Charles Ellicott Commentary 2 Corinthians 6:7

"in the word of truth, in the power of God; by the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left," — 2 Corinthians 6:7 (ASV)

By the word of truth.—Both words are, in Greek, without the article, and this throws a slight shade of doubt on their meaning. With the article, the same combination occurs in Ephesians 1:13 and 2 Timothy 2:15; and there can be no doubt that there the sense is objective—“the word which conveys the truth of God to men.” Here a subjective meaning, “a word of truthfulness,” or “truthful word,” as distinct from insincerity of speech, is grammatically possible; but in James 1:18, where precisely the same combination occurs, we have ample warrant for retaining the objective meaning even here.

By the power of God.—Here, again, the words hover between a general and a specific sense. As distinguished from the Holy Ghost in 2 Corinthians 6:6, and looking to the general use of the Greek word for “power,” it seems natural to refer the word here chiefly, though, perhaps, not exclusively, to the supernatural power given by God for working miracles. (Compare especially 2 Corinthians 12:12; 1 Corinthians 2:5; 1 Corinthians 12:10; 1 Corinthians 12:28–29).

By the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left.—The thought is found in a more expanded form in Ephesians 6:11-17 and 1 Thessalonians 5:8. Its recurrence in 2 Corinthians 10:4 shows how familiar it was to St. Paul’s mind. Here it is presented in a more condensed form, but its meaning is sufficiently obvious.

The weapon of the right hand is the sword of the Spirit, aggressive in the conflict with evil (Ephesians 6:17). The armour for the left hand is defensive, the shield of faith, which is our defence against the fiery darts of the wicked (Ephesians 6:16).

This gives, it is believed, a better meaning than an alternative interpretation. That interpretation translates the Greek word as instruments, as in Romans 6:13. Taking these as meaning opportunities for action, it then sees in the two adjectives the meaning which sometimes attaches to them in Greek authors and was derived from the practices of Greek divination, such as “favourable” and “unfavourable.”

It has been urged that the absence of the Greek article before “weapons on the left” is against the distinction drawn above. Therefore, it is argued, the words refer to the breastplate which encompasses both sides of the body. However, this view, though grammatically tenable, is somewhat over-subtle. A man dictating a letter under the influence of strong emotion is not always mindful of minute grammatical distinctions, such as the one on which this last interpretation rests.