2 Korintus 6:4-17

6:4 But as God’s servants, ¹  we have commended ourselves in every way, ²  with great endurance, in persecutions, ³  in difficulties, in distresses, 6:5 in beatings, in imprisonments, in riots, ⁴  in troubles, ⁵  in sleepless nights, in hunger, 6:6 by purity, by knowledge, by patience, by benevolence, by the Holy Spirit, ⁶  by genuine ⁷  love, 6:7 by truthful ⁸  teaching, ⁹  by the power of God, with weapons of righteousness both for the right hand and for the left, ¹⁰  6:8 through glory and dishonor, through slander and praise; regarded as impostors, ¹¹  and yet true; 6:9 as unknown, and yet well-known; as dying and yet – see! – we continue to live; as those who are scourged ¹²  and yet not executed; 6:10 as sorrowful, but always rejoicing, as poor, but making many rich, as having nothing, and yet possessing everything.

6:11 We have spoken freely to you, ¹³  Corinthians; our heart has been opened wide to you. 6:12 Our affection for you is not restricted, ¹⁴  but you are restricted in your affections for us. 6:13 Now as a fair exchange – I speak as to my ¹⁵  children – open wide your hearts to us ¹⁶  also.

Unequal Partners

6:14 Do not become partners ¹⁷  with those who do not believe, for what partnership is there between righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship does light have with darkness? 6:15 And what agreement does Christ have with Beliar? ¹⁸  Or what does a believer share in common with an unbeliever? 6:16 And what mutual agreement does the temple of God have with idols? For we are ¹⁹  the temple of the living God, just as God said, “I will live in them ²⁰  and will walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.” ²¹  6:17 Therefore “come out from their midst, and be separate,” says the Lord, “and touch no unclean thing, ²²  and I will welcome ²³  you, ²⁴ 

Filipi 4:8

4:8 Finally, brothers and sisters, ²⁵  whatever is true, whatever is worthy of respect, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if something is excellent or praiseworthy, think about these things.

Filipi 4:2

4:2 I appeal to Euodia and to Syntyche to agree in the Lord.

Titus 2:1

Conduct Consistent with Sound Teaching

2:1 But as for you, communicate the behavior that goes with ²⁶  sound teaching.

Yakobus 3:13

True Wisdom

3:13 Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct he should show his works done in the gentleness that wisdom brings. ²⁷ 

Yakobus 3:17

3:17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, accommodating, ²⁸  full of mercy and good fruit, ²⁹  impartial, and not hypocritical. ³⁰ 

Yakobus 3:2

3:2 For we all stumble ³¹  in many ways. If someone does not stumble ³²  in what he says, ³³  he is a perfect individual, ³⁴  able to control the entire body as well.

Pengkhotbah 1:5-8

1:5 The sun rises ³⁵  and the sun sets; ³⁶ 

it hurries away ³⁷  to a place from which it rises ³⁸  again. ³⁹ 

1:6 The wind goes to the south and circles around to the north;

round and round ⁴⁰  the wind goes and on its rounds it returns. ⁴¹ 

1:7 All the streams flow ⁴²  into the sea, but the sea is not full,

and to the place where the streams flow, there they will flow again. ⁴³ 

1:8 All this ⁴⁴  monotony ⁴⁵  is tiresome; no one can bear ⁴⁶  to describe it: ⁴⁷ 

The eye is never satisfied with seeing, nor is the ear ever content ⁴⁸  with hearing.

[6:4]  ¹ tn Or “ministers.”

[6:4]  ² tn Or “we have commended ourselves by all things.”

[6:4]  ³ tn Or “in trouble and suffering.”

[6:5]  ⁴ tn Or “rebellions” (uprisings in open defiance of civil authority).

[6:5]  ⁵ tn Usually κόποις (kopois) has been translated as “labors” or “hard work,” but see Matt 26:10 where it means “trouble”; “distress” (L&N 22.7). In this context with so many other terms denoting suffering and difficulty, such a meaning is preferable.

[6:6]  ⁶ tn Or “by holiness of spirit.”

[6:6]  ⁷ tn Or “sincere.”

[6:7]  ⁸ tn Grk “by the word of truth”; understanding ἀληθείας (alhqeias) as an attributive genitive (“truthful word”).

[6:7]  ⁹ tn Or “speech.” In this context it is more likely that λόγος (logos) refers to Paul’s message (thus “teaching”) than to his speech in general.

[6:7]  ¹⁰ tn The phrase “for the right hand and for the left” possibly refers to a combination of an offensive weapon (a sword for the right hand) and a defensive weapon (a shield for the left).

[6:8]  ¹¹ tn Or “regarded as deceivers.”

[6:9]  ¹² tn Grk “disciplined,” but in this context probably a reference to scourging prior to execution (yet the execution is not carried out).

[6:11]  ¹³ tn Grk “our mouth has been open to you,” an idiom for openness in communication.

[6:12]  ¹⁴ tn Grk “You are not restricted by us.”

[6:13]  ¹⁵ tn The word “my” is not in the Greek text but is implied.

[6:13]  ¹⁶ tn The words “to us” are not in the Greek text but are implied.

[6:14]  ¹⁷ tn Or “Do not be mismatched.”

[6:15]  ¹⁸ sn The Greek term Βελιάρ (Beliar) is a spelling variant for Βελιάλ (Belial, see Judg 20:13 LXX). It occurs only here in the NT. Beliar is a reference to Satan.

[6:16]  ¹⁹ tc Most witnesses, including some important ones (Ì⁴⁶ א² C D² F G Ψ 0209 Ï lat sy Tert), read ὑμεῖς…ἐστε (Jumei"…este, “you are”) instead of ἡμεῖς…ἐσμεν (Jhmei"…esmen, “we are”) here, but several other early and important mss (א* B D* L P 0243 6 33 81 326 365 1175 1739 1881 2464 co Cl Or) have ἡμεῖς…ἐσμεν. The external evidence is somewhat in favor of the first person pronoun and verb; the internal evidence weighs in even stronger. In light of the parallel in 1 Cor 3:16, where Paul uses ἐστε (“you are the temple of God”), as well as the surrounding context here in which the second person verb or pronoun is used in vv. 14, 17, and 18, the second person reading seems obviously motivated. The first person reading can explain the rise of the other reading, but the reverse is not as easily done. Consequently, the first person reading of ἡμεῖς…ἐσμεν has all the credentials of authenticity.

[6:16]  ²⁰ tn Or “live among them,” “live with them.”

[6:16]  sn I will live in them. The OT text that lies behind this passage (Lev 26:11-12) speaks of God dwelling in the midst of his people. The Greek preposition en in the phrase en autoi" (“in them”) can also have that meaning (“among” or “with”). However, Paul appears to be extending the imagery here to involve God (as the Spirit) dwelling in his people, since he calls believers “the temple of the living God” in the previous clause, imagery he uses elsewhere in his writings (1 Cor 3:16; Eph 2:21-22).

[6:16]  ²¹ sn A quotation from Lev 26:12; also similar to Jer 32:38; Ezek 37:27.

[6:17]  ²² sn A quotation from Isa 52:11.

[6:17]  ²³ tn Or “will receive.”

[6:17]  ²⁴ sn A paraphrased quotation from Ezek 20:41.

[4:8]  ²⁵ tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:12.

[2:1]  ²⁶ tn Grk “say what is fitting for sound teaching” (introducing the behavior called for in this chapter.).

[3:13]  ²⁷ tn Grk “works in the gentleness of wisdom.”

[3:17]  ²⁸ tn Or “willing to yield,” “open to persuasion.”

[3:17]  ²⁹ tn Grk “fruits.” The plural Greek term καρπούς has been translated with the collective singular “fruit.”

[3:17]  ³⁰ tn Or “sincere.”

[3:2]  ³¹ tn Or “fail.”

[3:2]  ³² tn Or “fail.”

[3:2]  ³³ tn Grk “in speech.”

[3:2]  ³⁴ tn The word for “man” or “individual” is ἀνήρ (anhr), which often means “male” or “man (as opposed to woman).” But it sometimes is used generically to mean “anyone,” “a person,” as here (cf. BDAG 79 s.v. 2).

[1:5]  ³⁵ tn The Hebrew text has a perfect verbal form, but it should probably be emended to the participial form, which occurs in the last line of the verse. Note as well the use of participles in vv. 4-7 to describe what typically takes place in the natural world. The participle זוֹרֵחַ (zoreakh, “to rise”) emphasizes continual, durative, uninterrupted action (present universal use of participle): the sun is continually rising (and continually setting) day after day.

[1:5]  ³⁶ tn Heb “the sun goes.” The participle בָּא (ba’, “to go”) emphasizes continual, durative, uninterrupted action (present universal use of participle): the sun is continually rising and continually setting day after day. The repetition of בָּא in 1:4-5 creates a comparison between the relative futility of all human endeavor (“a generation comes and a generation goes [בָּא]”) with the relative futility of the action of the sun (“the sun rises and the sun goes” [i.e., “sets,” בָּא]).

[1:5]  ³⁷ tn Heb “hastens” or “pants.” The verb שָׁאַף (sha’af) has a three-fold range of meanings: (1) “to gasp; to pant,” (2) “to pant after; to long for,” and (3) “to hasten; to hurry” (HALOT 1375 s.v. שׁאף; BDB 983 s.v. I שָׁאַף). The related Aramaic root שׁוף means “to be thirsty; to be parched.” The Hebrew verb is used of “gasping” for breath, like a woman in the travail of childbirth (Isa 42:14); “panting” with eagerness or desire (Job 5:5; 7:2; 36:20; Ps 119:131; Jer 2:24) or “panting” with fatigue (Jer 14:6; Eccl 1:5). Here שָׁאַף personifies the sun, panting with fatigue, as it hastens to its destination (BDB 983 s.v. I שָׁאַף 1). The participle form depicts continual, uninterrupted, durative action (present universal use). Like the sun, man – for all his efforts – never really changes anything; all he accomplishes in his toil is to wear himself out.

[1:5]  ³⁸ tn The verb זוֹרֵחַ (zoreakh, “to rise”) is repeated in this verse to emphasize that the sun is locked into a never changing, ever repeating monotonous cycle: rising, setting, rising, setting.

[1:5]  ³⁹ tn The word “again” does not appear in Hebrew, but is supplied in the translation for clarity and smoothness.

[1:6]  ⁴⁰ tn The Hebrew root סָבַב (savav, “to circle around”) is repeated four times in this verse to depict the wind’s continual motion: “The wind circles around (סוֹבֵב, sovev)…round and round (סוֹבֵב סֹבֵב)…its circuits (סְבִיבֹתָיו, sÿvivotayv).” This repetition is designed for a rhetorical purpose – to emphasize that the wind is locked into a never ending cycle. This vicious circle of monotonous action does not change anything. The participle form is used three times to emphasize continual, uninterrupted action (present universal use of participle). Despite the fact that the wind is always changing direction, nothing really new ever happens. The constant shifting of the wind cannot hide the fact that this is nothing but a repeated cycle; nothing new happens here (e.g., 1:9-10).

[1:6]  ⁴¹ tn The use of שָׁב (shav, Qal active participle masculine singular from שׁוּב, shuv, “to return”) creates a wordplay (paronomasia) with the repetition of סָבַב (savav, “to circle around”). The participle emphasizes continual, durative, uninterrupted action (present universal use).

[1:7]  ⁴² tn Heb “are going” or “are walking.” The term הֹלְכִים (holÿkhim, Qal active participle masculine plural from הָלַךְ, halakh,“to walk”) emphasizes continual, durative, uninterrupted action (present universal use of participle). This may be an example of personification; this verb is normally used in reference to the human activity of walking. Qoheleth compares the flowing of river waters to the action of walking to draw out the comparison between the actions of man (1:4) and the actions of nature (1:5-11).

[1:7]  ⁴³ tn Heb “there they are returning to go.” The term שָׁבִים (shavim, Qal active participle masculine plural from שׁוּב, shuv, “to return”) emphasizes the continual, durative action of the waters. The root שׁוּב is repeated in 1:6-7 to emphasize that everything in nature (e.g., wind and water) continually repeats its actions. For all of the repetition of the cycles of nature, nothing changes; all the constant motion produces nothing new.

[1:7]  sn This verse does not refer to the cycle of evaporation or the return of water by underground streams, as sometimes suggested. Rather, it describes the constant flow of river waters to the sea. For all the action of the water – endless repetition and water constantly in motion – there is nothing new accomplished.

[1:8]  ⁴⁴ tn The word “this” is not in Hebrew, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.

[1:8]  ⁴⁵ tn Heb “the things.” The Hebrew term דְּבָרִים (dÿvarim, masculine plural noun from דָּבָר, davar) is often used to denote “words,” but it can also refer to actions and events (HALOT 211 s.v. דָּבָר 3.a; BDB 183 s.v. דָּבָר IV.4). Here, it means “things,” as is clear from the context: “What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done” (1:9). Here דְּבָרִים can be nuanced “occurrences” or even “[natural] phenomena.”

[1:8]  ⁴⁶ tn Heb “is able.”

[1:8]  ⁴⁷ tn The Hebrew text has no stated object. The translation supplies “it” for stylistic reasons and clarification.

[1:8]  sn The statement no one can bear to describe it probably means that Qoheleth could have multiplied examples (beyond the sun, the wind, and the streams) of the endless cycle of futile events in nature. However, no tongue could ever tell, no eye could ever see, no ear could ever hear all the examples of this continual and futile activity.

[1:8]  ⁴⁸ tn The term מָלֵא (male’, “to be filled, to be satisfied”) is repeated in 1:7-8 to draw a comparison between the futility in the cycle of nature and human secular accomplishments: lots of action, but no lasting effects. In 1:7 אֵינֶנּוּ מָלֵא (’enennu male’, “it is never filled”) describes the futility of the water cycle: “All the rivers flow into the sea, yet the sea is never filled.” In 1:8 וְלֹא־תִמָּלֵא (vÿlo-timmale’, “it is never satisfied”) describes the futility of human labor: “the ear is never satisfied with hearing.”