The three chapters in 2 Corinthians today total 55 verses and are quite a challenge to grasp all the points Paul is making. He is concerned about “those who boast about outward appearance and not about what is in the heart” (5:12). He tells them, “if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation [or creature]” (verse 17).

We are either “in Christ” or we are not, there is no half-way position. We prove whether we are in Christ by how we live and our aims in life. Paul starts chapter 6 by reminding his readers we are “working together with him” therefore we are “not to receive the grace of God in vain”. Further we must “not be unequally yoked with unbelievers” (verse 14) their values and aims in life are, in the end, quite different to what ours should be.

2 Kings 10 shows how God commended the zeal of Jehu in removing all the worshippers of Baal and destroying their Temple, thus removing their evil influence. Regrettably this was not followed by him worshipping the Lord in the right way (verse 31), yet another lesson for us. Paul tells the Corinthians that “we are the Temple of the living God; as God has said, ‘I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them …’” (6:16). Awesome! To think that God, with Christ, “walk among” us!

Ezekiel 1 has a symbolic picture of the all-seeing eyes of God, as a sort of ball, a wheel, “full of eyes all around” (verse 18); the wheel could move in any direction, and therefore could “see” in every direction. The symbol “full of eyes” is repeated in Revelation 4:6. Paul asks the Corinthians “what fellowship has light with darkness” (verse 14). The answer is obvious. But is the ‘light’ too blinding? We cannot dwell in twilight or “the living God” will not “walk among us”.

Finally let us fully absorb the end of chapter 6 and the start of chapter 7. When we truly dwell in the light then “‘you shall be sons and daughters to me’, says the Lord Almighty. Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God”. May we work hard, with God’s help, in “bringing holiness to completion” – Let us make progress toward doing that today.