2 Corinthians 6
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A folio of Papyrus 46 (written ca. AD 200), containing 2 Corinthians 11:33–12:9. This manuscript contains almost complete parts of the whole Pauline epistles.
Book	Second Epistle to the Corinthians
Category	Pauline epistles
Christian Bible part	New Testament
Order in the Christian part	8

2 Corinthians 6 is the sixth chapter of the Second Epistle to the Corinthians in the New Testament of the Christian Bible. It is authored by Paul the Apostle and Timothy (2 Corinthians 1:1) in Macedonia in 55–56 CE.^[1]

Text

The original text was written in Koine Greek. This chapter is divided into 18 verses.

Textual witnesses

Some early manuscripts containing the text of this chapter are:

• Papyrus 46 (~AD 200)
• Codex Vaticanus (325–350)
• Codex Sinaiticus (330–360)
• Codex Alexandrinus (400–440)
• Codex Ephraemi Rescriptus (~450)
• Codex Freerianus (~450; extant verses 6–8,16–18)
• Codex Claromontanus (~550)

Old Testament references

• 2 Corinthians 6:2: Isaiah 49:8
• 2 Corinthians 6:16: Leviticus 26:12; Jeremiah 32:38; Ezekiel 37:27
• 2 Corinthians 6:17: Isaiah 52:11; Ezekiel 20:34,41
• 2 Corinthians 6:18: 2 Samuel 7:14

Verse 2

Paul quotes the first part of Isaiah 49:8 using the Septuagint version.^[2] The full text of this verse reads:

Thus saith the Lord,

"In an acceptable time have I heard thee, and in a day of salvation have I succored thee: and I have formed thee, and given thee for a covenant of the nations, to establish the earth, and to cause to inherit the desert heritages".^[3]

The promised hearing and salvation are offered first to the "suffering servant" in the time of the prophet Isaiah, then to Christ according to Christian interpretation of the servant songs, and finally, here, to the Christian people.^[2] Paul adds that the day concerned is "now".

Verse 14

Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?^[4]

• "Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers": may allude to the law in Deuteronomy 22:10 which is understood not to forbid civil society and converse with unbelievers, but to prohibit joining unbelievers in acts of idolatry, as one of the arguments is, "what agreement has the temple of God with idols?" which seemingly happened at that time (cf. 1 Corinthians 10:14; 1 Corinthians 10:20–22).^[5]
• "What fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness" (or KJV: unrighteousness"): This "righteousness" means righteous persons, having the kingdom of God in them.^[5]

These verses have been understood in traditional forms of Christianity as prohibiting a marriage between a Christian and a non-Christian.^[6]

Verse 15

Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever?^[7]