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14 Do not be ginomai unevenly yoked heterozygeō with unbelievers apistos; for gar what tis is there in common metochē between righteousness dikaiosynē and kai lawlessness anomia? Or ē what tis fellowship koinōnia has light phōs with pros darkness skotos? 15 What tis · de harmony symphōnēsis is there between pros Christ Christos and Belial Beliar? Or ē what tis does a believer pistos have in common meris with meta an unbeliever apistos? 16 What tis · de agreement synkatathesis can the temple naos of God theos have with meta idols eidōlon? For gar we hēmeis are eimi the temple naos of the living zaō God theos; just as kathōs God theos said legō: · ho I will dwell enoikeō in en their autos midst and kai walk emperipateō among them; · kai I will be eimi their autos God theos and kai they autos will be eimi my egō people laos.” 17 Therefore dio, “ come out exerchomai from ek their autos midst mesos and kai be separate aphorizō,” says legō the Lord kyrios, and kai touch haptō no unclean akathartos thing ; then I kagō will receive eisdechomai you hymeis, 18 and kai I will be eimi a father patēr to you hymeis, and kai you hymeis will be eimi sons hyios and kai daughters thugatēr to me egō,” says legō the Lord kyrios Almighty pantokratōr.

Since echō then oun we have echō these houtos · ho promises epangelia, dear friends agapētos, let us cleanse katharizō ourselves heautou from apo every pas defilement molysmos of flesh sarx and kai spirit pneuma, perfecting epiteleō holiness hagiōsynē in en the fear phobos of God theos.

Unequal Partners

14 Do not become partners[a] with those who do not believe, for what partnership is there between righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship does light have with darkness? 15 And what agreement does Christ have with Beliar?[b] Or what does a believer share in common with an unbeliever? 16 And what mutual agreement does the temple of God have with idols? For we are[c] the temple of the living God, just as God said, “I will live in them[d] and will walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.”[e] 17 Therefore “come out from their midst, and be separate,” says the Lord, “and touch no unclean thing,[f] and I will welcome[g] you,[h] 18 and I will be a father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters,”[i] says the All-Powerful Lord.[j]

Self-Purification

Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us cleanse ourselves[k] from everything that could defile the body[l] and the spirit, and thus accomplish[m] holiness out of reverence for God.[n]

Footnotes

  1. 2 Corinthians 6:14 tn Or “Do not be mismatched.”
  2. 2 Corinthians 6:15 sn The Greek term Βελιάρ (Beliar) is a spelling variant for Βελιάλ (Belial, see Judg 20:13 LXX). It occurs only here in the NT. Beliar is a reference to Satan.
  3. 2 Corinthians 6:16 tc Most witnesses, including some significant ones (P46 א2 C D2 F G Ψ 0209 M lat sy Tert), read ὑμεῖςἐστε (humeiseste, “you are”) instead of ἡμεῖςἐσμεν (hēmeisesmen, “we are”) here, but several other early and significant mss (א* B D* L P 0243 6 33 81 326 365 1175 1739 1881 2464 co Cl Or) have ἡμεῖςἐσμεν. The external evidence is somewhat in favor of the first person pronoun and verb; the internal evidence weighs in even stronger. In light of the parallel in 1 Cor 3:16, where Paul uses ἐστε (“you are the temple of God”), as well as the surrounding context here in which the second person verb or pronoun is used in vv. 14, 17, and 18, the second person reading seems obviously motivated. The first person reading can explain the rise of the other reading, but the reverse is not as easily done. Consequently, the first person reading of ἡμεῖςἐσμεν has all the credentials of authenticity.
  4. 2 Corinthians 6:16 tn Or “live among them,” “live with them.” sn I will live in them. The OT text that lies behind this passage (Lev 26:11-12) speaks of God dwelling in the midst of his people. The Greek preposition en in the phrase en autois (“in them”) can also have that meaning (“among” or “with”). However, Paul appears to be extending the imagery here to involve God (as the Spirit) dwelling in his people, since he calls believers “the temple of the living God” in the previous clause, imagery he uses elsewhere in his writings (1 Cor 3:16; Eph 2:21-22).
  5. 2 Corinthians 6:16 sn A quotation from Lev 26:12; also similar to Jer 32:38; Ezek 37:27.
  6. 2 Corinthians 6:17 sn A quotation from Isa 52:11.
  7. 2 Corinthians 6:17 tn Or “will receive.”
  8. 2 Corinthians 6:17 sn A paraphrased quotation from Ezek 20:41.
  9. 2 Corinthians 6:18 sn A paraphrased quotation from 2 Sam 7:14 and Isa 43:6.
  10. 2 Corinthians 6:18 tn Traditionally, “the Lord Almighty.” BDAG 755 s.v. παντοκράτωρ states, “the Almighty, All-Powerful, Omnipotent (One) only of God…κύριος π. (oft. LXX) 2 Cor 6:18.”
  11. 2 Corinthians 7:1 tn Or “purify ourselves.”
  12. 2 Corinthians 7:1 tn Grk “from every defilement of the flesh.”
  13. 2 Corinthians 7:1 tn Grk “accomplishing.” The participle has been translated as a finite verb due to considerations of contemporary English style, and “thus” has been supplied to indicate that it represents a result of the previous cleansing.
  14. 2 Corinthians 7:1 tn Grk “in the fear of God.”