2 Corinthians 6:11-18 | |
11. O ye Corinthians, our mouth is open unto you, our heart is enlarged. | 11. Os nostrum apertum est ad vos, O Corinthii, cor nostrum dilatatum est. |
12. Ye are not straitened in us, but ye are straitened in your own bowels. | 12. Non estis angusti in nobis, sed angusti estis in visceribus vestris. 1 |
13. Now, for a recompense in the same, (I speak as unto my children,) be ye also enlarged. 2 | 13. Eandem vero remunerationem, nem, ut a filiis, exigo: dilatamini et vos. |
14. Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? | 14. Ne ducatis iugum cum infidelibus: qu(enim participatio iustit(cum iniquitate: qu(communicatio luci cum tenebris? |
15. And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? | 15. Quis consensus Christo cum Belial: aut qu(portio fideli cum infideli? |
16. And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. | 16. Qu(autem conventio templo Dei cum idolis? vos enim estis templum Dei viventis: quemadmodum dicit Deus (Leviticus 26:12,) Habitabo in ipsis, et in medio eorum ambulabo: et ero Deus illorum, et erunt mihi populus. |
17. Wherefore, come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, | 17. Quamobrem exite de medio eorum et separamini, dicit Dominus Ies .lii. 11,) et immundum ne tetigeritis: |
18. And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. | 18. Et ego suscipiam vos, et ero vobis in patrem, et eritis mihi in filios et filias, dicit Dominus omnipotens, (Jeremiah 31:9.) |
2 Corinthians 7:1 | |
1. Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. | 1. Has igitur promissiones quum habeamus, dilecti, mundemus nos ab omni inquinamento carnis et spiritus, sanctificationem perficientes in timore Dei. |
11. Our mouth is opened. As the
12. Ye are not straitened in us. That is, "It is owing to your own fault that you are not able to share in this feeling of cheerfulness, which I entertain towards you. My
13.
14. Be not yoked. As if regaining his authority, he now reproves them more freely, because they associated with unbelievers, as partakers with them in outward idolatry. For he has exhorted them to show themselves docile to him as to a father: he now, in accordance with the rights that belong to him, 9 reproves the fault into which they had fallen. Now we mentioned in the former epistle 10 what this fault was; for, as they imagined that there was nothing that was unlawful for them in outward things, they defiled themselves with wicked superstitions without any reserve. For in frequenting the banquets of unbelievers, they participated along with them in profane and impure rites, and while they sinned grievously, they nevertheless thought themselves innocent. On this account Paul inveighs here against outward idolatry, and exhorts Christians to stand aloof from it, and have no connection with it. He begins, however, with a general statement, with the view of coming down from that to a particular instance, for to be yoked with unbelievers means nothing less than to
have fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness,
(Ephesians 5:11,)
and to hold out the hand to them 11 in token of agreement.
Many are of opinion that he speaks of marriage, but the context clearly shows that they are mistaken. The word that Paul makes use of means -- to be connected together in drawing the same yoke. It is a metaphor taken from oxen or horses, which require to walk at the same pace, and to act together in the same work, when fastened under one yoke. 12 When, therefore, he prohibits us from having partnership with unbelievers in drawing the same yoke, he means simply this, that we should have no fellowship with them in their pollutions. For one sun shines upon us, we eat of the same bread, we breathe the same air, and we cannot altogether refrain from intercourse with them; but Paul speaks of the yoke of impiety, that is, of participation in works, in which Christians cannot lawfully have fellowship. On this principle marriage will also be prohibited, inasmuch as it is a snare, by which both men and women are entangled into an agreement with impiety; but what I mean is simply this, that Paul's doctrine is of too general a nature to be restricted to marriage exclusively, for he is discoursing here as to the shunning of idolatry, on which account, also, we are prohibited from contracting marriages with the wicked.
For what fellowship. He confirms his exhortation on the ground of its being an absurd, and, as it were, monstrous connecting together of things in themselves much at variance; for these things can no more coalesce than fire and water. In short it comes to this, that unless they would have everything thrown into confusion, they must refrain from the pollutions of the wicked. Hence, too, we infer, that even those that do not in their hearts approve of superstitions are, nevertheless, polluted by dissimulation if they do not openly and ingenuously stand aloof from them.
15. What concord has Christ with Belial? As to the etymology of the word Belial, even the Hebrews themselves are not agreed 13 The meaning, however, is not doubtful. 14 For Moses takes a word or thought of Belial 15 to mean a wicked and base thought, 16 and in various instances 17 those who are wicked and abandoned to iniquity, are called
16. What agreement hath the temple of God with idols? Hitherto he has in general terms prohibited believers from associating with the wicked. He now lets them know what was the chief reason, why he had prohibited them from such an association -- because they had ceased to reckon the profession of idolatry to be a sin. He had censured that liberty, and had exposed it at great length in the former Epistle. It is probable, however, that all had not yet been gained over, so as to receive the counsel which he had given. Hence it was that he complained of their being
As God saith, I will walk. He proves that we are the
17. Wherefore come out from the midst of them. This exhortation is taken from Isaiah 52:11, where the Prophet, when foretelling the deliverance, at length addresses the priests in these terms. For he makes use of a circumlocution to describe the priests, when he says,
18. I will be a Father unto you. This promise does not occur in one passage merely, but is repeated in various instances. Paul has added it with this view, that a recognition of the great honor to which God has exalted us, might be a motive to stir us up to a more ardent desire for holiness. For when God has restored his Church which he has gathered from profane nations, their redemption is attended with this fruit, that believers are seen to be his sons and daughters. It is no common honor that we are reckoned among the sons of God: it belongs to us in our turn to take care, that we do not show ourselves to be degenerate children to him. For what injury we do to God, if while we call him father, we defile ourselves with abominations of idols! Hence, the thought of the high distinction to which he has elevated us, ought to whet our desire for holiness and purity.
1 "En vos entrailles, ou, affections;" -- "In your bowels, or, affections."
2 "Or ie requier de vous la pareille, comme de mes enfans, ou, Or pour nous recompenser de mesmes (ie parle comme ... mes enfans ;)" -- "But I require the like from you -- as from my children, or, But for a recompense to us of the same, I speak as to my children."
3 God promised to Ezekiel that he would give him "the opening of the mouth in the midst of the house of Israel," (Ezekiel 29:21,) which is explained by Gill to mean, "boldness and courage of speech when he should see his prophecies fulfilled." Paul himself makes use of a similar expression in Ephesians 6:19, "that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly." -- Ed.
4 The same view, in substance, is taken by Chrysostom. --
5 "From a tender and considerate regard to the good of the Christians at Corinth, he" (Paul) "had determined not to revisit them, until their unseemly heats and factions were allayed. How was he affected while he waited at Ephesus to receive the tidings of this longed -- for but protracted issue? 'O ye Corinthians! our mouth is opened unto you; our heart is enlarged!' What a picture of a heart! We see him standing on the shore of the 'gean Sea, over against Corinth, with his arms extended towards that city, and in the attitude of speaking. We hear the words by which he seeks to relieve his overcharged breast, heaving and ready to burst with the fullness of those desires which he had long felt to come among them, satisfy them of the sincerity of his affection, and replenish their souls with the consolation with which he himself had been comforted. 'O ye Corinthians, our mouth is open to you, our heart is enlarged! Ye are not straitened in us, but ye are straitened in your own bowels. Now, for a recompense in the same, (I speak as unto my children,) be ye also enlarged.'" -- M'Crie's Sermons, p. 29. -- Ed.
6 "Mon coeur mesme s'ouuriroit volontiers pour vous mettre deuant les yeux l'affection que i' ay enuers vous;" -- "My very heart would willingly open itself up, so as to place before your eyes the affection which I entertain towards you."
7 The term
8 The rendering of the Vulgate -- "Eandem remunerationem habentes;" -- "Having the same reward," -- is followed by. Wiclif, (1380,) ye that haw the same reward and also in the Rheims version, (1582,) hauing the same reward. -- Ed.
9 Parlant comme en puissance et authorite de pere;" -- "Speaking as with the power and authority of a father."
10 See vol. 1. p. 282.
11 "Aux infideles;" -- "To unbelievers."
12 "Joachim Camerarius, in his Commentary on the New Testament, (Cambridge 1642,) suggests, that
13 Beza, when mentioning the different views which have been taken of the etymology of the term Belial, remarks, that some derive it from
14 "Et assez notoire;" -- "And is sufficiently well known."
15 Thus in Deuteronomy 15:9, "Beware that there be not a thouqht in thy wicked heart." The expression made use of is
16 "Vne meschante et abominable parolle ou pensee;" -- "A wicked and abominable word or thought."
17 "Souvent en l'Escriture;" -- "Frequently in Scripture."
18 "Ce qui seul empeschoit que son enseignement ne proufitast enuers eux;" -- "What alone hindered his teaching from being of advantage to them."
19 "C'est vn profanation horrible, et vn sacrilege detestable;" -- " It is a horrible profanation, and a detestable sacrilege."
20 "I will dwell in them. The words are very significant in the original,
21 "C'est dire Dieu auce nous;" -- "That is to say, God with us."
22 "Cependant qu'ils sont attendans auec ardent desir le iour de deliuerance;" -- "While they are waiting with eager desire for the day of deliverance."
23 O -- ils estoyent;" -- "Where they were."
24 Diodati, in his Annotations, explains the expression ye that bear the vessels of the Lord, (Isaiah 52:11,) to mean -- "You sacred officers, to whom only it belongeth to carry the vessels and ornaments of the temple; and thereby are spiritually meant all believers, whereof every one beareth a vessel sacred to the Lord, viz., himself." -- Ed.