2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1
Expanded Bible
Warning About Non-Christians
14 Do not ·join yourselves to [become partners with; L be mismatched/unevenly yoked with] unbelievers. ·Good and bad do not belong together [L For what partnership has righteousness and wickedness/lawlessness?]. ·Light and darkness cannot share together [Or what fellowship/partnership can light have with darkness?]. 15 How can Christ and Belial [C the devil; Satan] have any ·agreement [harmony; accord]? What can a believer ·have together [share in common] with a nonbeliever? 16 What ·agreement [union] can the temple of God have with idols? For we are the temple of the living God [1 Cor. 3:16]. As God said: “I will live with them and walk with them. And I will be their God, and they will be my people [Lev. 26:11–12; Jer. 32:38; Ezek. 37:27].”
17 “[L Therefore] ·Leave those people [L Come out from their midst],
and be separate, says the Lord.
Touch nothing that is ·unclean [polluted, defiled],
and I will ·accept [receive; welcome] you [Is. 52:11; Ezek. 20:41].”
18 “I will be your father,
and you will be my sons and daughters,
says the Lord Almighty [2 Sam. 7:14].”
7 [L Therefore] ·Dear friends [Beloved], we have these promises from God, so we should make ourselves pure—free from ·anything that makes body or soul unclean [L every defilement of flesh and spirit]. ·We should try to become holy in the way we live [or …and in this way bring our holiness to completion/perfection], ·because we respect [out of reverence for; in the fear of] God.
2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1
Amplified Bible
14 Do not be unequally bound together with unbelievers [do not make mismatched alliances with them, inconsistent with your faith]. For what partnership can righteousness have with lawlessness? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? 15 What harmony can there be between Christ and Belial (Satan)? 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; just as God said:
“I will dwell among them and walk among them;
And I will be their God, and they shall be My people.(A)
17
“So come out from among unbelievers and be separate,” says the Lord,
“And do not touch what is unclean;
And I will graciously receive you and welcome you [with favor],(B)
18
And I will be a Father to you,
And you will be My sons and daughters,”
Says the Lord Almighty.(C)
Paul Reveals His Heart
7 Therefore, since we have these [great and wonderful] promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, completing holiness [living a consecrated life—a life set apart for God’s purpose] in the fear of God.
The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA 90631. All rights reserved.
