2 Cor. 6 2 Cor. 6:1–2 Paul entreateth the Corinthians not to frustrate God’s grace, 2 Cor. 6:3–10 setting forth his own inoffensive, painful, and patient demeanour in the discharge of his ministry, 2 Cor.

We then, as workers together with him: ministers of the gospel are fellow workers together with Christ; though but as instruments, serving him as the principal Agent, and efficient Cause: he trod the wine press of his Father’s wrath alone, and had no partner in the purchase of man’s salvation; but…

For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: the words here quoted, are taken out of the prophet Isaiah, Isa. 49:8, according to the Septuagint’s translation.

Giving no offence in any thing: to give no offence signifies, to avoid all actions which may be occasion of spiritual stumbling unto others, i.e. to make them to sin against God, or estrange their hearts from Christ, and the owning and profession of his gospel.

But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God: ministers of the gospel are in the first place to be considered as the ministers of God; secondarily, as ministers and servants of the church; which they ought to serve so far, as in serving it they do obey Christ.

In stripes: the apostle, 2 Cor. 11:23, tells us he was in stripes above measure; and 2 Cor. 11:24, that of the Jews he five times received forty stripes save one: we read of his many stripes, Acts 16:23.

By pureness: as the apostle in the former words had declared the patience of his conversation, in the enduring of the afflictions of the gospel; so in this verse he declares the more internal holiness of it, under the general notion of pureness; showed in his knowledge, faith, gentleness, kindness,…

By the word of truth; living up to and keeping our eye upon the word of God, which is the word of truth: this seems to be the sense, rather than speaking truth to every one, as some have thought.

By honour and dishonour; we depart not from our integrity, whether we be honoured or dishonoured. By evil report and good report; well or evilly reported of.

As unknown, and yet well known; dealt with by Jews and heathens as persons wholly unknown to them, though we be sufficiently known; or being such whom the world knoweth not, as to our state towards God, and interest in him, though it knows us well enough as to our other circumstances.

As sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing; appearing to others as persons drowned in griefs and sorrows, yet we are always rejoicing in God, (Hab. 3:17–18} and in the testimony of a good conscience, 2 Cor. 1:12.

Our mouth is open to speak freely to you, and to communicate to you the whole will and counsel of God; our heart is enlarged both by the love that I have towards you, and by the rejoicing that I have in you.

Ye are not straitened in us; if you cannot mutually rejoice in me, and what I write, or if you do not repay me the like affection, the fault is not in me; I have done my duty, and that too from a true principle of love to you.

Be ye also enlarged, both in love to me, and also in obedience; it is but a just recompence for that great affection which I have borne, and upon all occasions showed to you; and also for that faithfulness which I have showed in discharging the duty of my relation to you.

Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: they too much restrain the sense of this general precept, who either limit it to religious communion with idolaters, or to civil communion in marriages.

And what concord hath Christ with Belial? By Belial, in this text, very good interpreters understand the devil; judging that the apostle here opposeth Christ, who is the Head of Believers and of the church, to him who is the head of all unbelievers, and the god of the world.

And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? This particular instance giveth some expositors occasion to interpret 2 Cor. 6:14, of communion with idolaters in such acts of religion as are proper to them; but nothing hinders but that that precept may be interpreted more generally, though…

The apostle here quoteth words out of the Old Testament, no where to be found there syllabically, without variation, but keeping to the sense of them, which is a thing very usual with the penmen of the New Testament. The first quotation seemeth to be taken from Isa.

The latter words, which are a promise of God’s reception of them who for his sake withdraw from a sinful communion with idolaters and scandalous persons, are taken out of Jer. 31:1, Jer.