: Or, deceivers and yet true. Paul is accused of being misleading by some of the Corinthians, yet others knew him to always be truthful. Note the different opinions regarding the Nazarene. [John 9-12] |
2CO6:9 as those unknown and those highly known,
as those dying, and behold! we continue to live,
as those disciplined and yet not executed,
| 167 | Unknown and those highly known: Or, unrecognized and recognized, unknown and yet acknowledged. Some jealous and ambitious persons
simply refuse to acknowledge or recognize the true minister of God, while the sheep really know who he is. |
| 168 | As
those dying, and behold! we continue to live: Paul has already referred to his numerous near-death experiences. Despite all the dangers, Paul has continued to live to spread the Gospel. |
| 169 | As those disciplined and yet not executed: Possibly he refers to judgments by courts without the verdict leading to death. |
2CO6:10 as
those saddened but those always rejoicing,
as those poor but enriching many,
as those having nothing and yet possessing everything. | 170 | Saddened but those always rejoicing: Or, grieved, yet glad. [Matthew 5:10-13] |
| 171 |
Those poor but enriching many: The true minister of God will not be known by wealth or riches, but rather his godly poverty because of complete self-sacrifice to the Gospel. Jesus was also an example of this kind of servant. The rich minister is not
likely the type of servant Paul here describes. |
| 172 | Having nothing and yet possessing everything: From the fleshly
perspective Paul is destitute and poverty-stricken. From another he is destined to rule the world with the Saints. Paul had surely listened to the Nazarene’s command to his apostles. [Luke 12:32, 33] |
2 Corinthians 6:11-13 – Widen Out
2CO6:11 Our mouth has remained open toward you,
Corinthians –
our heart has enlarged!
[Psalm 119:32]
| 173 | Our mouth has remained open toward you: Or, KNX: speaking freely to you; BER: we address you frankly. Paul has held nothing back and has been willing to speak with honesty and frankness to the Corinthians. |
| 174 | Our heart has enlarged: Possibly borrowing a phrase from Psalm 119:32. |
2CO6:12 You are not being put into a cramped place in us,
but rather you are being put in a cramped place in your own inner feelings.
| 175 | You are not being put into a cramped place in us: Or, no narrowness, no restrictions, no constraint. Some times when a minister is
accused of being too firm he is charged with lacking love. Paul loves the Corinthians and any restricted affection is on their part. |
| 176 |
Cramped place in your own inner feelings: Or, bowels, affections. |
2CO6:13 But now, by way of a similar recompense – like speaking to children – I tell you: All of you also
become
enlarged. | 177 | All of you also become enlarged: Or, widen out. That is open their hearts to include Paul and his associates. |
2 Corinthians 6:14-18 – Remain Separate from Unbelievers
2CO6:14 [Corinthians], do not become unequally yoked with unbelievers.
For what partnership
has righteousness with lawlessness? Or, what communion
between light and darkness?
| 178 | Do not become unequally yoked with unbelievers: Or, TCN: do not enter inconsistent relations with those who reject the Faith; MOF:
incongruous ties with; WMS: stop forming intimate and inconsistent relations with. Part of the problem with the Corinthians was likely their associations with not only the pagan world, but also those later described as Satan’s ministers. The Nazarene
disciple, though loving and kind to unbelievers, must be on guard, for these unbelievers do not share the same relationship with Christ. Paul perhaps borrows from those principles in the Law at Exodus 23:32 and Deuteronomy 7:3. Paul will ask a series of questions
to illustrate his meaning. |
| 179 | Partnership: Or, fellowship, in common, common interests. The disciple must be
on guard against worldly partnerships, if not try to avoid them altogether. |
| 180 | Communion: Or, sharing. He means
in the sense of a fellowship. The Christian cannot just fellowship with anyone. Compare notes on 1 Corinthians 10:20, 21. [Read Psalms 15, 23, and 26 in this light] |
2CO6:15 Also, what harmony
between Christ and Belial?
Or, what portion
between a believer and an unbeliever?
| 181 | Harmony: Or, concord, agreement. Unity and harmony with their own sake cannot be the Christians motivation, as though one were free
to believe and worship as anyone saw fit. There can be no harmony between what is of Christ and what is of Satan. |
| 182 |
Belial: Or, the Evil One, the devil. Some manuscripts have, Satan. The designation means “useless” in Hebrew and by the 1st Century AD had become a term for the Devil. |
| 183 | Portion: Or, part, have in common. |
2CO6:16 Also, what agreement between God’s Divine Habitat
and idols?
We are the Living God’s Divine Habitat!
Just as The God said:
“I shall dwell among them, and I shall walk among them, and
I shall be their God, and they shall be my People.”
[Leviticus 26:11]
| 184 | What agreement between God’s Divine Habitat and idols: Again, with “every wind of teaching” blowing through some
early congregations [Ephesians 4:14, 15], Paul warns that agreement or unity are not the highest virtues in the Church and should not be sought for their own sake. There can never be unity, harmony or agreement between God’s Temple and idolatry in any
form. |
| 185 | We are the Living God’s Divine Habitat: Or, temple, sanctuary. The Greek is NAOS and refers to
the shrine or house where a god resides. See notes in Nazarene Commentary 2000© on NAOS. Compare notes on Ephesians 2:19-22. Paul has mentioned this in his first letter. [1 Corinthians 3:16; 6:19] |
| 186 | I shall dwell among them: Paul now quotes a series of verses. Here Leviticus 26:11. Similar language applying to the Saints is used in Revelation 21:3, 4. |
2CO6:17 “‘As a result, all of you come out from among them, and all of you determine the boundaries,’ says YHWH, ‘and do not continue to touch the unclean thing…
[Isaiah 52:11] then I shall take all of you in
[Ezekiel 20:41]
| 187 | All of you come out from among them: Paul quotes from Isaiah 52:11. The prophet’s context is the departure of Israel from Babylonian
captivity. The language is used elsewhere, as at Revelation 18:4 where it deals with the escape of the end-time Saints from Babylon the Great prior to her plagues. |
| 188 | Determine the boundaries: Or, separate yourselves. The Christian disciple cannot be unrecognizable from a Babylonish worshipper. Doctrine, order, and moral standards will “determine the boundaries.” |
| 189 | Do not continue to touch the unclean thing: When the Jews were captives in Babylon they were surrounded by pagans with different religious
beliefs and moral standards. The Godly Jew had to remain separate during this experience, and upon leaving Babylon not take with them such things. The Nazarene disciple cannot partake of the cup of the Master and the cup of demons. [1 Corinthians 10:21] Beliefs
and doctrines, or other religious ceremonial practices, which have been corrupted by Babylon or Greece [really ancient Egypt], cannot be “touched” just as the tree in the garden. |
| 190 | Then I shall take all of you in: Paul uses Ezekiel 20:41. God’s acceptance of a person is conditional upon their rejecting Babylonish ideas, beliefs, standards, order and ceremony. |
2CO6:18 …and I shall be a Father to all of you, and all of you will be sons and daughters to me,’
[2 Samuel 7:14] says YHWH Almighty.” | 191 | I shall be a Father to all of you: God’s fatherhood is conditioned on clean worship and standards. Paul quotes 2 Samuel 7:14. Compare notes on John 1:12. |
| 192 | Says YHWH Almighty: This is a Hebraism likely found in the original copies of the Septuagint at Micah 4:4; Nahum 2:13; Habakkuk 2:13; Zechariah
11:4. |
Review Questions on Chapter Six
- What Bible verse does Paul quote?
- What things mark a true minister?
- How does Paul entreat the Corinthians?
- What warning does Paul give them?
- What are some of the Bible verses he quotes?
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Nazarene Commentary 2000©
Mark Heber Miller
©2000 All Rights Reserved
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