Pastors Jim and Marie Watt
(From: 2 CORINTHIANS #6 - 6:1-18)
I. 6:1-10 THE APOSTOLIC PATTERN FOR MINISTRY
Su-nerGOUNtes [4903] de kai pa-ra-kaLOUmen [3870]
And working together with him we entreat also
meeis keNON [2756]ten CHArin tou TheOU DExas-thai [1209]huMAS,
that you receive not the grace of :God in vain,
LEgei gar, KaiRO[2540]dekTO[1184]ePEkouSA [1873]sou, kai en heMEra so-teRIas e-boEtheSA [997]soi:
2for he says, At an acceptable season I hearkened to you, And in a day of salvation I succoured you:
iDOU, nun kaiROS euPROSdek-tos [2144]; iDOU nun heMEra soteRIas:
lo, now is an acceptable season; lo, now isa day of salvation:
medeMIan en medeNI diDONtes pros-koPEN [4349], HIna memomeTHE[3469]hedi-a-koNIa [1248];
3giving no occasion of stumbling in anything, that the ministration be not blamed;
all' en panTI su-nisTAnon-tes [4921] he-auTOUS, hos TheOU diAko-noi,
4but in everythingcommending ourselves, as ministers of God,
en hu-po-moNE[5281] polLE, en THLIpse-sin [2347], en aNAGkais [318], en ste-no-choRIais [4730],
in much patience, in tribulations, in needs, in distresses,
en pleGAIS [4127], en phu-laKAIS [5438], en a-ka-tas-taSIais [181], en KOpois [2873],
5in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in toils,
en ag-rupNIais [70], en nesTEIais [3521]; en hagNOte-ti [54], en GNOsei [1108], en ma-kro-thuMIa [3115],
in watchings, in fastings;6 in pureness, in knowledge, in longsuffering,
en chresTOte-ti [5544], en PNEUma-ti HaGIo, en aGApea-nu-poKRIto[505],
in kindness, in theHoly Spirit, in love unfeigned,
en LOgoa-leTHEIas [225], en duNAmei TheOU;
7in theword of truth, in God's power;
diA ton HOplon [3696] tes di-kai-oSUnes [1343] ton de-xiON [1188] kai a-ris-teRON [710],
through the armor of :righteousness on the right and left,
diA DOxes [1391] kai a-tiMIas [819], diA dus-pheMIas [1426] kai eu-pheMIas [2162]';
8through glory and dishonor, through evil report and good report;
hos PLAnoi [4108], kai a-leTHEIS: hos ag-noOUme-noi [50], kai e-pi-gi-nosKOme-noi [1921];
as deceivers, and true: 9 as unknown, and well known;
hos a-poTHNESkos-tes [599], kai iDOU, ZOmen [2198];
as dying, and lo, we live;
hos pai-deuOme-nos [3811], kai metha-naTOUme-noi [2289];
as chastened, and not killed;
hos luROUme-noi [3076], aEI de CHAIron-tes [5463];
10as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing;
hos ptoCHOI [4434], polLOUS de plouTIzon-tes [4148];
as poor, yet making many rich;
hos meDEN Echon-tes kai PANta kaTEchon-tes [2722].
as having nothing and possessing all.
J. 6:11-18 PAUL GIVES AN EXAMPLE OF AFFECTION AND SEPARATION
1. 6:11-13 EXAMPLE OF APOSTOLIC AFFECTION
a. 6:11 Our mouth is open unto you, Corinthians, our :heart enlarged.
To STOma heMON aNEo-gen [455] pros huMAS, KoRINthi-oi, he karDIa heMON pePLAtun-tai [4115].
b. 6:12 You are not straitened in us, but you are straitened in your :affections.
ou ste-no-choREISthe [4729] en heMIN, ste-no-choREISthe de en tois SPLAGCHnois [4698] huMON.
c. 6:13 Now fora recompense in :kind I speak as to children, be YOU also enlarged.
ten de auTEN an-ti-misTHIan [489] hos TEKnois [5043] LEgo, plaTUNthe-te [4115] kai huMEIS.
2. 6:14-18 EXHORTATION: HAVE SEPARATED MINISTRY AND WALK
a. 6:14 A VERY CLEAR CALL TO SEPARATION!
Me GInes-the he-te-ro-zuGOUNtes [3087] aPIstois [571]: tis gar me-toCHE [3352] di-kai-oSUne kai a-noMIa?
Be not unequally yoked with unbelievers: for what fellowship have righteousness and iniquity?
etis koi-noNIa [2842]phoTI [5457]pros SKOtos [4655]?
or what communion has light with darkness?
b. 6:15 And what concord has Christ with Beliar? or what portion has believer with unbeliever?
tis de sumPHOne-sis [4857]ChrisTOU pros BeLIar [955]? e tis meRIS piSTOmeTA aPIstou?
c. 6:16 GOD'S SANCTUARY - FOR HIMSELF, NOT IDOLS
tis de sun-kaTAthe-sis [4783]naO [3485]TheOU meTA eiDOlon [1497]?
And what agreement has God's sanctuary with idols?
heMEIS gar naOS TheOU es-men ZONtos;
for we are theliving God's sanctuary;
kaTHOS EIpen ho TheOS [HOti] e-noiKEso[1774]en auTOIS, kai en-pe-ri-paTEso[1704];
even as :God said [that] I will dwell in them, and walk;
kai Eso-mai auTON TheOS, kai auTOI EsonTAI mou laOS [2992].
And be their :God, and they shall be my people.
d. 6:17-18 GOD'S EMPHASIS ON THE SEPARATION PRINCIPLE
di' ho E-XELtha-te [1831]ek MEsou [3319]auTON, kai a-phoRISthe-te [873], LEgei KUri-os,
Wherefore come out from their midst, And be separate, says theLord,
kai a-kaTHARtou [169]me HAPtes-the [680]; ka' 'GO eisDExo-mai [1523]huMAS,
And touch no unclean thing; And I will receive you,
kai Eso-mai huMIN eis paTEra [3962],
18And will be Father to you,
kai huMEIS EsesTHE moi eis huiOUS [5207] kai thu-gaTEras [2364], LEgei KUri-os pan-toKRAtor [3841] .
And you shall be to me sons and daughters, Says theLord Almighty.
NOTE: It is alwaysthe right time to make a decision for Christ. Don't allow excuses to keep you from making the right decision now! It is the enemy of our souls who would hold us back from saying a complete “Yes” to the Lord, right now. While He is speaking through the soul-winner, or at invitation-time in a service, or by direct working of the Holy Spirit in your heart - Be wise! Say Yes! Believe on the Finished Work of Christ on the Cross, and on Him. Personal, passionate devotion to Jesus is the key. Turn your life over to Him! This is theone wisest decision you will ever make! The next is the one you marry. The third is your life's vocation and where.
Now see the example of Paul and his fellow workers as soul-sinners. What an amazing price they were willing to pay that there would be nohindrance in their lives as soul-winners. I have met a few like them . What a joy to meet such, and how humbling to see their amazing self-sacrificing examples. These 10 verses here would be well-worthwhile memorizing, and asking the Lord through His Spirit to make them a reality in our lives.
But this next portion, 6:11-18, is one of the clearest New Testament words directing us to a complete separation from the spirit of this world. We as believers can accept invitations by unbelievers into their homes, and can invite them also into ours - but - we cannotintermarry with them, nor enter into business relations with them. We know!
We as believers are not to dabble with any of the practices of the world such as the occult, Ouija boards, seances, New Age, horoscopes, etc., etc. These are “verboten” for God's people. It is a witness to the world when they see that our love for the Lord precludes our association in these other things.
May the two passages above be our guide in the way we seek to please the Lord. - J.A.W.