Thomas Aquinas Commentary 2 Corinthians 6:11-18

"Our mouth is open unto you, O Corinthians, our heart is enlarged. Ye are not straitened in us, but ye are straitened in your own affections. Now for a recompense in like kind (I speak as unto [my] children), be ye also enlarged. Be not unequally yoked with unbelievers: for what fellowship have righteousness and iniquity? or what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what portion hath a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement hath a temple of God with idols? for we are a temple of the living God; even as God said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore Come ye out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, And touch no unclean thing; And I will receive you, And will be to you a Father, And ye shall be to me sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty." — 2 Corinthians 6:11-18 (ASV)

After teaching them the use of grace for good outward actions, the Apostle now instructs them on its use for internal devotion, which consists in a joy that causes the heart to expand. Regarding this, he does three things:

1. He offers himself as an example of this expansion.
2. He shows that they have no contrary example, nor could they have one (v. 12).
3. He exhorts them to expand their hearts (v. 13).

Concerning the first point, he does two things:

1. He gives a sign of an expanded heart.
2. He mentions the expansion of heart he had (v. 11b).

Now, the sign of an expanded heart is an open mouth, because the mouth is closely connected to the heart. Therefore, the things we say are clear signs of the thoughts of the heart: For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks (Matthew 12:34). This is what he means by saying, our mouth is open to you. The mouth is sometimes closed when the things in the heart are not outwardly apparent, but it is opened when the things in the heart are revealed: After this Job opened his mouth (Job 3:1); And he opened his mouth and taught them (Matthew 5:2).

However, so that revealing himself might not seem to stem from the sin of vanity, he gives a reason, saying, to you. That is, for your benefit we reveal to you the secrets of our heart: Not seeking my own advantage, but that of many (1 Corinthians 10:33).

The cause of this expansion is the enlarging and widening of the heart. Thus he says, our heart is enlarged. As it is written, The raising of the eyes is the enlarging of the heart (Proverbs 21:4, Vulgate). Sometimes the heart is narrow, namely, when it is constricted and confined, as when a person cares for nothing but earthly things and scorns heavenly things, being unable to grasp them with his mind. But at other times it is wide, namely, when a person seeks and desires great things. Such was the case with the Apostle, who did not regard the things which are seen, but desired heavenly things. Hence he says, our heart is enlarged, that is, expanded for desiring great things.

Next, he shows that they have no contrary example from the Apostle, saying, You are not restricted by us. As if to say: From the fact that we show you the expansion of our heart, you have no example or reason why you should be restricted. But if you are, then you are indeed restricted, but not by us, but in your own affections, that is, by yourselves. Here it should be noted that to be restricted is the same as to be enclosed in something from which no exit appears.

They had been deceived by a false apostle to such a degree that they did not believe salvation was possible without observing legal ceremonies. As a result, they became slaves, whereas they had been free according to the faith of Christ. Therefore, the confinement of this slavery did not come to them from the Apostle, but from their own hearts, that is, from their hardness of heart: Do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and your children (Luke 23:28).

Then he urges them to expand their hearts, saying, In return, widen your hearts also. As if to say: If you have been deceived and restricted by a false apostle, do not continue in that state, but try to have an expanded heart, as we have, because you desire the same reward as we. Therefore he says, having the same recompense as we: For we know that as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our consolation (2 Corinthians 1:7). I speak as to children, and not to enemies, but as to children of God, namely, heirs of eternal life: And if children, then heirs (Romans 8:17). Having the same reward, I say, widen your hearts also. That is, have a large and free heart with the freedom of the Spirit, which is in the faith of Christ, and do not be restricted in the slavery of legal observances.

Then, when he says, Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers, he teaches them the use of grace in avoiding unbelievers. In this regard, he does three things:

1. He exhorts them.
2. He gives the reason for the exhortation (v. 14b).
3. He confirms this reason with a scriptural authority (v. 16b).

He says, therefore, Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. Here it should be noted that a yoke is anything that binds several people to one task. Because some come together to do good, which is from God, and others to do evil, which is from the devil, we speak of God’s yoke and the devil’s yoke. God’s yoke is charity, which binds a person to serve God: Take my yoke upon you (Matthew 11:29). But the devil’s yoke is for doing evil: The yoke of his burden (Isaiah 9:4).

Therefore, he says this, Do not be unequally yoked, that is, do not take part in the works of unbelief with unbelievers. This is for two reasons. First, because there were some among them who considered themselves wiser and did not refrain from idolatry; as a result, they scandalized the lowly. Second, there were others who took part with the Jews in the traditions of their elders. Hence, the Apostle exhorts them, saying, do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers, that is, do not participate with the Jews in the traditions of the Law or with Gentiles in the worship of idols, for both groups were unbelievers.

He gives the reason for this when he says, For what partnership have righteousness and iniquity? This is based on two distinctions: one regarding the cause and the other the state. The distinction as to cause is twofold: the habitual cause and the efficient cause. The habitual cause is also twofold. The first relates to the effect, which is what he means by: For what partnership have righteousness and iniquity? As if to say: You should not be yoked with unbelievers, because there is one habit in you and another in them. In you is the habit of righteousness; in them is the habit of iniquity. The highest form of righteousness is to render to God what is His, and this is to worship Him. Since you worship God, the habit of righteousness is in you. But the greatest iniquity is to take from God what is His and give it to the devil: I cannot endure iniquity and solemn assembly (Isaiah 1:13); What has straw in common with wheat? (Jeremiah 23:28).

The other habitual cause regards the intellect. This distinction is that the faithful are enlightened with the light of faith, but unbelievers are in the darkness of error. Concerning this he says, Or what fellowship has light with darkness? As if to say: It is not right for you to have fellowship with them, because it is not a suitable fellowship. You are light through the knowledge of the faith—For once you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord (Ephesians 5:8)—but they are darkness through ignorance: The way of the wicked is like deep darkness (Proverbs 4:19). Hence, from the beginning the Lord separated the light from the darkness, as it says in Genesis 1:18.

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 Corinthians 12:27)—but they are members of the devil. The devil is called Belial, meaning "without a yoke," because he refused to submit to God’s yoke: For long ago you broke your yoke and burst your bonds (Jeremiah 2:20). That there can be no concord between Christ and Belial is clear from Christ’s own words, For the ruler of this world is coming; he has no power over me (John 14:30), as well as from the devil’s own words: What have you to do with us, O Son of God? (Matthew 8:29).

Another distinction regards the state of faith. Concerning this he says, Or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? As if to say: The portion is not the same on both sides. The portion of the believer is God, whom he has as a reward and as the goal of his happiness: The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup (Psalms 16:5). But the portion of the unbeliever is earthly goods: Because this is our portion and this is our lot ; And he will punish him and put him with the hypocrites (Matthew 24:51).

As to the state of grace he says, What agreement has the temple of God with idols? As if to say: There is no agreement. You are a temple of God by grace: Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? (1 Corinthians 3:16). Therefore, you should not have fellowship with unbelievers, who are temples of idols. It should be noted that in Ezekiel 25, the Lord forbids idols to be worshiped in God’s temple. Much more, then, are people, whose souls are God’s temple, forbidden to violate them by participating in idolatry: If any one destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him (1 Corinthians 3:17).

Then, when he says, For you are the temple of the living God, he supports his reasoning with a scriptural authority. In this, he does two things:

1. He confirms his conclusion with an admonition.
2. He confirms the admonition itself (v. 17).

Concerning the first point, he again does two things:

1. He reviews what he intends to prove.
2. He quotes an authority to support his conclusion (v. 17c).

He says, therefore: I rightly say that there is no agreement between the temple of God and idols. That is, you should not take part in them, because you are the temple of the living God, and not of a dead one, as idolaters are.

To prove this, he cites an authority, proving this very point from the use to which a temple is put. For the use of a temple is that God dwells in it, because a temple is a place consecrated for God to dwell in: The Lord is in his holy temple (Psalms 11:4). This authority is taken from Leviticus 26:11, which says: And I will make my abode among you. In this authority, four things are touched upon as pertaining to this use.

The first pertains to operating grace, which consists in God’s being in someone through grace. This is what he says: I will live in them, namely, in the saints, by adorning them with grace. For although God is said to be in all things by His presence, power, and essence, He is not said to dwell in them, but only in the saints through grace. The reason is that God is in all things by His activity, inasmuch as He joins Himself to them by giving being and preserving it, but He is in the saints by their very activity, by which they attain to God and in a way comprehend Him, which is to love and to know. For those who know and love have within themselves the thing known and loved.

The second pertains to cooperating grace, by which the saints make progress with God’s help. As to this he says, I will move among them, that is, I will advance them from virtue to virtue, for this progress is impossible without grace: By the grace of God I am what I am (1 Corinthians 15:10). For just as operating grace makes us to be something in the being of justice, so cooperating grace makes us progress in that being.

The third pertains to God’s benefits. This is either the benefit of His protection through providence, which he touches on when he says, and I will be their God, that is, I will protect them by My providence—Happy the people whose God is the Lord (Psalms 144:15)—or it is the benefit of reward. As if to say: I will be their God, that is, I will give them Myself as a reward: Your reward shall be very great (Genesis 15:1); Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God (Hebrews 11:16).

The fourth pertains to the correct worship and service offered by the saints. As to this he says, and they shall be my people, that is, they will worship and obey Me as belonging to Me and not another: We are the people of his pasture, the sheep of his hand (Psalms 95:4).

Alternatively, these words could refer to a bodily presence. Then it is explained this way: For I will live in them by assuming flesh—The Word became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:14)—and I will move among them bodily by living with them: Afterward she appeared upon earth and lived among men . And I will be their God by glory: For what great nation is there that has a god so near to it as the LORD our God is to us? (Deuteronomy 4:7). And they shall be my people, that is, they will worship Me in faith.

Then, when he says, Therefore come out from them, he confirms this admonition with another authority. In this regard, he does two things:

1. He confirms the admonition with an authority.
2. He indicates the reward promised to those who heed the admonition (v. 18).

He says, therefore: Because you are temples of God, come out from them: Depart, depart, go out from there! Touch no unclean thing; go out from the midst of it (Isaiah 52:11). Here he says three things: go out, be separated from them, and do not touch anything unclean. These are three ways we should behave toward unbelievers.

First, we should go out from them by abstaining from their sins: Ho! ho! Flee from the land of the north (Zechariah 2:6). The Donatists, however, say that we must depart bodily from an evil society, but this is not true. The Apostle’s words must be understood as a spiritual separation and are explained this way: go out spiritually by not following their way of life—As a lily among brambles ()—and do this to avoid the very occasions of sin they present.

Hence he says, be separate, that is, be far from consenting to them: For I have come to set a man against his father (Matthew 10:35); Depart, I pray you, from the tents of these wicked men (Numbers 16:26).

Thirdly, we are to rebuke them when they do wrong. Hence he says, touch nothing unclean, that is, do not consent to their evil: They not only do them but approve those who practice them (Romans 1:32); Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them (Ephesians 5:11). This is because whoever touches pitch will be defiled by it .

Two rewards are promised to those who heed this admonition: familiarity with God and adoption by God. The first is familiarity with God, because He says, I will welcome you. As if to say: Go out confidently, because I will welcome you as My own: For my father and my mother have forsaken me, but the LORD will take me up (Psalms 27:10); Blessed is he whom thou dost choose and bring near, to dwell in your courts! (Psalms 65:5); Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights (Isaiah 42:1).

The second reward is divine adoption, because He adopts us as sons when He says, I will be a father to you, and you shall be my sons and daughters. As the Apostle also says, For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the spirit of sonship (Romans 8:15). He says, sons, referring to the perfect, and daughters, referring to the imperfect. This is taken from 2 Samuel 7:14, where it says of Solomon: I will be his father, and he shall be my son.