2 Cor 6: Studies

For those who may wish to ‘study’ this chapter, the following simple resources are provided for you. Each chapter is divided into a number of studies and each study or passage has a simple four-Part, verse-by-verse approach, to help you take in and think further about what you have read.

Passage: 2 Cor 6:1-3

1 As God’s fellow workers we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain. 2 For he says,

‘In the time of my favour I heard you,
    and in the day of salvation I helped you.’

I tell you, now is the time of God’s favour, now is the day of salvation. 3 We put no stumbling-block in anyone’s path, so that our ministry will not be discredited.

A. Find Out:

1. How did Paul address them? v.1a
2. What did he urge them to do? v.1b
3. What had God said prophetically? v.2a
4. And what did Paul now assert? v.2b
5. What did Paul say they didn’t do? v.3a
6. Why? v.3b

B. Think:

1. How would you paraphrase v.1?
2. What, essentially, is Paul saying in v.2?
3. What do you think is the point of what he says in v.3?

C. Comment:

In the previous chapter Paul had been pleading with the Corinthians to maintain a right relationship with God (v.20c) and so he now goes on to urge them let the grace they originally received be fully worked out in them. He says he is their fellow worker. In that he places himself alongside them, not above them. He also acknowledges, or perhaps reminds them, that they are workers for God. But, he is saying, it is possible to receive salvation and then miss it!

So, he continues, let me remind you of what God said in the Scriptures about the day of salvation. God had said He had heard Israel and brought them salvation. Now, Paul says, is that ongoing day of salvation, now is the time of God’s ongoing favour through the work of Jesus, so don’t miss out on it. It’s like he is saying that here is a day of opportunity, so don’t miss it while it’s here.

Then he goes on to say that he doesn’t want to be a stumbling to them in anything he has been saying. He doesn’t want to say the wrong thing so that his ministry won’t be discredited and rejected. He wants his wisdom to be received by them, so he is going on to explain more about the way they work. Paul doesn’t want anything to get in the way of them responding and going on with God.

D. Application:

1. Today is the day of God’s favour! Do I really believe that?
2. I can fail to go on after I have initially received God’s blessing.

Passage: 2 Cor 6:4-13

4 Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; 5 in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; 6 in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; 7 in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left; 8 through glory and dishonour, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors; 9 known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed; 10 sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything.

11 We have spoken freely to you, Corinthians, and opened wide our hearts to you. 12 We are not withholding our affection from you, but you are withholding yours from us. 13 As a fair exchange – I speak as to my children – open wide your hearts also.

A. Find Out:

1. List and summarise the means of commendation in v.4,5
2. Do the same with verses 6 & 7.
3. Do the same with verses 8 to 10.
4. What does Paul say they have done? v.11
5. What did he say they hadn’t done that the Corinthians had? v.12
6. So what does he ask them to do? v.13

B. Think:

1. What is Paul doing in v.4-10?
2. Why do you think he’s doing that?
3. How would you summarise v.11-13?

C. Comment:

Paul has been pleading with the Corinthians to receive God’s grace, to receive Paul’s words of encouragement and not be put off by correction. He’s not afraid to reveal himself fully to them as part of his appeal to be accepted.

In verses 5 and 6 he points out the incredible difficulties he had been through as part of this ministry. Look again at that list. That was what the early church pioneers had to go through! In verses 6 and 7 he shows the characteristics of Christ that were required of them, good characteristics that required a very high standing. Verses 8 to 10 could be sub-titled “the good and the bad of the apostolic life”. It was a life of opposites, tough times and good times, tough but fruitful.

When he comes to the end of these he says, look we’ve opened our hearts wide to you. We don’t hold anything back from you, yet you do from us. Please, as a father to his children, fair’s fair, open your hearts to us, receive us, listen to what we are saying.

In this letter we are seeing almost a desperation in Paul for these Corinthian believers to receive him and what is he saying. Nowhere else in Scripture do we find Paul revealing so much of himself and his ministry, all so they will receive God’s words of correction.

D. Application:

1. Christian ministry means giving yourself as well as speaking words.
2. The life of the early Christian pioneers was tough. Be grateful.

Passage: 2 Cor 6:14-18

14 Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? 15 What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? 16 What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said:

‘I will live with them
    and walk among them,
and I will be their God,
    and they will be my people.’

17 Therefore,

‘Come out from them
    and be separate,
says the Lord.
Touch no unclean thing,
    and I will receive you.’

18 And,

‘I will be a Father to you,
    and you will be my sons and daughters,
says the Lord Almighty.’

A. Find Out:

1. What instruction and then 2 questions does Paul now bring? v.14
2. What next three questions does he ask? v.15,16a
3. What does he declare we are & what had God said? v.16b,c
4. What instructions of the Lord does he quote? v.17
5. For what had God said he and we will be? v.18

B. Think:

1. How would you summarise what Paul says in v.14-16a?
2. What is he then instructing in the following verses?
3. What pictures does he use to back what he is saying?

C. Comment:

The instructions that Paul now gives seem to have no reference in what has gone before, yet all that has gone before prepares the way for Paul to bring words of correction. Obviously there had been a situation where Christians were joining with non-Christians, and so Paul speaks firmly against this in v.14a. Note his argument.

He first asks a series of questions to ask how opposites can be together. We might say “How can oil and water go together?”. His descriptions of the non-believer are instructive. He says the non-believer is in wickedness, in darkness, under the rule of the enemy, and an idol worshipper. If we are a single person, we need to remember these truths if we are tempted to join ourselves to a non-Christian.

Remember says Paul your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, the very dwelling place of God (also 1 Cor 3:16 & 6:19), you are one of the people of God, in fact a son or daughter of God. This non-Christian you are considering is none of those things. So says Paul, as he quotes Scripture, come apart from them, they are unclean, don’t touch them they are against the Lord you love. Note that Paul doesn’t make any allowance here, for a person who might be saying, “Well, you might bring them to Jesus”. No, he says, stand away! IF they come to Christ, you may consider them but not before!

D. Application:

1. Christians & non-Christians do not co-exist happily.
2. The command is to stand apart as a child of God.