2 Corinthians 6:17 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you,

NIV: Therefore, "Come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you."

NASB: Therefore, COME OUT FROM THEIR MIDST AND BE SEPARATE,' says the Lord. 'AND DO NOT TOUCH WHAT IS UNCLEAN; And I will welcome you.

CSB: Therefore, come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord; do not touch any unclean thing, and I will welcome you.

NLT: Therefore, come out from among unbelievers, and separate yourselves from them, says the Lord. Don’t touch their filthy things, and I will welcome you.

KJV: Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,

NKJV: Therefore “Come out from among them And be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you.”

In 2 Corinthians 6:14—7:1, Paul is calling Christians to be separate from the world around them. More specifically, he is commanding the Corinthians to separate themselves from any connection with the worship of idols.

He showed in the previous verse a Christian connected to idol worship is equivalent to Jewish person under the Old Covenant worshiping an idol in the temple. This is because Christians themselves have become God's temples on earth, occupied by His Holy Spirit.

Paul is quoting from a collection of Old Testament passages to make this case. This verse is put together from Isaiah 52:11 and Ezekiel 20:41. God freed the Israelites from slavery to other nations and told them to separate from the peoples around them and to maintain their purity by not even touching forbidden things. Then the Lord would welcome them.

God calls Christians to live in freedom from sin and the law, and to lead holy lives. The difference is that God has already welcomed believers in Christ. We are His people with a permanent place with Christ in eternity. Paul described in his letter to Titus what God has done for us in Christ and how we should live in response: "Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works" (Titus 2:13–14).

Second Corinthians 6:14—7:1 begins with Paul's command to the Corinthians not to be ''unequally yoked'' with unbelievers. Light and darkness cannot be in fellowship. Christ and Satan cannot work together. Christians are God's temples on earth since His Spirit lives in them. That's why they must separate themselves from any kind of formal, binding relationship with unbelievers. Paul references several Old Testament Scriptures to show that believers in Jesus must separate themselves from being ''yoked'' to unbelievers since God is their Father and lives among them.

This passage appeals to the Corinthians not to miss the day of salvation. Paul insists that he and those who work with him have done nothing to keep anyone from believing in Christ. He points to the evidence that he has been a true apostle and representative of Christ and asks the Corinthians to open their hearts to him again. He commands them not to harness themselves to unbelievers since Christ can have nothing to do with Satan or darkness. God lives in them through the Holy Spirit, so they must separate from everything that is opposed to God.

Second Corinthians 6 is set up by the message of God's grace for sinners as spelled it out in the previous chapter. Paul begs the Corinthians not to receive it in vain. He declares that he and his team have done nothing to keep them from believing in Christ. Parallel to this, he commands the Corinthians not to be harnessed to unbelievers. This leads into a passionate discussion of affliction and comfort in chapter 7.

Second Corinthians returns to similar themes as those Paul mentioned in his first letter to this church. Paul is glad to hear that the church in Corinth has heeded his advice. At the same time, it is necessary for Paul to counter criticisms about his personality and legitimacy. Most of this text involves that subject. The fifth chapter, in contrast, contains comforting words which Christians have quoted often in times of hardship. Paul also details his expectations that the church in Corinth will make good on their promise to contribute to the needs of suffering believers in Jerusalem.