2 Corinthians 6:15
in 2 Corinthians 6What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever?
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what portion hath a believer with an unbeliever?
KJV
And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?
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This verse in 2 Corinthians 6
Commentary
11 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
And what concord - (συμφώνησις sumphōnēsis). Sympathy, unison. This word refers properly to the unison or harmony produced by musical instruments, where there is a chord. What accordance, what unison is there; what strings are there which being struck will produce a chord or harmony? The idea is, then, there is as much that is discordant between Christ and Belial as there is between instruments of music that produce only discordant and jarring sounds.
This site's exposition
between Christ and Belial
on 2 Corinthians 6:15-16
The questions set Christ against Belial and climb to identity: we are the temple of the living God, as in 1 Corinthians 3:16. The call to separation rests on this identity.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers3 voices
And though ye allow that the universe was created in six days, yet ye find no mention of the making of a third heaven, and far less of the eight or nine which ye venture to affirm. How great is your knowledge! how great your …
The Holy Spirit is our true baptism, and for this reason we remain always baptized, for he is in us always, and nothing can deprive us of our baptism apart from the denial of God and consorting with demons. In such cases the Holy Spirit …
"And what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Beliar? Or what portion hath a believer with an unbeliever?" Seest thou how he uses the bare names, and how adequately to his purpose of dissuasion. For he did not say, 'neglect of righteousness,' [but] what was stronger [iniquity]; nor did he say those who are of the light, and those who are of the darkness; but he uses opposites themselves which can not admit of their opposites, 'light and darkness.' Nor said he those who are of Christ, with those who are of the devil; but, which was far wider apart, Christ and Beliar, so calling that apostate one, in the Hebrew tongue. "Or what portion hath a believer with an unbeliever?" Here, at length, that he may not seem simply to be going through a censure of vice and an encomium of virtue, he mentions persons also without particularizing. And he said not, 'communion,' but spoke of the rewards, using the term "portion."
The Medieval Church2 voices
Do not be satisfied with what has been said, but desiring by every means to urge them to separate from the unbelievers, he did not say: what fellowship do those who are in the light have with those who abide in darkness, or: the followers …
As to the efficient cause he says, What accord has Christ with Belial? As if to say: you are the servants of Christ and his members: "Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it" (1 Cor. 12:27), but they are members …
4 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
What an absurdity is it to think of joining righteousness and unrighteousness, or mingling light and darkness, fire and water, together! Believers are, and should be, righteous; but unbelievers are unrighteous.
And what concord hath Christ with Belial?....
In these verses we have an account of the apostle's general errand and exhortation to all to whom he preached in every place where he came, with the several arguments and methods he used. The errand or exhortation itself, namely, to comply with the gospel offers of reconciliation--that, being favoured with the gospel, they would not receive this grace of God in vain,
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Belial--Hebrew, "worthlessness, unprofitableness, wickedness." As Satan is opposed to God, and Antichrist to Christ; Belial being here opposed to Christ, must denounce all manner of Antichristian uncleanness [BENGEL]. he that believeth with an infidel--Translate, "a believer with an unbeliever."
The words behind it
12 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| τίς | tis | What | G5101 → | 563 times |
| δὲ | de | now | G1161 → | 2765 times |
| συμφώνησις | sumphonesis | harmony [has] | G4857 → | |
| Χριστοῦ | christou | Christ | G5547 → | 523 times |
| πρὸς | pros | with | G4314 → | 700 times |
| Βελιάρ; | beliar | Belial? | G955 → | |
| ἢ | e | Or | G2228 → | 342 times |
| τίς | tis | what | G5101 → | 563 times |
| μερὶς | meris | part [has] | G3310 → | |
| πιστῷ | pisto | a believer | G4103 → | |
| μετὰ | meta | with | G3326 → | 461 times |
| ἀπίστου; | apistou | an unbeliever? | G571 → | 23 times |
τίςWhat
tisG5101 →563 times
δὲnow
deG1161 →2765 times
συμφώνησιςharmony [has]
sumphonesisG4857 →
ΧριστοῦChrist
christouG5547 →523 times
πρὸςwith
prosG4314 →700 times
Βελιάρ;Belial?
beliarG955 →
ἢOr
eG2228 →342 times
τίςwhat
tisG5101 →563 times
μερὶςpart [has]
merisG3310 →
πιστῷa believer
pistoG4103 →
μετὰwith
metaG3326 →461 times
ἀπίστου;an unbeliever?
apistouG571 →23 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
1 Kings 18:21Then Elijah approached all the people and said, “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him. But if Baal is God, follow him.” But the people did…
it leads to
- Matthew 6:24
No one can serve two masters: Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and…
- Joshua 24:15
But if it is unpleasing in your sight to serve the LORD, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods…
- 1 Corinthians 10:21–22
You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot partake in the table of the Lord and the table of demons too.
- 2 Corinthians 6:14–16
Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership can righteousness have with wickedness? Or what fellowship does light have with darkness?
- 1 Samuel 7:3
Then Samuel said to all the house of Israel, “If you are returning to the LORD with all your hearts, then rid yourselves of the foreign gods and Ashtoreths among you, prepare your hearts…
- Matthew 6:24
Through
Acts 5:14Yet more and more believers were brought to the Lord—large numbers of both men and women.
it leads to
- Acts 2:47
praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
- Acts 4:4
But many who heard the message believed, and the number of men grew to about five thousand.
- Isaiah 55:11–13
so My word that proceeds from My mouth will not return to Me empty, but it will accomplish what I please, and it will prosper where I send it.
- Acts 2:47
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies11
On this verse
About 2 Corinthians
This page draws on 10 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Charles Hodge, An Exposition of the Second Epistle to the Corinthians; Cosmas Indicopleustes, The Christian Topography, Book 4; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, Homily 13 on 2 Corinthians; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Philoxenus of Mabbug, ON THE INDWELLING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on 2 Corinthians and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on 2 Corinthians.