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2 Corinthians Chapter 6
Commentary by Ron Beckham
Verse 1. "And working together with Him, we also urge you not to receive the
grace of God in vain--"
Paul said "you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body, and in
your spirit, which are God’s" (1 Corinthians 6:20). How do we receive the
grace of God in vain (as in this verse)? By taking the label of
"Christian," yet living carnal, worldly lives, spent in "my" purposes,
instead of God’s. How can you and I be "workers together" if one of
us is not a worker?
Now, this "work" is not difficult, because it is summed up in the word
"believe" (John 6:29 - "This is the work of God, that you believe in
Him who He sent"). Does this mean we "believe" and then do nothing?
Not at all. It means that to truly believe in Christ is to give up living for
ourselves and look to God in what we do.
Verse 2. "for He says, "At the acceptable time I listened to you, and
on the day of salvation I helped you. Behold, now is the acceptable time, behold,
now is the day of salvation--"
This verse is a quote of Isaiah 49:8, which is in a chapter right in the middle of a
wonderful section in Scripture about the Messiah of Israel. It continues (49:9),
"say to the prisoners, ‘Go forth’ to those who are in darkness; show
yourselves…they (we) shall feed…neither hunger nor thirst…neither heat nor
sun shall strike them, for He who has mercy on them will lead them" (Isaiah 49:9-10).
God intends to satisfy your soul. If you have waited; wait no longer - turn
to Him now.
When I was 16 years old, I drew back from full commitment to Christ. What if I
LIKED this "sin" they talked about? I was too young, I thought, to give my
life in such a manner! I had so much to DO first. Then followed fifteen of the most
difficult and unsettling years of my life, as I ran from the One who intended to refresh
me with the "living water" of God. NOW is the day for your salvation.
NOW is the time to turn to Him. For I can personally testify that He LOVES
you; and you will find peace only in Him.
Verse 3. "giving no cause for offense in anything, so that the ministry will
not be discredited,"
You see, the ministry is not done by you and me, but by God, through us. If you
are swept up by the Spirit in prayer, and intercede successfully for that person, it is
God who did the work. He enables you to pray, gave you the prayer, and answered it;
all in the power and love of God. Every good and perfect work is from Him.
For some reason (actually the reason is the grace of God), our Lord chooses to
work through people. (Shhh - I’ll tell you a secret - He doesn’t need
us). The prayer, the word, the touch on the shoulder you give, are the work of God,
and He uses ordinary people in His love for us and for those around us.
He uses fallible people, who make mistakes - we are that fallible people and we are
enabled to be the ministers of Almighty God.
Verse 4. "but in everything commending ourselves as servants of God, in much
endurance, in afflictions, in hardships, in distresses,"
To provide a word of encouragement, a timely Scripture, a prayer, friendship, a
listening ear, is to be a "minister" or "servant" in the sight of God.
If you do such things (or want to), you might read these verses carefully, for they
tell HOW to be effective in ministry. The first quality of a good minister
(servant) is found in the word "endurance" or "patience" or perhaps
"perseverance." Jesus said "You will be hated by all for My
Name’s sake" (serving others will not make you popular) "but he who endures
to the end will be saved" (Matthew 10:22). One of the key "fruits" of
the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22) is "patience" or "longsuffering."
J. Vernon McGee said "patience is something I have always lacked," and
yet he put on that radio show, day after day, year after year, and he was patient with
those who wrote and criticized his ministry.
A minister will be placed into the fires of "tribulations" or
"afflictions." We will see in 2 Corinthians 7:4, there is potential for
JOY in tribulation. One very interesting reason for this is seen in Hosea 5:15,
"In their affliction, they will diligently seek Me." Trouble brings
us to God, and having truly come to Him, we can now joyfully serve those around us.
In "needs" or "hardships." I was so astonished, during our
years in Arizona, how many hours I worked, and how little I made. I recently
received a copy of my Social Security earnings statement, and when I "saw" at
those years, I looked away in embarrassment. And yet, we never went hungry (though
we often worried unnecessarily), and we learned to trust in Him.
Distresses. Psalm 2 is an excellent examination of what happens to the person who
casts off the protective cords God places around us (2:3); for God will "distress
them in His deep displeasure." The Psalmist continues "Kiss the Son (the
Messiah) lest He be angry" and "blessed are all those who put their trust in Him
(verse 12).
Verse 5. "in beatings, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in
sleeplessness, in hunger,"
A mistake many have made, through the centuries, has been to bring trouble on
themselves, as some kind of "penance." This was common during the
centuries after the early church, where they sometimes mutilated themselves (and then
regretted what they had done). This can also be seen occasionally in the
Philippines, where someone will have themselves crucified, as an outward religious act.
Happily, such activities are NEVER necessary, because (as you’ve noticed),
life contains plenty of trouble, without us bringing more on ourselves.
Paul received the 39-stripes of the Jews (5-times, 2 Corinthians 11:24), he was often
sent to prison – he was involved in "tumults" (which might be defined as a
"confused uproar" as in Acts 19:23-41); in sleeplessness (that’s hard; I
like my sleep), and fastings (NKJV).
Paul often went hungry. During our years in Arizona, a number of times we sat down to
breakfast, and had no idea what we would have for dinner that night (and had no money to
buy food). God always amazingly provided for our food. You might have our
experience, or you might have Paul’s, but God WILL bring you through.
Verse 6. "in purity, in knowledge, in patience, in kindness, in the Holy
Spirit, in genuine love,"
Verses 6 and 7 are very much like the "fruits of the Spirit" of Galatians
5:22, and we produce NONE of these fruits by ourselves. The branch does not produce
fruit, unless it "is receiving from the Tree. An example is Aaron’s
rod (a shepherd’s stick) which "sprouted and put forth buds and produced
blossoms, and it bore ripe almonds" (Numbers 8:1). Aaron’s rod had not
been near a tree for years and yet it bore fruit, because of the power of God. You
do not have to have strength to be pure, or have perfect knowledge to be longsuffering,
and kind – you are GIVEN these capacities by the Holy Spirit of God.
People often compare themselves with others and decide they are pure. We have
information about something and pass it off as knowledge. We suffer for awhile
(perhaps before we finally explode with anger) and think we have suffered long. We
give a superficial gift out of pity and think we are kind. We lust and confuse it
with love. We need the Christ of God, to come and FILL us with His love.
We are given His love, in the person of the Holy Spirit, Who creates in us purity,
love, and the ability to suffer with a good heart.
Verse 7. "in the word of truth, in the power of God; by the weapons of
righteousness for the right hand and the left,"
The Word of TRUTH. What are we to do, that others might see and receive Christ?
We are to speak the truth. When Paul spoke before Agrippa and Festus (Acts
26:24-25), he was accused of being "mad" (nuts) by Festus. Paul’s
response was the simple truth, "I am not mad, most noble Festus, but speak the words
of truth and reason". Jesus Christ is "the truth"
(John 14:6) and Paul spoke of what Christ did for him, for you, and even for me.
This Bible is the Word of Truth and it speaks to the whole world of the righteousness
of God in Christ – a PEOPLE has been REDEEMED from this world. If YOU are a
part of this people, you can speak the simple words, as Paul did, about what Christ has
done for you. The Word of Truth is a true and honest weapon against the enemy, in
your right hand, and in your left. You do not need to be afraid, but simply TELL of
Him, Who is in your heart. And the Holy Spirit will go before you, and convict those
who listen, of sin, of righteousness, and of the judgment on this world (John 16:8).
Verse 8. "by glory and dishonor, by evil report and good report; regarded as
deceivers and yet true;"
This verse is a continuation of verse 4 – How do we commend ourselves as servants
of God? - Our reputation will speak for us. Here in verse 8, we find that some will
say good about us and others will speak evil. Look at the ones who regarded Paul and
the other apostles as "deceivers": The leaders of the Jews at that time
had forgotten that Abraham, Moses, and David were men of faith. The men who
dishonored Paul, had lapsed into religious formalism, abandoning the power of God for the
tradition of men.
A verse that has reverberated in my heart for many decades, is 2 Corinthians 13:5,
where we are told to "examine" ourselves, to see if we are in the Lord.
And the question is, HOW do we do that? One way is to look at those who love
us, and those who are our enemies. We are set FREE to serve the Christ of the Living
God, and there are those who will hate us for the freedom we are given in Him.
Dishonor, evil words, and deception about us, may actually be positive statements, when
those who say such things are mere formalists who have missed the love of our Lord.
Others will love us simply because we are free in Him.
Verse 9. "as unknown yet well-known, as dying yet behold, we live; as
punished yet not put to death,"
It’s hard to think of Paul as "unknown". The Greek here in this
place, refers to "nonentities, not worth knowing, without proper credentials"
(Plummer). Jesus taught us "go and sit down in the lowest
place, so that when he who invited you comes he may say to you, ‘Friend, go up
higher;’ then you will have glory in the presence of those who sit at the table with
you; for whoever exalts himself will abased, and he who humbles himself will be exalted"
(John 14:10-11). Paul received such words to his heart, and took the lowest place,
that he might serve you and me. He was then raised to honor among those who love
God. Who raised this Paul?
It is Christ who caused Paul to be well known, and to live. He received
punishment from his enemies, and most of us would not survive such treatment. From a
physical perspective, Paul’s life was a kind of "death", a miserable
existence. And yet he LIVED, and he is ALIVE right now. Look at your life
right now, as I am looking at mine. Let’s take the risk, and LIVE for our Lord
and Savior, Jesus Christ, who died for you and me.
Verse 10. "as sorrowful yet always rejoicing, as poor yet making many rich,
as having nothing yet possessing all things."
I do not like being sorrowful, and have reluctantly understood what it means to be
really poor (having essentially nothing), in the way of this world. The Greek here is for
the "abject poor, who have literally nothing and are in imminent danger of real
starvation" (Rogers). There were many times, we had nothing to eat for our
children, and then the phone would ring, or a knock would come at the door, and we would
have what was needed for our little ones.
We all want this elusive "joy" and this is difficult, but
"rejoicing" tends to come through suffering. This is not a suffering that
we cause for ourselves, but is rather something allowed by God, that He might make us rich
in the Lord. It isn’t what we have in life, but WHO we have, and
His Name is Christ Jesus, who has saved us from our sins. We are truly given all we
need - in Him.
Verse 11. "Our mouth has spoken freely to you, O Corinthians, our heart is
opened wide."
Cleon Rogers was a scholar of New Testament Greek, who said about this verse, "to
have the heart wide open, means there are no secrets in it" ("The New Linguistic
and Exegetical Key to the Greek New Testament", page 405). He quotes Hering,
"I am speaking to you frankly, with an open heart, hiding nothing of my life from
you". Part of the "punishment" Paul received, by the way (verse 9),
was in the form of rejection from the very people he honestly loved and truly served.
Our tendency, when we are attacked, is to put up "walls" and to hide from our
attackers. Families contain those walls and so do churches, corporate board rooms,
and bars. We only reveal so much to others, and we forget that our Lord Christ was
wide open, even to the point of death. His apostles observed this about Him, and
they also became open. Is it risky to be like that? Oh yes; but it is also the
only real way to live, and it is the path to JOY, in our Lord.
Verse 12. "You are not restrained by us, but you are restrained in your own
affections."
I have been in churches, where the people are kept in bondage. You are commanded
in them, to FOLLOW such and such a person or persons. I recall one such place in a
western state, where I was being interviewed for a teaching position. A pyramid was
drawn on a board in front of me – the people were at the bottom and the pastor was at
the top. Men were superior to all women in their minds, and she (a woman) could only
speak to Christ through her man. Though the income would have helped us at that
time, I did not take that job, and we left that church.
We are not to restrict one another. In marriage, the "restraints" we
have for one another, are to be cords made out of the purest love. In church, the
minister is to gently feed those in his congregation, and we remain with him (the
minister) out of love – never bondage. God created "affection" among
us, and this is perhaps the strongest word possible in the Greek, to describe the love we
are to have for one another. We are set FREE in Christ, and yet are willingly
bound together – in love
Verse 13. "Now in a like exchange -- I speak as to children -- open wide to
us also."
When we look at most children, we think, "Aren’t they beautiful?" and
they are. The natural state of a child is to be open wide to the world and the
people around them. The unharmed child has an enormous capacity for trust.
Jesus challenged us to "become as little children"
(John 18:3), and then went on to caution us that we will "not
enter the kingdom of heaven" unless we do. We had something as children.
We lost it, and we are to find it again in Christ.
It is frightening to think of really being OPEN with other people. "They
will hurt me," we think, and they probably will. "They won’t like
me," we lament, and it’s probably true. Paul urged us to "speak the
truth in love" (Ephesians 4:15), which is the right WAY to be open. We must
learn HOW to be open, to be vulnerable, and we can only truly learn through the Holy
Spirit of God. Let Christ into your heart anew, and His Spirit will teach you how to
become open – with a heart of love.
Verse 14. "Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership
have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness?"
Now, to be "open" in the manner described by Paul (verses 11 and 13), is only
possible in our Lord. Often a woman will decide to marry some man who is not a
believer, thinking he will come to the Lord, after they are married. J. Vernon McGee
has pointed out this will probably not happen, for the power to change this person is
BEFORE marriage, much more than it would be at a later time.
We do not take this verse as some kind of "law" for our lives, for Paul has
just pointed out (in verse 12), we are "not restrained" by him. He (and
the Holy Spirit through him) are giving us good advice, that we might find happiness in
life. When we are offered marriage or a business partnership, or whatever, we PRAY,
as in all things, and let the Spirit of God decide our answer. We look to Scripture,
we seek the advice of those around, and we pray – THEN we make our decision.
Verse 15. "Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in
common with an unbeliever?"
"Belial" is a word found in the Old Testament, at least in four places.
In Deuteronomy 13:13, it is translated into the English as "corrupt", and
speaks of those who would lead us to other "gods." In Judges 19:22, it is
translated as "perverted", in the context of men who wanted to seize and
"know" other men. 1 Samuel 30:22 uses the English "worthless" to
translate the words "men of Belial" from the Hebrew. In 1 Kings 21:10, 13,
Jezebel urged Ahab to find two "scoundrels" (men of Belial) to denounce Naboth,
so he could be killed and Ahab might then take his vineyard.
In each Scriptural use of the word "Belial", we find those who have motives
contrary to the leading of God and the love of Christ. When we enter into a business
partnership or a marriage with an unbeliever, we must understand that the other person
will not be "open" as in verses 10 and 13. They will have a hidden agenda,
which will be for the benefit of themselves, and not for us. We are to be
"open" (in love), with others (verses 10 and 13), and we are to associate
ourselves with those who also are open in that same manner. God wants to protect us
(and them) from hurt.
Verse 16. "Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we
are the temple of the living God; just as God said, ‘I will dwell in them and walk
among them; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.’"
The temple of God is seen in history as a building (in history and in our thinking).
Much like a church, the temple was a place of meeting, where men and women could
encounter God. In the light of such Scriptures as 1 Corinthians 6:19 (and this
verse), we are astonished to find WE are the temple of God, because the Holy Spirit of God
lives IN us. In 1 Corinthians 6:19, and on into verse 20, it is discovered "you
are not your own" anymore, but you belong to God. You were "bought with a
price" (the blood of Christ), and our life is now one that is to bring glory to Him.
His temple is holy.
As it says in this verse, the Holy God, maker of heaven and of earth, chooses to live
in you and in me. When we confess our sins to one another, we are really confessing
to God, who lives in that other person. To seek the prayer of another, is really to
ask the God who lives in them. When we go for advice, we go to the temple of God.
The Lord most high, lives within us; He walks among us, and He gives us, one to the
other, in His love for you and for me.
In Christ, we are no longer "in agreement" with this world. Christ is
in us and this fundamental difference places us at odds with those who are not His people.
Verse 17. "Therefore, ‘Come out from their midst and be separate,’
says the Lord. ‘And do not touch what is unclean;
And I will welcome you.’"
We tend to become angry at some sins, like homosexuality, and overlook others, like
gossip, cheating on taxes, or taking pencils from work. But God who saves us,
considers all sin must be avoided, for it separates us from Him. James so correctly
points out "whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become
guilty of all" (James 2:10). We overlook adultery in our culture, calling it a
"victimless" crime. James compares adultery to murder (James 2:11) –
the adulterer murders not only the heart of their spouse but also the hearts of the
innocent children. When you take the wife, the husband, the mother, the father; you
murder their peace, replacing the good in them with anger and fear.
As Paul has been discussing in these verses, we are to be open, and not have double
motives in our dealings with people. We are to become clean, and separate ourselves
from that which is considered by God to be unclean. To become honorable and decent,
wholesome and pure, is within our reach, when we enter Christ Jesus. As it says in 1
Corinthians 10:13, He gives us the capacity to resist temptation. And when you take
Him at His word, God the Father will welcome – you.
Verse 18. "And I will be a father to you, And you shall be sons and
daughters to Me, Says the Lord Almighty."
This is what you have been waiting for, all this time. You might have tried hard
in business, and succeeded or failed. You might have a successful marriage, or not.
You may have taken drugs like alcohol to deaden the pain. But no matter what
you do, something ESSENTIAL has been missing, all this time. There is a missing
piece in the puzzle of your heart, and nothing seems to fill it for long. Do
you remember that time as a child, when all was RIGHT, if only for a moment? Christ
is that perfect "fit". He is the eternal sacrifice for your past, and He
will restore you to joy.
He died for your sin, and brings you to that place where all can be right again.
Or even more accurately, He takes you to a BETTER place, where all things are new and
clean in Him. And like it says in Psalm 27:10, when you feel you are forsaken by
everything important in life, "the Lord will take (you) up. " He who died for
you, offers forgiveness to you and is extending His Hand. Receive Him now, and trust
Him forever.
He is your Father. You are His child, and He loves you.
Ron
Beckham, Pastor
Friday Study Ministries
www.fridaystudy.org
Ron@fridaystudy.org
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