II Corinthians Chapter 6 "Paul's
Recompense, Fellow Laborers." This Bible Study is written by Roger
Christopherson, and made available with written
permission by http://www.theseason.org II Corinthians 6:1 "We then as workers together with Him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain." When you have taken Christ by faith through your repentance, you become a worker together with Christ. Paul urges each Christians that when you receive salvation and the Word that you don't waste it, to become a wasted vessel. We see happening it all the time with people that claim to be Christians, and yet not one word of Christ is given by them to others. It simply cannot be see by their actions that they are a Christian. Paul is urging us to let our countenance be seeing to show others around us that we love Him. Let there be no doubt in anyone's mind just who you are and where you stand. Don't waste God's grace and salvation once you have received that glorious gift. This is why Paul said that when you fast, clean yourself up, and reflect the happiness that is in your heart. You fast because of your inner commitment, and your happiness that shows on the outside reflects on those around you that you are accomplishing something in the work of the Lord. II Corinthians 6:2 "(For He saith, "I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee:" behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)" When it says, "He saith", it means that it is written in the Scripture. On the day of your Salvation, God secured you and lifted you up. Paul is telling us that this isn't what he is saying, but what God has said, and Paul is quoting here from Isaiah 49:8, but to get the full understanding lets start at Isaiah 49:1. Paul never gives a quote but what it is important to us that we get the full thought and meaning of those verses that are attached to the verse that Paul quoted from. Isaiah 49:1 "Listen, O isles, unto Me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The Lord hath called Me from the womb; from the bowels of My mother hath he made mention of My name." This is written to all those people that are on distant islands and shores around the world, for the house of Israel was scattered prior to this time, and it is written to us living in these end times. This is not talking about the House of Judah, the Jews, but the House of Israel, those ten tribes to the north of Judah, that were scattered by the Assyrians years before Judah was taken into captivity by the Babylonians. Isaiah is talking about the coming Messiah, Jesus Christ Immanuel that would be born of a virgin. Remember that Messiah was prophesied in Isaiah 7:14; "Therefore the Lord Himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel." Isaiah 49:2 "And He hath made My mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of His hand hath He hid Me, and made Me a polished shaft; in His quiver hath He hid Me;" The Word of God is a sharp sword, and it is mighty as we read in Revelation 1:16' "And He had in His right hand seven stars; and out of His mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and His countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.". When that Word comes forth out of His mouth the nations trembled, and when you speak of His Word, He makes you a "polished shaft" [sword]. Paul is telling us that we are that sign, that ambassador for God when you shine forth that countenance that radiates from your inner self. When you witness to people around you, and show the happiness that God has put within you, those around you can see what you are made of. Isaiah 49:3 "And said unto Me, 'Thou art My Servant, O Israel, in Whom I will be glorified.' " The Prince of God did come from Israel, through that virgin, and again we must expand our minds and realize that all of Israel is not just confined in just one little tribe of Judah. It seems today that this is all that Christians today have knowledge of, when in fact there were ten other tribes. Those ten tribes went north, through the Caucasus mountains, and fanned out over Europe, The Americas and around the world. We know them today as "Caucasians", not as a race, but as the people that took part in the event of the migrations through the Caucasus mountains when Assyria scattered them about 722 B.C. God has an duty for the descendants of those Israelites, for you are the sign posts, and the ambassador for the living God. Isaiah 49:4 "Then I said, 'I have laboured in vain, I have spent My strength for nought, and in vain yet surely My judgment is with the Lord, and My work with My God.' " In other words, there is no response on our part, yet Jesus is saying, "I will have My victory at the second advent. Isaiah 49:5 "And now," saith the Lord That formed Me from the womb to be His Servant, to bring Jacob again to Him, "Through Israel be be not gathered, yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the Lord, and MY God shall be My strength." This is the purpose Christ coming to earth born of a flesh body, a baby to grow up and after His ministry to be crucified on the cross. It is through the act of becoming as we are, born from the womb, and living the perfect life; that through His sacrifice on the cross God can bring Jacob [the House of Israel] back to Himself. Remember that God divorced the "house of Israel" when the became wicked. Then after His death on the cross, He brought them back to Himself again. This is what the book of Hosea is all about. Though Israel is scattered all over the Word, forming into many different nations, in the latter times the Israel nations would turn back to God, and they have. There is no other strength than the strength that God gives. Isaiah 49:6 "And He said, "It is a light thing that thou shouldest be My Servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give Thee for a light to the Gentiles, that Thou mayest be My Salvation unto the end of the earth." Yes, it is through Israel that the light of Jesus Christ will be given to all of God's children, of all races, to each individual that would receive their restoration through the blood of Christ. Friend, it is only through that salvation that anyone can walk into the presence of the Living God. When you walk into His presence as a new creature, you walk unblemished because your sins have been washed away through the blood of Jesus Christ. Isaiah 49:7 "Thus saith the Lord, the Redeemer of Israel, and His Holy One, "to Him Whom man despiseth, to Him Whom the nation abhorreth, to a servant of rulers, Kings shall see and arise, princes also shall worship, because of the Lord That is faithful, and the Holy One of Israel, and He shall choose Thee." The term "Redeemer" is a legal term and it means "the kinsman redeemer", and it establishes the closest of kin to Israel. This is speaking of the Messiah drawing His servants out of those tribes of Israel to where ever they had migrated in the latter days. Hosea 1:10 "Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor numbered; and it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, "Ye are not My People," there it shall be said unto them, 'Ye are the sons of the Living God.' " The Jews of today, even with the Kenites scattered amongst them are a very limited number of people that are easily measured and numbered. No, this is not speaking of the Jews, for Hosea is speaking of that time after Israel has been divorced from God, and allowed to be scattered around the world. God is then saying that the House of Israel shall be so numerous that you just can't count them,. Then Hosea tells us how they will be known; that in the places where they dwell in the latter times, they will not consider themselves to be of Israel, but Gentile. "Ye are not My People", yet in their homelands they will be called "the sons of the Living God". Jesus Christ is "the living God", and those that call themselves of Christ and His body, call themselves "Christians". The Israelites of the house of Israel then can be identified both by their identification as "Caucasian", after their migrations, and by the fact that they consider themselves "Christian" nations. When the people of the house of Judah disbanded and were hauled into captivity in Jeremiah's day, though the people of the land of Judah were taken into captivity, those tender twigs of king Zedekiah were not. Those daughters of king Zedekiah were taken by Jeremiah, and transplanted by marriage into the king lines in Spain, and Ireland. The Irish king Eremhon Heremon married Zedekiah's daughter Tamar Tephi and this is historical fact. This fulfilled the first of the overturnings of the Royal throne of Judah, spoken of in Ezekiel 21:27; "I will overturn, overturn, overturn it, and it shall be no more overturned, until He come Whose right it is; and I will give it Him." The "Him" is the promised Messiah Jesus Christ our King. This hasn't happened yet, however it will happen at the sounding of the seventh trumpet. The second "overturning" went from King Mortough of Ireland to Fergus More, King of Argyll (Scotland) centuries later after many generations. The third "overturning" was caused when Queen Mary's crown (the Catholic Queen that killed thousands of protestant ministers) was taken from Her and King James the sixth of Scotland took the throne. Because of what happened to the ministers of God under Queen Mary, King James moved the crown and throne to England and became King James the First of England. This is the same King James that gave us the King James version of the Scriptures. That version was placed in every home, and it was the required reading of all school children under the crown. This same Throne in England is the throne that Jacob spoke of way back in Genesis 49:10; "The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto Him shall the gathering of the people be." The scepter is the right to rule over the tribe that shall carry the Abrahamic Covenant Blessings and promises. That right to carry the Abrahamic Covenant promises was given to Joseph's sons Ephraim and Manasseh. Remember when Jacob crossed his arms and placed his right hand on the head of Ephraim and his left hand on the head of Manasseh? Genesis 48:14 "And Israel (Jacob) stretched out his right hand, and laid it upon Ephraim's head, who was the younger, and his left hand upon Manasseh's head, guiding his hand wittingly: for Manasseh was the firstborn." Now in verse 19 the blessing is passed on from Jacob. The Abrahamic covenant of promises from God to Abraham went to Isaac, then to Jacob when Esau sold his birthright to Jacob for a bowl of red pottage or soup, and then was transferred to Joseph's youngest son Ephraim. So here is the blessing passed on. Genesis 48:19 "And his father refused, and said, "I know it, my son, I know it: he also shall become a people, and be also shall be great: but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a multitude of nations." Genesis 48:20 "And he blessed them that day, saying, "In thee shall Israel bless, saying, 'God make thee as Ephraim and as Manasseh:' " and he set Ephraim before Manasseh." Many Christians today are convinced that the Jews, the mixture of Judah, Benjamin with those Kenites [the Oriental sons of Satan through Cain] are the chosen people because they have no idea in the world what the Old Testament writings are all about. They simply don't know the difference between the "scepter" which is the royal line, of Judah, the right to rule; and the "Abrahamic Covenant blessing promises" that were passed on to the tribe of Ephraim. That throne of Judah has been continuous from King David to Queen Elisabeth, and that king line is forty years into this reign spoken of here in Isaiah 49:7. We are to be alert for there are many signs of the end times that we live in today all around us. Isaiah 49:8 "Thus saith the Lord, "In an acceptable time have I heard Thee, and in a day of salvation have I helped Thee: and I will preserve Thee, and give Thee for a covenant of the People, to establish the earth, to cause to inherit the desolate heritages;" This is the verse that Paul quoted back in II Corinthians 6:2. The "acceptable time" is "the time of the end". This is our heavenly Father promising us that He will protect us in that day of the Lord. At that time at Jesus coming, God's people are going to reclaim the earth, to reconcile it, and to bring back and cause all the earth to be inherited. Those that think that there is no hope will have the victory, for this flesh age will be over. Isaiah 49:9 "That Thou mayest say to the prisoners, 'Go forth;' to them that are in darkness, 'Shew yourselves.' They shall feed in the ways, and their pastures shall be in all high places." This is also part of what Paul was teaching back in II Corinthians 6:2 . We are living now in that time when God's People are feeding on the Word of God, and coming forth out of that darkness as Satan is bounding this world in. The ways are the ways of God through Jesus Christ, and the pastures that are the "high places" are those places that teach the entire Word of God. We are the sheep of the living God, and I hope you are well fed from the table of God's Word. Jesus said in John 10:27: John 10:27 "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me:" John 10:28 "And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand." John 10:29 "My Father, which gave them Me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of My Father's hand." When you believe on Jesus and by faith repent to the Father in Jesus name, you become one of the sheep that Jesus claimed to be His. When you are in our heavenly Father's hand, He that gives you the protection that you need. Isaiah 49:10 "They shall not hunger nor thirst; neither shall the heat nor sun smite them: for He That hath mercy on them shall lead them, even by the springs of water shall He guide them." The springs are the eternal springs from where the eternal water flows. Those people that partake of that water shall never thirst again. Jesus spoke of this water when He was talking to the woman of Samaria at the well of Jacob. John 4:13 "Jesus answered and said unto her, "Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again:" John 4:14 "But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life." " The "water" is God's Word that cleanses your very soul, and He then makes you His sign post and an ambassador for Him. The Love of God will shine forth from you, to those that are around you. This is why as a Christian we should look happy because of those eternal promises that are given to us, and placed within our minds and hearts. Sure there are moments where things just don't go right, but overall this is a great time to live. Even the prophets of old desired to live in our times and see the prophesies that God spoke through them, come to pass. Friend, you are living in this very generation of the end times, the final generation was established fifty years ago, and we are coming to a close of this age of the flesh. II Corinthians 6:3 "Giving no offence in anything, that the ministry be not blamed:" Paul is warning us not to put a stumbling block in the tender ears of the babes in Christ. II Corinthians 6:4 "But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses," Under all conditions we are to show the same patience toward new converts that God has had for us. Many ministers are very bold to each other, especially when one of them is short of patience and understanding. However, as mature Christians, we are always to be gentle and tender with the babes in Christ, so that we don't harm them in their growth. II Corinthians 6:5 "In stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labours, in watchings, in fastings;" We are to be on guard of what we say and do even if we are in prison, in troubled times, while on the job at work, and even during those sleepless night, and in times of fasting. "Fastings" as it is used here is not in the religious sense, but during the times when you may be very hungry. Many times when we are starved just before dinner, our tempers are short, and demands get a little high. Paul is telling us to watch ourselves during those times of high stress, even around our family. II Corinthians 6:6 "By pureness, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned," "Longsuffering" is better translated into English as "patience". The Holy "Ghost" is the Holy "Spirit". Our "love unfeigned" is a love that is genuine and true. If teacher or pastor uses emotions and sternness in bringing for the Word of God, that love and kindness should remain in him or her at all times. There should be love in scolding, and as well as in boldness. You can have all the emotions but in a true person of God, love is always there. II Corinthians 6:7 "By the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left," It is through the "truth" [teachings of Christ] that the Gospel or "good news" brings us justification by the power of God. That good news brings us the knowledge that allows the Gospel to go forth. The "armor of righteousness" is the "gospel armor" of God. It is the "Sword of the Lord" that is in your right hand, which is to say "the Word of God", and in your left hand is your shield. That "shield" is your "faith". We Christians walk by "faith" and not by sight, with the Word of God in our hand. That sword, or Word of God when it enters into men and women's minds it changes their lives and gives peace of mind. So Paul is telling us to have the Gospel armor on and in place as we go forth with the sword of the Lord, which is His Word. II Corinthians 6:8 "By honour and dishonour, by evil report and good report: as deceivers, and yet true;" Teachers should never be a one verse Charlie, but should teach from the entire Word of God. Evangelist are not teachers, but if you are a teacher you will soon develop your own style of teaching and ways of communication. II Corinthians 6:9 "As unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as chastened, and not killed;" "As unknown" from this world's mind for there is no way that the people of this world can understand "the peace of mind" that God has given to Christians. Though this peace of mind is unknown by the world, it is well known by our Father and those that have it. Even though we face death, God brings us through those times. Even at times we will be chastened or injured for our beliefs, yet we are kept in God's service. God knows your limitations and He will never allow you to be tempted more than what you are able to stand. When you are in His service, He will always open a way for you to escape those temptations. II Corinthians 6:10 "As sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing; as poor, yet making man rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things." Even in the times of sorrow, such as the death of a loved one, there is a time of rejoicing for we know that there is hope eternal in Jesus Christ. For we know that to be absent from this body is to be present with the Lord. When we are poor, we have the something that all the wealth of this world cannot buy. When you have nothing in this age of the flesh, we know that it is all our Heavenly Father's, and in God's eternal kingdom we are part of that inheritance. It will be all our. We are to be joint heirs with Christ through the Millennium age, and inherit our place in God's eternal kingdom. When God is ready to bless you, He will bless you. When you are in times of need, then that is the time that we should ask for His help. When the paycheck just doesn't stretch, God make what you have go the distance. When there are obstacles in your way of doing what has to be done, God just removes those things enough so that you can slip by them and continue. These are some of the many things that we have to rejoice over when we are walking in the way of the Lord. We are rich with God's salvation and blessings as our Father lays His rich rewards and blessing on us both here in this life, and in the life hereafter. It is worth suffering a little bit for the sake of saving a soul and gaining another soul into the kingdom of God. It is worth a little chastisement to place the Word of God in the mind of some lost soul, when those that receive that seed of truth know nothing about the message you are trying to bring them. Sure they may ridicule you a bit, but in the end when that seed of truth takes hold, it is worth what ever harsh words that were spoken to you. The sword of the Lord is a weapon, and some times it cuts real deep spiritually. II Corinthians 6:11 "O ye Corinthians, our mouth is open unto you, our heart is enlarged." This verse is a Greek saying which means, "we haven't held anything back from you". "Our heart is enlarged" means "I love you with all of my heart". Remember that Timothy has returned from Corinth and Paul has received the good news that the Corinthians have received the first letter of Paul, and are following Paul's instructions. The have straightened themselves out, and that love of Paul's for them comes forth in this verse. II Corinthians 6:12 "Ye are not straitened in us, but ye are straitened in your own bowels." Paul is saying here that there is no strain on our relationship with you, but in your inward parts there may be some stress. I suppose that within the four divisions that had developed within the Corinthian Church there was a lot of stress and contention. There were the things like the incest and other evils amongst them, and that stress would stay until those things that caused the stress were met with and corrected. But the Corinthian believers took charge and put the true church back in order under Paul's guidance and direction from that first letter to them. II Corinthians 6:13 "Now for a recompence in the same, (I speak as unto my children,) be ye also enlarged." Paul is telling these Corinthians that he is going to talk to them with the love that he has for his children, and you also have that same love toward me. Paul has a spiritual tie for the Corinthians, as of a father has for his children. II Corinthians 6:14 "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?" This is very important and Paul is instructing us; "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers, for what possible could you have in common." "Righteousness" has no common ground with "unrighteousness", it just isn't there my friend. It is like the night trying to fellowship with the day, and it just won't happen. The two just cannot exist at the same time. There is absolutely no communion between light and darkness. You are children of the day or light, and they are children of the night, or darkness. The things of God and the things of Satan just don't mix. When the light comes, the darkness must always fade away and go. As the church of Corinth had many problems within it because there were many unbelievers in the church there. There were gluttons in the church, that thought no more of communion than a time to stuff yourself at the table of the Lord. They respected their stomachs and their personal desires more than the respected the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ and the Lord's table. Paul told them that were doing this that if they had to act like this, and had no more respect for our Lord than that, then stay at home. Many associate this verse with marriage, but it has a much wider application then just marriage. Yet even in marriage it applies just as much as to ones job or to the church. However, Paul is addressing the many membered body of Christ, and telling them that they cannot allow this to go on. When a unbeliever is causing trouble, then remove that one from the body of Christ. One unbeliever with a bad influence can be very stressful to the tender ears of the babes in Christ. By removing the unbeliever that causes trouble within the group can bring back the harmony and fellowship that is missing. Growth can then take place within the body of Christ and the minds of the believers. Sometimes God will do the removing for the sake splitting the group into two separate groups for the expansion of His church and of His Word. This split usually takes place amongst believers and that split is not part of what Paul is speaking of here. This is directed to the one that simply does not have the faith will not repent, and has no desire of pleasing anyone but himself. You don't need an evil person in your midst, get rid of him or her from the congregation. II Corinthians 6:15 "And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?" What possible common factor could Jesus Christ have with the Antichrist? Absolutely none. In other words, in all the wisdom of the infidel, they become foolish. There mind is not of the spiritual everlasting things of God, but of this world age of the flesh. They have no spiritual eyes to see, or ears to hear anything except what is pertaining to their flesh body and this flesh age. Talk about foolish, Esau sold his entire birthright, the right to be blessed beyond all imagination, for the price of bowl of red mush. Talk about being foolish, Paul is saying that this is exact what happens when one becomes an infidel, and refuses the way which is Jesus Christ. Esau's earthly inheritance was the full blessings of the Abrahamic Covenant and he thought it worthless. Our inheritance as a child of the living God, is being a joint heir with Christ in God's eternal kingdom. Do you see what is being talked about here? The unbeliever has no idea in the world of what is of value and what is not. He is foolish because his spiritual eyes are closed. To him God's inheritance is nothing but a bowl of mush, and if he is lock in and unequally yoked with you as a believer, that is exactly how he is going to treat those thing of yours that you hold dear. II Corinthians 6:16 And what agreement hath the Temple of God with idols? for ye are the Temple of the living God; as God hath said, "I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people." There is absolutely no room or agreement between the things of the world and things of God, between God's Word and idols. It is an abomination to God to have even an idol in the house of God. That church house is not the Temple of God, but you are the Temple of God when you are a child of the living God. It is in your flesh body and inner self that the Spirit of God dwells and operates. This is why when you stand as the ambassador from God, as His sign post with the Spirit of God within you, your body then is the Temple of God. "I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God and they shall be My people." God gave his promise in Leviticus 26:12: "And I will walk among you, and will be your God, and ye shall be My people." He is our Father when we are in Him, and that is why we have so much power when we walk His way and carry His armor that is one and in place. This can only happen when you are not unequally yoked with infidels. This is why it becomes so upsetting to see the moves that our president along with the infidels or sodomites are making in our military. For those in leadership over us are trying to make us yoked with the sodomite infidels and allow those perverts into battle with us. The baggage that these sodomites carry spells disaster if we ever do go to war again. God warned us in Deuteronomy 20 and 23 when He stated that He would no longer travel with your troops if you have that, which is perverted among you. Though there are a few in the military now hiding in the closets, if this nation under God votes this type of filth upon us, in time it will turn adorn itself in perversion and God will leave us. You don't have to be told what will happen to our men when we are unequally yoked with Sodomites in the next conflict. God will make it a lesson to us as a nation, and that is why it is important to pray for our sons. The blessing that we received when our troops entered Kuwait will not be there, when these Sodomites are flaunting themselves by the sides of our good troops in the next conflict. This is why it is important to oppose any effort, to make a stand against allowing such filth as Sodomy to have any hold in our military, and it is also why the military speaks out against Clinton whenever he appears at a national monument. God's Word is written and it is true, and the full extent of it should be taught to believers. Our nation is warned concerning this subject of being yoked with unbelievers. II Corinthians 6:17 "Wherefore "Come out from among them, and be ye separated", saith the Lord, "and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you. " If you send the unclean thing in, my friend, God will leave you. Separate yourself from those that you know are of the unclean, and don't yoke yourself with trouble. You know what God says about it, well, don't play games with God or you will lose. II Corinthians 6:18 "And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be My sons and daughters," saith the Lord Almighty." This is an extension to verse seventeen, a promise that God is making to you if you "come out from amongst them, and be separated." Notice that the gender of both men and woman, the sons and daughters of Almighty God. He is telling you to keep it straighter and I will look after you as My sons and daughters. When you are one of His, He will be with you and He always has been there and will be. Think of how much trouble an infidel or Sodomite can bring upon a nation, when he becomes yoked to God's people. Even though he has no spiritual eyes to see the damage that he is doing, those that allow him to perform or promote his abomination while in their presence are asking for God to depart from them. In short, this is what Congress is voting on and the courts are ruling on when they consider the joining or yoking of the filth and abomination of Sodomy to have any part of our land. The question they are voting on is whether they want God to bless them and go with them, or whether they want the Almighty Father to leave us alone, and let us battle and live separate from God. Without God there are only loses. This yoking applies to the job, the family and all other places where you seek God's blessing for your life. See to it that you are not unequally yoked together with the infidels. Don't accept him into your group or family, and keep your selves and your family separated from them. We are in the final days, and in our days both sons and daughters will teach and prophecy the truths of God's Word. Peter spoke of this in Acts 2, as he was speaking of the book of Joel, and Joel 2:28-30. God loves His children, and when you come into the body of Christ, you become a son or daughter of our Heavenly Father.
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