Fathers

2 Corinthians 6

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Working together, we entreat also that you do not receive the grace of God in vain, for he says, “At an acceptable time I listened to you. In a day of salvation I helped you.” Behold, now is the acceptable time. Behold, now is the day of salvation. We give no occasion of stumbling in anything, that our service may not be blamed, but in everything commending ourselves, as servants of God, in great endurance, in afflictions, in hardships, in distresses, in beatings, in imprisonments, in riots, in labors, in watchings, in fastings; in pureness, in knowledge, in perseverance, in kindness, in the Holy Spirit, in sincere love, in the word of truth, in the power of God; by the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, by glory and dishonor, by evil report and good report; as deceivers, and yet true; as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as punished, and not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things. Our mouth is open to you, Corinthians. Our heart is enlarged. You are not restricted by us, but you are restricted by your own affections. Now in return, I speak as to my children: you also open your hearts. Don’t be unequally yoked with unbelievers, for what fellowship do righteousness and iniquity have? Or what fellowship does light have with darkness? What agreement does Christ have with Belial? Or what portion does a believer have with an unbeliever? What agreement does a temple of God have with idols? For you are a temple of the living God. Even as God said, “I will dwell in them and walk in them. I will be their God and they will be my people.” Therefore “ ‘Come out from among them, and be separate,’ says the Lord. ‘Touch no unclean thing. I will receive you. I will be to you a Father. You will be to me sons and daughters,’ says the Lord Almighty.”

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What the Fathers say

2 Corinthians 6:14

Eastern Fathers

John Chrysostom

"Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers." He said not, 'Intermix not with unbelievers,' but rather dealing sharply with them, as transgressing what was right, 'Suffer not yourselves to turn aside,' saith he, "For what fellowship have righteousness and iniquity?" Here in what follows he institutes a comparison, not between his own love and theirs who corrupt them, but between their nobleness and the others' dishonor. For thus his discourse became more dignified and more beseeming himself, and would the rather win them. …

Homily 13 on 2 Corinthians ↗

Theophylact of Ohrid

Lest it should seem that he says this for his own benefit, he shows that he needs their love for their benefit, speaking as if to say: to love me means that you should not mingle with unbelievers and not turn aside to their part. He did not say: do not mingle, but: "do not be unequally yoked," that is, do not offend justice by inclining and joining yourselves to those to whom you ought not. For the word ἑτεροζυγεῖν is used in the case when one speaks of unequal scales, when one pan of the balance outweighs the other. …

Commentary on 2 Corinthians ↗

Ignatius of Antioch

Do not err, my brethren. Those that corrupt families shall not inherit the kingdom of God. And if those that corrupt mere human families are condemned to death, how much more shall those suffer everlasting punishment who endeavour to corrupt the Church of Christ, for which the Lord Jesus, the only-begotten Son of God, endured the cross, and submitted to death! Whosoever, "being waxen fat," and "become gross," sets at nought His doctrine, shall go into hell. …

Epistle of Ignatius to the Ephesians ↗

Western Saints

Thomas Aquinas

Then when he says, Do not be mismated with unbelievers, he teaches them the use of grace as to avoiding unbelievers. In regard to this he does three things. First, he exhorts them; secondly, the reason for the exhortation (v. 14b); thirdly, he confirms this reason with an authority (v. 16b). He says therefore, Do not be mismated [bear the yoke] with unbelievers. Here it should be noted that a yoke is anything which binds several to do something. …

Commentary on 2 Corinthians ↗