Thoughts from Mark "Hat" Rackley

As God’s co-workers we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain. For he says,
“In the time of my favor I heard you,
    and in the day of salvation I helped you.”
I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.
We put no stumbling block in anyone’s path, so that our ministry will not be discredited. Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left; through glory and dishonor, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors; known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed; sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything.
We have spoken freely to you, Corinthians, and opened wide our hearts to you. We are not withholding our affection from you, but you are withholding yours from us. As a fair exchange—I speak as to my children—open wide your hearts also.
Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said:
“I will live with them
    and walk among them,
and I will be their God,
    and they will be my people.”
Therefore,
“Come out from them
    and be separate,
says the Lord.
Touch no unclean thing,
    and I will receive you.”
And,
“I will be a Father to you,
    and you will be my sons and daughters,
says the Lord Almighty.”

• 2 Corinthians 6:1-18

Noted Biblical Scholars, Teachers, and Preachers Comments

2 Corinthians 6:1-2 ‘Judaizers’: “The false apostles who were leading some astray in Corinth had been preaching ‘another Jesus’ (11:4) and were Jews (11:22). So they may have been affiliated with the ‘Judaizers’ that Paul addressed in Galatians, those who were telling Gentile Christians that they had to keep the Mosaic law in addition to believing in Jesus. Since Paul urges the Corinthians not to receive the grace of God in vain (6:1), it maybe that these false teachers were telling them to focus on keeping the law by their own self-effort, rather than relying on God’s gracious provision to live the Christian life (see Gal 3:1-5). Paul quotes from Isaiah 49:5 to emphasize that the day of salvation has arrived (6:2). Today; we must operate in light of God’s grace if we are to maximize the salvation we have received.”

• Tony Evans, The Tony Evans Bible Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics)

2 Corinthians 6:1-2 ‘Should I accept Christ or not?’: “This is so desperately a matter of importance for every human being who comes into the world that I first become indignant, and then I become sad, when I try to give spiritual counsel to a person who looks me in the eye and tells me: ‘Well, I am trying to make up my mind if I should accept Christ or not.’
“Such a person gives absolutely no indication that he realizes he is talking about the most important decision he can make in his lifetime-a decision to get right with God, to believe in the eternal Son, the Savior, to become a disciple, an obedient witness to Jesus Christ as Lord. How can any man or woman, lost and undone, sinful and wretched, alienated from God, stand there and intimate that the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and God’s revealed plan of salvation do not take priority over some of life’s other decisions?”

• A. W. Tozer, Christ the Eternal Son

2 Corinthians 6:2 ‘Now is the day of salvation’: “The great mischief of the lost is that they procrastinate. !t is not that they resolve to be damned but that they resolve to be saved tomorrow. It is not that they reject Christ forever, but they reject Christ today. The Scripture says, ‘Now is the day of salvation,’ because sinners need it now. Lost sinners are under the wrath of God. They stand condemned now. And here is the beauty of the text: ‘Now is the acceptable time.’ Most unconverted hearers do not believe this. Some claim they must think about it. But what will be the result of their thinking? After they have thought so much, are we to imagine they will think themselves into salvation? Others say they cannot be in a hurry to make a decision. A hurry? What did the psalmist say? ‘I hurried, not hesitating to keep your commands’ (Ps 119:60). When a person is on the edge of damnation or on the borders of the grave, do not talk of hurry; when it is a case of life and death, let us be quick to make a decision. Still others claim they do not feel prepared to make a decision at this time, as if living another month in sin would make them more prepared to believe. Others may say their heart feels hard. Nothing in the Word of God leads us to believe we can in any way soften our own hearts. This is a mighty work of Grace. Hearts that have been exposed to the gospel and rejected it will certainly grow harder in the course of time, not softer. The text says, ‘Now is the acceptable time’; it does not say, ‘There is an acceptable time lasting through a period of weeks, months, or years.’ “

• Charles H. Spurgeon, from sermon notes

2 Corinthians 6:3-5 ‘Paul as an example’: “Paul puts himself forward as an example for the Corinthians to follow. He didn’t worry about protecting himself but sought to protect his ministry from accusations (6:3). As God’s ministers, he and his coworkers were representatives of the Lord. So Paul wants to commend his ministry (6:4) and avoid anything that would compromise it and bring spiritual ruin to the lives of others-as many false teachers were doing. Paul lists a series of hardships that he had endured on behalf of his ministry (6:4-5), demonstrating that he was willing to suffer many intense afflictions to honor Christ and see lives transformed for his kingdom.”

• Tony Evans, The Tony Evans Bible Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics)

2 Corinthians 6:3 ‘we give no offense in anything’: ”The faithful ambassador of Christ does nothing to discredit his ministry, but everything he can to protect its integrity, the gospel’s integrity, and God’s integrity (cf. Rom. 2:24; 1 Cor. 9:27; Titus 2:1–10).”

• John MacArthur, John MacArthur Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics)

2 Corinthians 6:4 ‘we commend ourselves as ministers of God’: “we commend ourselves as ministers of God. ‘Commend’ means ‘introduce,’ with the connotation of proving oneself (see … 3:1). The most convincing proof is the patient endurance of character reflected in Paul’s hardships (v. 5) and the nature of his ministry (vv. 6, 7).”

• John MacArthur, John MacArthur Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics)

2 Corinthians 6:6-10 ‘Paul validates his apostleship’: “After listing the adversities he faced, Paul lists the qualities necessary for this kind of faithful ministry. Paul’s service to the Lord and his people was marked by purity … patience … sincere love, and was fueled by the Holy Spirit … the word of truth … the power of God (6:6-7). Next Paul lists nine pairs of paradoxes that he experienced. These include glory and dishonor … unknown, yet recognized … having nothing, yet possessing everything (6:8-10). Through his personal character, the divine affirmation of his work, and his spiritual successes in spite of adversity, Paul’s apostleship was validated.”

• Tony Evans, The Tony Evans Bible Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics)

2 Corinthians 6:7 ‘by the word of truth’: “The Scriptures, the revealed Word of God (cf. Col. 1:5; James 1:18). During his entire ministry, Paul never operated beyond the boundaries of the direction and guidance of divine revelation. by the power of God. Paul did not rely on his own strength when he ministered (see … 1 Cor. 1:18; 2:1–3; cf. Rom. 1:16). by the armor of righteousness. Paul did not fight Satan’s kingdom with human resources, but with spiritual virtue (see … 10:3–5; Eph. 6:10–18). The right hand … the left. Paul had both offensive tools, such as the sword of the Spirit, and defensive tools, such as the shield of faith and the helmet of salvation, at his disposal (see … Eph. 6:16, 17).”

• John MacArthur, John MacArthur Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics)

2 Corinthians 6:8 ‘as deceivers’: “Paul’s opponents at Corinth had accused him of being an impostor and a false apostle (cf. John 7:12).”

• John MacArthur, John MacArthur Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics)

2 Corinthians 6:9 ‘Crossing the Finish Line’: “In the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing, China, Michael Phelps was aiming to win eight events. If successful, he would break American swimmer Mark Spitz’s 1972 record of seven gold medals in a single Olympic Games. …
“But the crowd and the millions watching weren’t swimming that final lap, and they hadn’t consulted one key person: Jason Lezak. At thirty-two, Jason was the oldest swimmer on the US team. He started the final leg well back of Bernard-the reigning world record holder in the 100-meter freestyle-and at the final turn, he was still a full body length behind. He had many opportunities along the way to concede and accept second place; everyone else had already assumed he couldn’t overtake Bernard’s enormous lead. But there was no quit in Lezak, and with one incredible last stroke he bested the world’s best to win the relay for the United States by a fingertip and set a new world record. And Michael Phelps, with the help of his teammates, went on to achieve his goal.
“As I recall hearing in an interview with Lezak after the race, he didn’t think he would have caught Bernard in an individual race-the deficit was too big. However, because it was a relay, Lezak felt he was swimming for his teammates, so he couldn’t just give up. We need to feel that same way-we’re doing what we’re doing for the Lord, so we can’t just give up.
“You may not be training for the Olympics, but you do have personal goals that you’ve set for yourself, goals that mean a lot to you, like spending more time with your children or attempting your first half marathon or starting a Bible study. The moment you find reasons to quit, think of Jason Lezak. And thank God that you have the opportunity to be in the race.”

• Tony Dungy with Nathan Whitaker, Uncommon Life – Daily Challenge (excerpt from devotion for 13 August)

2 Corinthians 6:12 ‘changed travel plans’: “Paul’s defense of his changed travel plans and description of his apostolic ministry were to influence the Corinthians to reciprocate the love that he had selflessly poured out upon them.”

• Dorothy Kelley Patterson, General Editor, NIV Woman’s Study Bible (Patty Comber, Pauline Epistles contributor)

2 Corinthians 6:14-16 ‘Opposites cannot be harmonious’: “Opposites cannot be harmoniously joined (vv. 14-16). The alliances Paul had in mind may have been mixed marriages, improper business associations, or relationships with pagan idolaters (1Co 10:14; see Ne 10, 2Co 6). However, he most likely was referring to associations with false apostles. He considered these false prophets responsible for the recent schism in his relationship with the Corinthian church (2Co 11:13–15).”

• Dorothy Kelley Patterson, General Editor, NIV Woman’s Study Bible (Patty Comber, Pauline Epistles contributor)

2 Corinthians 6:14 ‘Science & Technology’: “A yoke was usually a wooden beam shaped to fit over the necks of two animals, harnessing them to a plow or similar tool. Oxen were the most common animals used for working the land, and a yoke linking a pair of oxen together allowed them to work efficiently. An ox and a donkey put in a yoke would be ‘unequally yoked’ (2 Cor. 6:14; see Deut. 22:10). They could not pull the load evenly and might want to go different directions.”

• Timothy B. Cargal, et al., The Chronological Study Bible

2 Corinthians 6:14 ‘The Greatest Complement You Can Have’: “The Bible gives a great illustration about marriage. The people who first read Paul’s words about being ‘unequally yoked’ would have envisioned two oxen yoked together to pull a plow. If one ox pulls in one direction and the other pulls in another direction, there’s a problem. They won’t pull in straight lines, and they won’t be productive. When you’re attached at the shoulder, you need to be going in the same direction at the same speed. You have to work together.
“That has big implications for those who aren’t married yet-and even for those who are. Ideally, people are designed to be married to someone whose basic philosophy in the essentials of life is the same as their own. If you aren’t married, be patient until you find someone with the same source of faith, the same values, and the same sense of direction. And if you are already married, work toward finding that common ground in every area of life. Don’t just go through the motions. Your marriage deserves all the focus and energy you can give it. Just as with the oxen, you have to be pulling together to be effective.”

• Tony Dungy with Nathan Whitaker, Uncommon Life – Daily Challenge (excerpt from devotion for 24 April)

2 Corinthians 6:14 ‘Marriage to an Unbeliever’: “While knowingly marrying an unbeliever violates God’s Word (2Co 6:14), Scripture provides very practical encouragement to those who find themselves the wives of unsaved husbands.
“Win without a word. Do not preach to an unsaved husband. He cannot comprehend spiritual truths (2Co 4:4; 1Pe 3:1–4). Regeneration is the work of the Holy Spirit. God desires repentance for all (2Pe 3:9).
“Cultivate a quiet and gentle spirit. A wife who is saved will at times disagree with her unsaved husband. You may disagree but do not be disagreeable. Avoid agitation and harshness. Concentrate on being the best wife possible. Relax and enjoy your husband. Do not condemn him. Mirror God’s love through your pure character and generosity toward him.
“Be submissive in your love. Demonstrate loving respect for your husband. However, submission does not require agreeing to engage in sinful activities or living in fear (2Ti 1:7). If your husband dangerously mistreats you or your children, seek protection from civil authorities.
“Pray for your husband’s salvation. While his salvation is not guaranteed, your faith and prayers act as a catalyst, binding Satan and opening your husband’s heart to the Holy Spirit (Ac 16:31).”

• Dorothy Kelley Patterson, General Editor, NIV Woman’s Study Bible (Patty Comber, Pauline Epistles contributor)

2 Corinthians 6:15 ‘The Healthiest Partnerships’: “Life is difficult on its own, even when clearly and unequivocally undergirded with a relationship with Jesus Christ. Why would you want to pile on relationship baggage that might pull you away from the life Christ wants you to lead? I certainly wouldn’t. Paul begins chapter 6 of 2 Corinthians with the words ‘As God’s partners …’, a description of a very close working relationship. If a believer partners with an unbeliever, there is the real possibility of tension being created between your relationship with God and your relationship with the unbeliever because of the unbeliever’s disregard for any relationship with God.
“Talk about complications. Now you have three relationships-all with differing systems of values influencing decisions-being jammed together. The relationship between you and God. The relationship between you and the unbeliever. The relationship-or lack of relationship-between the unbeliever and God.
“Your relationship with God is characterized by light and truth, yet the unbeliever’s relationship with God is nonexistent or-at best-characterized by a relationship existing in darkness and lies. Even if you consider your partnership workable and pretty satisfactory, it will not stand up against the storms of differences, misunderstandings, or disputes that may happen. Darkness and light cannot coexist. And when the storms come-and they will-the relationship between you and an unbeliever will not prevail and could very well be destructive and a hindrance to your relationship with God.
“Sure, we are to witness to and interact with nonbelievers. God certainly doesn’t want us to withdraw from the world. But that doesn’t mean we need to enter into an intimate, close relationship with those who don’t share our core values.”

• Tony Dungy with Nathan Whitaker, Uncommon Life – Daily Challenge (excerpt from devotion for 18 April)

2 Corinthians 6:17 ‘The church must be different’: “The church’s mightiest influence is felt when she is different from the world in which she lives. Her power lies in her being different, rises with the degree in which she differs, and sinks as the difference diminishes.
“This is so fully and clearly taught in the Scriptures and so well illustrated in Church history that it is hard to see how we can miss it. But miss it we do, for we hear constantly that the Church must try to be as much like the world as possible, excepting, of course, where the world is too, too sinful.
“Let us plant ourselves on the hill of Zion and invite the world to come over, to us, but never under any circumstances will we go over to them. The cross is the symbol of Christianity, and the cross speaks of death and separation, never of compromise. No one ever compromised with a cross. The cross separated between the dead and the living. The timid and the fearful will cry ‘Extreme!’ and they will be right. The cross is the essence of all that is extreme and final. The message of Christ is a call across a gulf from death to life, from sin to righteousness and from Satan to God.”

• A. W. Tozer, The Set of the Sail

2 Corinthians 6:17 ‘Israel’s redemption from bondage’: “To buffer his argument against alliances with pagans, Paul cited portions of Isaiah and Ezekiel referring to Israel’s redemption from bondage. God delivered the Israelites so they could be holy and free from pagan influences for fellowship with him. Paul argued that in order to attain personal holiness and enjoy God’s presence, the Corinthians needed likewise to sever ties with pagan idolaters and false apostles. He was not saying that believers should avoid contact with unbelievers. On the contrary, he encouraged Christians to associate with the unsaved of the world (1Co 5:9–10). However, Paul was concerned that the Corinthians avoid fellowship or communion with pagans within the church (‘religious’ unbelievers). He did not want them thus to be led astray from sincere and pure devotion to Christ (2Co 11:3).”

• Dorothy Kelley Patterson, General Editor, NIV Woman’s Study Bible (Patty Comber, Pauline Epistles contributor)

2 Corinthians 6:18 ‘Sometimes families do not respond to God’s Love’: “Each of us has a fantasy that our family will be like the Waltons, an expectation that our dearest friends will be our next of kin. Jesus didn’t have that expectation. Look how he defined his family: ‘My true brother and sister and mother are those who do what God wants’ (Mark 3:35).
“When Jesus’ brother didn’t share his convictions, he didn’t try to force them. He recognized that his spiritual family could provide what his physical family didn’t …
“We can’t control the way our family responds to us. When it comes to the behavior of others toward us, our hands are tied. We have to move beyond the naive expectation that if we do good, people will treat us right. The fact is they may and they may not-we cannot control how people respond to us …
“Let God give you what your family doesn’t. If your earthly father doesn’t affirm you, then let your heavenly Father take his place …
“(And] don’t lose heart. God still changes families.”

• Max Lucado, He Still Moves Stones

2 Corinthians 6 ‘Summary’: ”In Paul’s instruction to ‘not be unequally yoked with unbelievers,’ he established a fine line for believers today. The Great Commission dictates that we spend time among unbelievers (see Matthew 28:16-20), which means building personal relationships with them. But at the same time, we need to be careful these relationships do not lead to us being negatively influenced to do things that are against our Christian principles.
“To this end, there are three ways we can make sure our good habits will not be corrupted. The first is to establish and maintain clear boundaries. We should empathize with people’s struggles, share our own, and speak the truth in love. We should meet people where they are-but this cannot jeopardize our own spiritual wellbeing or put us in a compromising position. Our job is to show others the difference Jesus makes in our lives. If we give in to the same temptations as the people we are trying to reach, we will send the opposite message from what God intends. This is why we must make sure that our position is clear.
“Second, we have to monitor the direction of influence in our relationships with unbelievers. Sometimes we may convince ourselves that we are the ones exerting the influence when, in reality, it is we who are being influenced. The influence occurs so subtly that we do not even realize it. To avoid this problem, we need to recruit mature Christians who will help us monitor our interactions with unbelievers. Ideal accountability partners will be those who know us well, see us in a variety of settings, are able to recognize subtle shifts in our attitudes and behaviors, and will not hesitate to confront us about them.
“Third, we need to evangelize our relationships. When evangelism is a top priority in our lives, we look for opportunities to share the life-changing potential of Christ. We engage sincerely with others. We empathize with their struggles. We identify their objections to the gospel and look for new ways to present it. More than anything else, we take the words of the apostle Peter to heart: ‘Always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you’ (1 Peter 3:15).”

• David Jeremiah, 2 Corinthians (Jeremiah Bible Study Series)

My Thoughts

Note the reflection questions that follow go through chapter 7, verse 1 to complete these topics.

The first two verses of this chapter are associated with the previous topic.  We need to be reconciled.

And here, Paul basically gives an altar call, using modern vernacular.  The time for salvation is now.  You may not have a tomorrow.  That was always part of the Billy Graham presentation of the Gospel.  As he prepared the altar call, he would talk about God is calling you now.  There may be no tomorrow.  Many evangelists make the same statement today, and the statement is true.

But in her book, Seven Words You Never Want to Hear, Denise Wilson said that she quit saying that to the unchurched.  Think about it.  You are asking someone who has maybe heard the name Jesus, but they know nothing about Him, and you are asking for an unconditional surrender to a total unknown.  She began guiding these eager people to Bible studies to learn who Jesus is before making a total commitment.  Is she wrong?  It is true that we are not guaranteed tomorrow, but can you believe that Jesus is real and the only reason for taking the next breath when you have heard ten Bible verses in your entire life?  By the way, the seven words are “Depart from me.  I never knew you.”  But which is best?  Make a decision without knowing anything about Jesus because of the urgency of no guarantee?  Or do we enter into teaching mode – with that urgency – so that they make an informed decision?

Now the first main topic of this chapter is to establish Paul as an apostle.  And Paul enumerates the persecutions he received.  Many people today will ridicule the person who has not endured physical hardships for the Lord as if they were not “really” persecuted.  Yes, there is an obvious difference between being called names and being killed.  But Paul mentions dishonor, bad reports, called an imposter, and treated as unknown.  That last one is like ghosting someone or cancelling them.  Satan’s tricks are the same old tricks with new names and a different coat of paint.

Paul faced imprisonment, flogging, beating, and stoning.  Paul’s persecution was not just with words, but in these verses, he is combating the words said about him.  He has to establish his credibility with people he had led to Christ.

Yet with all the hate, Paul kept preaching, with Joy.

My wife always said that I shared too much.  I was too open, but Paul and his companions opened their hearts to the Corinthians.  How can you convince someone to accept Jesus when you yourself hide things and it is obvious you are holding your cards close to your chest?

Then, Paul takes a different turn, but in the end not as big of a turn as it seems.

We are not to be unequally yoked.  This one line has been misused a lot.  This says nothing about color of skin, cultural differences, the things you like to eat, etc. It is mostly about who is your God.  Those other things can cause friction in a marriage.

My wife had people who told her to never marry someone from Mississippi and you marry the entire family, and someone in that family is not going to like you.    My wife cried many times after my mother had another tirade about how I polluted the family name with “half-breeds.”  And how the “Catholic” in my wife was showing.  And my wife was “fat.”  And fat people were sluggards.  I will stop there because my mother’s insults would continue and get progressively worse.

My wife did not have to listen, but she heard every word.

I could tell my wife how she was none of the things my mother said, but the damage was done, and my wife would mumble as she cried, “I was warned, but I didn’t listen.”  She loved me, but she regretted getting married due to one person, my mother.  And if someone from my old hometown is reading this, there were a lot of people like my mother.  Southern Lady gentility in public and a holy terror behind closed doors at home.

Marriage with someone unequally yoked can mean a lot of things, but my wife only said a good story, and lived it, until after the boys left the nest.  I was too hard, but she was too soft, thinking my Christian views were too far out there.  Then, she had a dream and realized Jesus was and is real.  Then she lived a more strict life to God’s Word than I had done.  But the boys were raised in a home of conflict and contradiction.  There was love there, but when I was gone half of each working day (work plus commute), she had more face time with the boys than I did and she let the discipline slide on occasion.  Mixed signals emerged, and one of the boys pounced on that, a natural born manipulator.

So, my wife told a good story until she was a good story.  And inconsistencies arose.

And a wishy-washy Christian marrying an atheist becomes a home of two atheists.  If God is not firmly encamped in your heart, He is not really there.  If God is firmly encamped in your heart, you probably would not be attracted to that person anyway.

But I had a friend who was a new believer in Indonesia.  He met a girl and fell in love.  She was the daughter of the leading Buddhist family in Jakarta.  The missionary told him to drop her as a friend.  She would drag him down.  But he led her to Christ, and she led her entire family to Christ…  But that was before they married.

Being a Christian is a 24/7 thing.  It is a total commitment all the time.  How can you do that when you hide your faith in order to not offend your own family members.  It does not work that way.

Some Serendipitous Reflections

2 Corinthians 6:3-13 Paul’s Hardships 1. By what standards do you gauge a successful ministry? Why? How do they compare with verses 4-10? Would Paul be a success by your standards? Would you?
“2. What, from Paul’s example, do you want to incorporate into your life?
2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1 Do Not Be Yoked with Unbelievers 1. Of the different relationships Paul has in view here, which one(s) apply to you?
“2. What does it mean that you are the dwelling place of God? What contaminants can affect your body? Your spirit? Is there some-thing contaminating you now from which you should separate?”

• Lyman Coleman, et al, The NIV Serendipity Bible for Study Groups

Second Corinthians 6:3-7:1 has two sets of questions as noted above.

Substitute whatever group for any reference to a small group or ask who could come to your aid.

If you like these Thursday morning Bible studies, but you think you missed a few, you can use this LINK. I have set up a page off the home page for links to these Thursday morning posts. I will continue to modify the page as I add more.

Soli Deo Gloria.  Only to God be the Glory.