2 Corinthians 6:6
in 2 Corinthians 6in purity, knowledge, patience, and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love;
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
in pureness, in knowledge, in longsuffering, in kindness, in the Holy Spirit, in love unfeigned,
KJV
By pureness, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned,
⋯
This verse in 2 Corinthians 6
Commentary
10 notes on this verse"In purity": thus he calls temperance, or purity in all things, and freedom from covetousness, and preaching without charge. "In prudence," that is, in the wisdom of God, which is truly knowledge, only not outward, as with the false apostles. "In long-suffering, in kindness": this …
This site's exposition
by love unfeigned
on 2 Corinthians 6:6-7
By pureness, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned: the catalogue turns from what Paul endured to what marked his character under it, and the bench notes the Holy Ghost named alongside virtues as their source, not one item among equals but the power behind the rest. By the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left: verse 7 names the weapon, panoplia dikaiosynes, righteousness worn as full armour, offensive on the right hand and defensive on the left as the older commentators read the phrase, the same military figure Paul draws out fully in Ephesians 6. The exposition presents the pair of verses as Paul's answer to any charge that hardship alone proves a true ministry, character and truth proving it alongside the suffering.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
"In knowledge." What is "in knowledge?" In wisdom such as is given from God; that which is truly knowledge; not as those that seem to be wise and boast of their acquaintance with the heathen discipline, but are deficient in this. "In long-suffering, in kindness" For this also is a great note of a noble soul, though exasperated and goaded on every side, to bear all with long-suffering. Then to show whence he became such, he added; "In the Holy Ghost." 'For in Him,' he saith, 'we do all these good works.' But observe when it is that he has mentioned the aid of the Holy Ghost. After he had set forth what was from himself. Moreover, he seems to me to say another thing herein. What then is this? Namely, 'we have both been filled with abundance of the Spirit and hereby also give a proof of our Apostleship in that we have been counted worthy of spiritual gifts.' For if this be grace also, yet still he himself was the cause who by his good works and his toils attracted that grace. "In love unfeigned." This was the cause of all those good things; this made him what he was; this caused the Spirit also to abide with him, by Whose aid also all things were rightly done of him.
The Medieval Church1 voice
Having set down the things which pertain to enduring evils, he now mentions those which pertain to the observance of good. Now the goodness of a work consists in three things, namely, in the perfection of virtues, and this pertains to the heart; in speaking …
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
By prudence - Spiritual divine; not what the world terms so. Worldly prudence is the practical use of worldly wisdom: divine prudence is the due exercise of grace, making spiritual understanding go as far as possible.
); namely, pureness; and there is no piety without purity. A care to keep ourselves unspotted from the world is necessary in order to our acceptance with God.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
By pureness,....
3 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
By pureness - Εν ἁγνοτητι· In simplicity of intention, and purity of affection; together with that chastity and holiness of life which the Gospel enjoins. By knowledge - Of the Divine mysteries. By long-suffering - Under all provocations. By kindness - To our most virulent persecutors, and to all men.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
By . . . by, &c.--rather, as Greek, "In . . . in," implying not the instrument, but the sphere or element in which his ministry moved. knowledge--spiritual: in Gospel mysteries, unattainable by mere reason (1Co 2:6-16;
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
By pureness - Paul, having in the previous verses, grouped together some of the sufferings which he endured and by which he had endeavored to commend and extend the true religion, proceeds here to group together certain other influences by which he had sought the same object. The substance of what he here says is, that it had not only been done by sufferings and trials, but by a holy life, and by entire consecration to the great cause to which he had devoted himself. He begins by stating that it was by pureness, that is, by integrity, sanctity, a holy and pure life. All preaching, and all labors would have been in vain without this; and Paul well knew that if he succeeded in the ministry, he must be a good man. The same is true in all other professions. One of the essential requisites of an orator, according to Quintilian, is, that he must be a good man; and no man may expect ultimately to succeed in any calling of life unless he is pure. But however this may be in other callings, no one will doubt it in regard to the ministry of the gospel. By knowledge - Interpreters have differed much in the interpretation of this. Rosenmuller and Schleusner understand by it prudence. Grotius interprets it as meaning a knowledge of the Law. Doddridge supposes that it refers to a solicitude to improve in the knowledge of those truths which they were called to communicate to others. Probably the idea is a very simple one. Paul is showing how he endeavored to commend the gospel to others, 2Co 6:4. He says, therefore, that one way was by communicating knowledge, true knowledge. He proclaimed that which was true, and which was real knowledge, in opposition to the false science of the Greeks, and in opposition to those who would substitute declamation for argument, and the mere ornaments of rhetoric for truth. […]
The words behind it
14 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ἐν | en | in | G1722 → | 2738 times |
| ἁγνότητι, | hagnoteti | purity, | G54 → | |
| ἐν | en | in | G1722 → | 2738 times |
| γνώσει, | gnosei | knowledge, | G1108 → | 29 times |
| ἐν | en | in | G1722 → | 2738 times |
| μακροθυμίᾳ, | makrothumia | patience, | G3115 → | |
| ἐν | en | in | G1722 → | 2738 times |
| χρηστότητι, | chrestoteti | kindness, | G5544 → | |
| ἐν | en | in [the] | G1722 → | 2738 times |
| πνεύματι | pneumati | Spirit | G4151 → | 378 times |
| ἁγίῳ, | hagio | Holy, | G40 → | 220 times |
| ἐν | en | in | G1722 → | 2738 times |
| ἀγάπῃ | agape | love | G26 → | 114 times |
| ἀνυποκρίτῳ, | anupokrito | genuine, | G505 → |
ἐνin
enG1722 →2738 times
ἁγνότητι,purity,
hagnotetiG54 →
ἐνin
enG1722 →2738 times
γνώσει,knowledge,
gnoseiG1108 →29 times
ἐνin
enG1722 →2738 times
μακροθυμίᾳ,patience,
makrothumiaG3115 →
ἐνin
enG1722 →2738 times
χρηστότητι,kindness,
chrestotetiG5544 →
ἐνin [the]
enG1722 →2738 times
πνεύματιSpirit
pneumatiG4151 →378 times
ἁγίῳ,Holy,
hagioG40 →220 times
ἐνin
enG1722 →2738 times
ἀγάπῃlove
agapeG26 →114 times
ἀνυποκρίτῳ,genuine,
anupokritoG505 →
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
Galatians 5:22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
it leads to
- Colossians 3:12–17
Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with hearts of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.
- 1 Corinthians 13:4–7
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
- John 15:5
I am the vine and you are the branches. The one who remains in Me, and I in him, will bear much fruit. For apart from Me you can do nothing.
- James 3:17–18
But the wisdom from above is first of all pure, then peace-loving, gentle, accommodating, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial, and sincere.
- John 15:2
He cuts off every branch in Me that bears no fruit, and every branch that does bear fruit, He prunes to make it even more fruitful.
- Colossians 3:12–17
Through
Ephesians 4:32Be kind and tenderhearted to one another, forgiving each other just as in Christ God forgave you.
it leads to
- Colossians 3:12–13
Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with hearts of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Matthew 6:14–15
For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
- Mark 11:25
And when you stand to pray, if you hold anything against another, forgive it, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your trespasses as well.”
- Colossians 3:12–13
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About 2 Corinthians
This page draws on 10 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, Homily 12 on 2 Corinthians; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on 2 Corinthians and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on 2 Corinthians.