Day 10 – 2 Corinthians 6:1-8

And working together with Him, we also urge you not to receive the grace of God in vain—for He says, “At the acceptable time I listened to you, And on the day of salvation I helped you.” Behold, now is “the acceptable time,” behold, now is “the day of salvation”—giving no cause for offense in anything, so that the ministry will not be discredited, but in everything commending ourselves as servants of God, in much endurance, in afflictions, in hardships, in distresses, in beatings, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in hunger, in purity, in knowledge, in patience, in kindness, in the Holy Spirit, in genuine love, in the word of truth, in the power of God; by the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and the left, by glory and dishonor, by evil report and good report; regarded as deceivers and yet true; as unknown yet well-known, as dying yet behold, we live; as punished yet not put to death, as sorrowful yet always rejoicing, as poor yet making many rich, as having nothing yet possessing all things. Our mouth has spoken freely to you, O Corinthians, our heart is opened wide. You are not restrained by us, but you are restrained in your own affections. Now in a like exchange—I speak as to children—open wide to us also. Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said, “I will dwell in them and walk among them; And I will be their God, and they shall be My people. “Therefore, come out from their midst and be separate,” says the Lord. “And do not touch what is unclean; And I will welcome you. “And I will be a father to you, And you shall be sons and daughters to Me,” Says the Lord Almighty.^[1]

These verses have generally always been interpreted as referencing the necessity for holiness among God’s people. The emphasis has been on being very discerning about whom one associates especially if they are not true believers. I don’t mean to suggest that this interpretation is wrong, but it certainly is narrow. It would seem that the Apostle Paul is more concerned in this text with to whom the Corinthians listen, “Our mouth has spoken freely to you, O Corinthians, our heart is opened wide” (v. 11). In our time such a concern is still very prevalent.

We dwell in a time characterized by a multiplicity of voices. These voices carry with them their own authority and credibility. One does not, any longer, automatically look to the church or to the man or woman of God for authoritative answers to their life’s problems. Instead, they have counselors, talk shows, commentators, politicians and the like to whom they can listen and follow. It is admittedly hard to hear the voice of God in the midst of so much noise. One has to choose to shift through the different voices and come out from the ones that are false. This choice is complicated also by the fact that our ears tend to want to subscribe only to that which pleases us, and God’s Word sometimes, maybe many times, chastens us. But, as Paul states, “what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness” (v. 14)? Let us be discerning today so as to hear the right voice and make the right choice.

Dear Father, we confess to listening to and obeying voices other than You. Like so many our ears itch for the things we like to hear. We ashamed of the poor choices we have made when Your Word and way was ever before us. But today our eyes, ear, and hearts are open to You. Speak again Your eternal Word that never changes and we will follow. We ask it in the name of our risen Christ. Amen.

^[1] New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), 2 Co 6:1–18.