Separation to God

14 Do not be yoked together with those who do not believe. For what partnership is there between righteousness and lawlessness?(A) Or what fellowship does light(B) have with darkness?(C) 15 What agreement does Christ have with Belial?[a] Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? 16 And what agreement does the temple of God have with idols?(D) For we[b] are the temple of the living God, as God said:

I will dwell(E)
and walk among them,
and I will be their God,(F)
and they will be my people.[c](G)
17 Therefore, come out from among them
and be separate, says the Lord;
do not touch any unclean thing,
and I will welcome you.[d](H)
18 And I will be a Father(I) to you,
and you will be sons(J) and daughters to me,
says the Lord Almighty.[e](K)

So then, dear friends, since we have these promises,(L) let us cleanse ourselves from every impurity of the flesh and spirit,(M) bringing holiness to completion[f] in the fear of God.(N)

Footnotes

  1. 6:15 Or Beliar
  2. 6:16 Other mss read you
  3. 6:16 Lv 26:12; Jr 31:33; 32:38; Ezk 37:26
  4. 6:17 Is 52:11
  5. 6:18 2Sm 7:14; Is 43:6; 49:22; 60:4; Hs 1:10
  6. 7:1 Or spirit, perfecting holiness

Do Not Become Unevenly Yoked with Unbelievers

14 Do not become unevenly yoked with unbelievers, for what participation is there between righteousness and lawlessness? Or what fellowship does light have with darkness? 15 And what agreement does Christ have with Beliar? Or what share does a believer have with an unbeliever? 16 And what agreement does the temple of God have with idols? For we are the temple of the living God, just as God said,

“I will live in[a] them and will walk about among them,
and I will be their God and they will be my people.”[b]
17 Therefore “come out from their midst
and be separate,” says the Lord,
“and do not touch what is unclean,[c]
and I will welcome you,[d]
18 and I will be a father to you,
and you will be sons and daughters to me,”[e]
says the all-powerful Lord.

Paul’s Joy at the Corinthians’ Repentance

Therefore since we[f] have these promises, dear friends, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of body and spirit, accomplishing holiness in the fear of God.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Corinthians 6:16 Or “with”
  2. 2 Corinthians 6:16 A quotation from Lev 26:12 (also similar to Jer 32:38, Ezek 37:27)
  3. 2 Corinthians 6:17 A quotation from Isa 52:11
  4. 2 Corinthians 6:17 A paraphrased quotation from Ezek 20:41
  5. 2 Corinthians 6:18 A paraphrased quotation from 2 Sam 7:14 and Isa 43:6
  6. 2 Corinthians 7:1 Here “since” is supplied as a component of the participle (“have”) which is understood as causal