Chapter 6
V1 Carrying on from the theme in the closing verses of chapter 5 of Messiah having reconciled fallen humanity to Elohim the Father through his blood, and given the gospel to the apostles and subsequent believers as co-workers to share with the lost for reconciliation, Paul begs the recipients of this gospel to not take this opportunity of Elohim’s grace in vain. Only a completely reprobate, selfish, ungrateful mind would deny so great a gesture of love portrayed to an exceedingly undeserving creation.
V2 this quotes Isa 49:8. Paul quotes from the Septuagint LXX as is usual of him. Yeshua also quoted the same version of scripture hence authenticating it as a reliable source. It is important to read the whole section of Isa 49:1-10 to place this quote into context. It is readily discovered that this was a prophecy of YHVH’s plan to reconcile Israel through His Son Yeshua, whom they rejected and mistreated nonetheless, despite so magnanimous a sacrifice. Additionally, it prophesied the proclamation of the gospel to the Gentiles who would be grafted into the congregation of Israel. YHVH in Isa 49:8 and 2 Cor 6:2 is essentially saying that He had heard the Messiah in His time of grief brought upon by the people who rejected Him, and would help Him in the day of salvation, translated Yeshua in the Hebrew of Isa 49:8! Paul through revelation was brought to understand that this help extended to the saints unto whom the gospel was given to proclaim to the lost world, in the place of Yeshua, as ambassadors.
V3 It is crucially important to never carelessly handle the gospel, as it is a source of converting the lost to the light that shines through it. It is a grievous sin to deceive potential converts by the twisting of scripture, and instead of gaining rewards in heaven, the supposed gatekeeper of this truth would simply be heaping coals upon their head. We must never rush into the pulpit to preach, if we do not have sufficient understanding of this precious word within our hands cf Jm 3:1-2; 1 Tim 1:5-8; Matt 23:13.
V4-5 ananke translated ‘necessities’ is better rendered calamities. Agrupnia translated ‘watchings’ in our modern vernacular would be ‘in sleeplessness. It is a far cry from so-called ministers of today who are elevated to near demigod status, living ostentatious lifestyles of obscene wealth. The book of Acts narrates numerous hardships that Paul endured as a true diakonos/servant of Elohim. We should be more inclined to take people who follow such a path of zeal for the gospel more seriously, than the charlatans who have hijacked the word of Elohim.
V6 Further attributes of a true minister/servant of Elohim are spelt out here. Hagnotes translated pureness refers to uprightness of life. A knowledge of the word is vital. Torah has been trampled upon and vilified by ignoramuses of the word, misleading a vast portion of the flock of Messiah to the broad way of destruction Matt 7:13. The Holy Spirit is the only means by which one may be led to these glorious attributes that should be exhibited by true sons of Elohim. It is impossible to genuinely love from a heart that does not have the presence of the Holy Spirit, as Jer 17:9 clearly illustrates that the heart is wicked to the core. Only the Holy Spirit may renew it.
I care not what other religion may profess to be one of love, but ultimately the wickedness of the heart will reveal itself through selfishness, greed, hate, lust and all manner of other demonic manifestations. Above all sincere love must pour out of the attendant of Elohim, if we are to do His will. It is cringeworthy to watch the feigned love acted out on TV by modern day televangelists, whose end goal is the contents of the congregants’ wallets and purses. True genuine love does not need to be spoken, but revealed through our actions cf Rom 12:9; 1 Jn 3:18.
V7 The word of truth is the Torah itself as has been repeated ad nauseum in all the other commentaries done thus far. Eph 1:13 further clarifies this as the gospel of our salvation, of which has been given to us as ambassadors of Yeshua to spread to the ends of the earth. Also cf 2 Tim 2:15;Jm 1:18. The power of Elohim refers to the signs and wonders that work through us by His Holy Spirit, which a true saint should utilize in conjunction with the word of truth as a means of demonstrating the validity of the gospel cf 1 Cor 2:4-5.The power of Elohim is panned out in 1 Cor 12:7-11,28. The armour of Elohim is outlined in Eph 6:10-18. Of all the weapons mentioned the right hand would obviously wield the sword of the Spirit to attack the host of hell, and the left defend by the shield of faith all the fiery darts of the wicked.
V8 Dia doxa kai atimia translated ‘by honour and dishonour’ is better translated as ‘through glory and shame’ in order for the context to be sensible. To say by dishonour gives the erroneous sense of Paul promoting dishonest behaviour. It is a shame that the KJV translators raised ambiguity in translating it so. Dusphemia translated evil report is better translated as being defamed, euphemia translated good report also meaning to be praised. Paul in this verse was expressing how we should press on through faith, despite at times being honoured one moment, yet shamed the next; being defamed in one instance, yet praised in another; being falsely accused of deception yet exhibiting truth at all times. Being a true ambassador of the gospel attracts Satan’s wrath. He will use every trick in the book to try and discredit us, but cannot usurp power from the Holy Spirit, in whom we are to have complete confidence, if we are to be victorious in our quest of winning souls for the kingdom.
V9-10 Paul continues with the contrasting accusations that are pitted against the truthful state, that is to say misconception versus true perception. This battle tactic is used by the host of hell to arouse suspicion via fabricated inconsistencies on the part of the ambassadors of Yeshua, in their endeavours to discredit the validity of the gospel truth of which they so greatly fear. Agnoeo translated ‘as unknown’ is again not translated well, but should be translated ‘as ignorant or lacking understanding’. Also, epiginosko translated ‘well known’ is supposed to be ‘knowledgeable, understanding’.
Paul is basically saying we shall be accused as lacking in knowledge in what we preach, yet the reality being our great understanding thanks to Holy Spirit power. Additionally, the enemy shall attempt to kill us at every given opportunity, yet Elohim-willing we shall defy death; we shall be chastised yet escape the jaws of death. In times of lupe/sorrow, distress, we shall rejoice without fail, for rousing the ire of the courts of Satan is proof of the effectiveness of our spiritual warfare against evil. We may lose all material wealth, yet rejoice in that we enrich the souls of the redeemed; we may appear to have nothing to our name, yet possess all in the form of souls won for the kingdom. The temporal attacks of Satan’s kingdom should never unnerve us, but spur us more to destroy the gates of hell with more vigour.
V11-12 The mouth expresses the thoughts of the heart Matt 15:18-19. A heart however that is filled with the Holy Spirit will express beautifully pure thoughts, as Paul did in the last few verses. stenochoreo/straitened in modern English would be narrowed or distressed. Paul was essentially saying that his heart was grossly enlarged and not narrowed whatsoever for the Corinthians, yet the Corinthians were narrowed in their bowels for him instead. The splagchnon/the bowels were regarded as the seat of the more violent passions, such as anger and love; but by the Hebrews as the seat of the tenderer affections, esp. kindness, benevolence,
compassion; hence our heart (tender mercies, affections, etc.)
V13 Paul beseeches that the Corinthians also enlarge their hearts for him, as he did for them. The congregation can at times be selfish and see their preachers as a source of temporarily helping them to forget about their worries. People attend a service for say an hour/week and immediately forget about the preacher’s love for them, returning to the ways of the world of selfishness, hate, deceit and the like. This, Paul was very much at odds with, and encouraged the ecclesia to expand the love in their hearts.
V14 This verse can only make sense when taken into context of the previous three verses. Anomia translated unrighteousness should be translated lawlessness i.e. the opposite of obeying Torah. The unrighteous who do not keep Torah, will inevitably lack a large heart filled with Holy Spirit love. Furthermore, Torah is light and is responsible for the love generated within a transformed heart that has the Torah written within it, by the power of the Holy Spirit cf Jer 31:33, Pro 6:23; Ps 119:105. Yeshua is the personification and embodiment of Torah and He is the light of the world cf Jn 3:19-21; 8:12. Once living in new covenant truth, the Spiritual and the carnal are at great enmity, as previously read in Rom 8:1-13, of which Paul reiterates here.
V15 Belial means worthless or wicked and is an epithet of Satan. Satan is the father of darkness and lies in which the unbelievers dwell in cf Eph 6:12; Jn 8:44. Apistos translated ‘infidel’ means faithless or unbelieving. Once born-again, we should no longer associate ourselves with unbelievers, lest Satan tempt our weak flesh back to our formerly wicked ways. Christians who frequent nightclubs, strip clubs, pubs, and other demonic places, hoping to convert the lost, tend to end up sucked back into such a life. Rather, aim to separate the potential convert from such deplorable environs, then preach the word to them, where Satan and his host are at a great disadvantage.
V16 Lev 26:12 is quoted here. Also, cf 1 Cor 3:16-17; 6:19; 8:10. Elohim dwells in our hearts through the Holy Spirit. Our hearts have replaced the holy of holies, and the physical temple is not present in our dispensation for the Spirit of Elohim to dwell in anyway. The new covenant opened up this spiritual pathway, whereby Elohim has identified the heart of the born-again Christian to be His dwelling place. It is clear beyond measure what the consequences of defiling the physical temple were throughout scripture i.e. nothing short of sure death. It is hence with fear and trembling that we should maintain pure hearts sanctified at all times by the Holy Spirit.
V17 quotes Isa 52:11 where the context beyond a shadow of a doubt identifies the unclean thing as that laid out in Torah, and none other. Examples of this would be non-Kosher food, menstrual blood, bodily discharges amongst others. This is further evidence that the Torah was never abolished. Only the Aaronic priesthood was replaced in the new covenant, as it was made null and void by our eternal High priest Yeshua the Messiah. The unclean thing includes the heathens including all their pagan feasts such as Christmas, Easter, Lent and so forth cf Lam 4:15.
V18 cf Isa 43:6. YHVH Elohim can only be the Father of those who do His will which is defined by the observance of His Torah cf Jn 14:15-16; 15:10.