2 Corinthians 6

Working together, we entreat also that you not receive the grace of God1 in vain, 2for he says,

“At an acceptable time I heard you, in a day of salvation I helped you.” 2

Behold, now is the acceptable time. Behold, now is the day of salvation. 3We give no occasion of stumbling in anything, that our service may not be blamed, 4but in everything commending ourselves, as servants of God, in great endurance, in afflictions, in hardships, in distresses, 5in beatings, in imprisonments, in riots, in labours, in watchings, in fastings; 6in pureness, in knowledge, in patience, in kindness, in the Holy Spirit3, in sincere love, 7in the word of truth, in the power of God; by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, 8by glory and dishonour, by evil report and good report; as deceivers, and yet true; 9as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as punished, and not killed; 10as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.

11Our mouth is open to you, Corinthians. Our heart is enlarged. 12You are not restricted by us, but you are restricted by your own affections. 13Now in return, I speak as to my children, you also be open wide. 

14Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers, for what fellowship have righteousness and iniquity? Or what communion has light with darkness? 15What agreement has AL-MASIH4 with Shaitan5? Or what portion has a believer with an unbeliever? 16What agreement has a temple of God with idols? For you are a temple of the living God. Even as God said,

“I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they will be my people.” 6 

17Therefore,

“‘Come out from among them, and be separate,’ says the Lord, ‘Touch no unclean thing. 7 I will receive you. 18I will be to you a Father. You will be to me sons and daughters,’ 8 says the LORD9 All-Powerful.”

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  1. 6:1 God, English translation of theos. It is the Greek equivalent of elohim and eloah (Hebrew) which are related to allah (Arabic) and alaha (Syriac), all of which translate as “God,” and refer to the one true God. ↩︎
  2. 6:2 Quoting the Taurat, Shaya 49:8 which says: “Thus says YAHWEH, ‘At an acceptable time I answered you, in a day of salvation I helped you; and I will preserve you, and give you for a covenant of the people, to raise up the land, to make them inherit the desolate heritage.'” ↩︎
  3. 6:6 Holy Spirit, or the Spirit of God; not an angel or created being, but the uncreated, eternal Spirit of God himself who was present and active at the creation of heaven and earth (see Genesis 1:2), and today lives inside of every follower of ‘ISA AL-MASIH, empowering them to live in a way pleasing to God. ↩︎
  4. 6:15 AL-MASIH – an Arabic title equivalent to the Messiah (Hebrew) or Christ (Greek), all of which mean the Anointed One, that is, God’s Chosen One. In ancient times, divinely-appointed kings, priests and prophets were anointed with oil to signify their appointment to office. All of them point ahead to God’s ultimate Anointed One, the Messiah, AL-MASIH.  Al-Kitab unanimously points to ‘ISA Ibn Maryam as the only person worthy to bear the title AL-MASIH. He is the one whom God sent into this world to save people from sin, and to usher in God’s Kingdom at his Second Coming. ↩︎
  5. 6:15 Shaitan, or Satan. The Greek text uses Beliar, a variant of Belial, an alternative Hebrew name for the devil. ↩︎
  6. 6:16 Adapting a quotation from the Taurat, Leviticus 26:11,12 which says: I will set my tent among you: and my soul will not abhor you. I will walk among you, and will be your God, and you will be my people.
    Also, quoting the Taurat, Dhul-kifl 37:27 which says: My tent also will be with them; and I will be their God, and they will be my people. ↩︎
  7. 6:17 Quoting the Taurat, Shaya 52:11 which says: Depart, depart, go out from there, touch no unclean thing; come out from it and cleanse yourselves, you who bear the vessels of YAHWEH. ↩︎
  8. 6:18 Citing themes in the Taurat, 2 Samuel 7:14 and 7:8 which says: “I will be his Father, and he will be my son. If he commits iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men.” “Now therefore tell my servant Dawud, ‘Thus says YAHWEH All-Powerful, “I took you from the sheep pen, from following the sheep, that you should be prince over my people, over Israel.”
    Also, Shaya 43:6 which says: I will tell the north, ‘Give them up;’ and to the south, ‘Do not keep them back; bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the end of the earth. ↩︎
  9. 6:18 LORD, the use of all capital letters means that the original Hebrew text quoted here uses God’s Name, YAHWEH, which God-fearing Jews to this day do not say out of respect. YAHWEH is the Name God revealed to Prophet Musa in the Taurat, Exodus 3:15 – God said moreover to Musa, “You shall tell Bani-Israel this, ‘YAHWEH, the God of your fathers, the God of Ibrahim, the God of Ishaq, and the God of Yaqub, has sent me to you.’ This is my Name forever, and this is how I am to be remembered to all generations.” ↩︎