Lesson 13 – 2 Corinthians Chapter 6:8-14

So far in chapter 6, we’ve seen Paul give a defense for his ministry. We know that he has had his hands full in dealing with immaturity levels within the Corinthian church, but that he also had to contend with the false teachers who had infiltrated the congregation.

This was an ongoing battle that Paul describes in verse 4 as requiring much patience in tribulations, in needs, and in distresses. Then he gives us a list of the things that can be described as tribulations, testings, and trials, that he actually went through.

So, we’ll start in verse 8, but as we will see, there are a series of paradoxes that extend through to verse 10.

2 Cor. 6:8-10:
“By honor and dishonor, by evil report and good report; as deceivers, and yet true; as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold we live; as chastened, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.”

There are nine pairs of paradoxes, and the first is honor and dishonor; this is something any pastor can experience, they are at times praised by some and then despised by others.
It’s part of the cost of doing ministry truthfully and faithfully in a world that doesn’t always recognize spiritual integrity.

1 Cor. 4:10 [Paul sarcastically points out that the Corinthians are honored]

“Our dedication to Christ makes us look like fools, but you claim to be so wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are so powerful! You are honored, but we are ridiculed.”

Evil report and good report…

This speaks of a person’s reputation, and this can be a fragile thing. Some speak well of spiritual leaders, while others spread rumors or falsehoods. The truth of a pastor’s character must stand firm regardless of how some people might slander him.

As deceivers, and yet true…

Or, we could say that it’s “accusations vs. reality.” Paul was accused by the false teachers of misleading the people, yet that never stopped Paul, he would always remain true to the gospel. In the same way, pastors may be misunderstood at times, but as long as they stay true to God’s Word, the truth will always be their anchor.

As unknown, and yet well known…

Gal. 1:22-23 (NLT) [speaks of how Paul was known]

“And still the Christians in the churches in Judea didn’t know me personally. All they knew was that people were saying, ‘The one who used to persecute us is now preaching the very faith he tried to destroy!’”

In the beginning of Paul’s ministry, most of the believers were afraid of him, he was known as the one striking terror in the hearts of those who were following Christ.

For today, most pastors are invisible to the world, but known to God. Many faithful pastors labor in obscurity, yet they are deeply known by God and those they serve.

As dying, and behold we live…

Paul says, “as dying,” which indicates that people were out to kill him as many saw Paul as a trader to the Jewish community. It’s easy to see how that could happen, because Paul was no longer involved in the Jewish traditions.

Acts 9:23-25:
“Now after many days were past, the Jews plotted to kill him. But their plot became known to Saul. And they watched the gates day and night, to kill him. Then the disciples took him by night and let him down through the wall in a large basket.”

And behold we live…

Years ago there was a movie called “The Bullet Proof Monk,” and here, Paul is the “Bullet Proof Apostle,” because God wouldn’t allow Paul to die until it was his time.

2 Tim. 4:17:
“But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that the message might be preached fully through me, and that all the Gentiles might hear. Also I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion.”

Even though there were those who wanted desperately to kill Paul, he would remain under God’s protection.

Pastors might feel spiritually or emotionally drained at times, but striving toward a godly life renews them day by day, giving them new life in Christ. That’s why pastors need your encouragement and your support.

As chastened, and yet not killed…

Working off the previous verse “as dying, and behold we live,” Paul says chastened or we can use the word punished; his enemies could get away with punishing him, but it would never result in his death.

This also shows us that Paul may have gone through certain trials as he served God, but instead of killing him, it would refine him even further in his walk with God. God allows hardship to happen, but not annihilation.

As an example for today, let’s look at Andrew Brunson, he served as a missionary pastor in Turkey for over two decades. In 2016 he was arrested and falsely accused of terrorism and espionage, charges that carried a potential life sentence. His imprisonment lasted two years, during which he endured isolation, depression, and spiritual crisis.

Like Paul, Brunson was chastened, and not killed.

• We see Spiritual Refinement: Brunson described his time in prison as a “valley of testing.” He wrestled with doubt and fear, yet clung to faith. In his book God’s Hostage, he wrote, “I broke repeatedly, but God rebuilt me stronger.”

• What Brunson went through had a Global Impact: His imprisonment sparked international support, including intervention from U.S. leaders. When he was finally released in 2018, his story had inspired millions and drawn attention to religious persecution.

• In his Post-Prison Ministry: Rather than retreating, Brunson began speaking globally about perseverance, spiritual warfare, and the cost of discipleship. His suffering became a platform for strengthening the church.

Andrew Brunson would later say; “I was broken, but not abandoned. God allowed me to be crushed so I could learn to stand in Him.”

There will be seasons in life when the weight of suffering feels unbearable to us; when the pain is so deep, and the silence so loud, that we wonder if God has turned away from us. In those moments, it’s easy to believe we’ve been abandoned by God, but time has a way of revealing truth to us.

When we look back, we begin to see the fingerprints of God’s grace in our life. We realize, that even in the darkest valleys, God never lets go of us. His hand was steady, His presence was constant, even though we couldn’t feel it.

Our take-away is to have faith. God doesn’t promise us a life without storms, but He does promise that we’ll never face those storms alone.

Psalm 139:10:
“Even there Your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me.”

As sorrowful, yet always rejoicing… (NLT) “Our hearts ache, but we always have joy.”

Spoiler alert: Grief and joy can coexist.

Ministry can bring heartbreak, even for Paul. His heart was broken over sin, suffering, and rejection, yet through it all his joy in Christ remained a constant in his life.

Phil. 4:4:
“Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!”

I wonder how many times Paul would repeat this verse to his followers? In the book of Philippians alone, he uses words for “joy” or “rejoice” 16 times.

These weren’t empty words for Paul, he lived them, even rejoicing in prison, in persecution, and in weakness. He knew that joy in the Lord was the sustaining force for the Christian life.

Joy isn’t optional for believers, it’s a command rooted in our trust in God. We could even say rejoicing is a “defiant act of faith in the face of trials” and Paul modeled this and urged others to do the same.

As poor, yet making many rich…

Have you ever wondered how many people become pastors just so they can become rich? While it’s impossible to know their exact motives, data shows that most pastors do not enter ministry for wealth, and few become financially rich from it. In fact, many pastors face financial hardship and work multiple jobs just to support their families.

Paul lived with “little” when compared by worldly standards, he embraced a life of simplicity and personal sacrifice. Some scholars suggest that after his conversion to Christianity, his family may have cut ties with him, possibly disinheriting him due to his radical shift in faith and allegiance to God.

Mark 8:36:
“For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?”

This verse is a piercing reminder to us that earthly success, wealth, and power are fleeting, while the condition of the soul is eternal. Jesus wasn’t condemning wealth itself, He was warning against the danger of pursuing it at the expense of spiritual integrity and eternal life.

Paul personified this teaching, he abandoned his worldly status. He was a rising star among the Pharisees, educated under Gamaliel, he was zealous in his pursuit of Christians, and respected among his peers, yet he counted all of it as loss:

Phil. 3:7:
“But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ.”

Yet making many rich…

Paul understood that the true definition of a rich person was the one who knew Jesus, and would inherit eternal life. By spreading the gospel, he was indeed making many rich.

Paul knew that earthly riches soon fade, but eternal life is the ultimate reward. He pointed believers toward a heavenly inheritance that can never perish.

Romans 8:16-17:
“The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs… heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.”

As poor, yet making many rich… Paul didn’t just preach this, he lived it. Through his ministry countless others became spiritually rich as well.

The last paradox is; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things…

A good way to look at this is worldly emptiness translates into heavenly fullness. Though stripped of his possessions, Paul had everything in Christ. This paradox is the very essence of Christian contentment.

Paul’s life was a lot like Jesus’ in that it was marked by the absence of material things; he had no wealth, no property, no earthly security, yet he claimed to possess all things.

Luke 9:58:
“And Jesus said to him, ‘Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.’”

Jesus gave up the privileges of heaven to walk among the poor, the rejected, and the broken.

This statement from Jesus challenges our modern ideas and perception of success and stability. Jesus invites us to follow Him, not into a life of ease, but into purpose. Like Paul, who embraced poverty to make others spiritually rich, Jesus lived with nothing, yet possessed everything.

John MacArthur, “People burn out in ministry not because of overwork, but because of unmet expectations. But those who do not have unrealistic expectations will not become frustrated when they are not met. To have proper expectations in the ministry, one must view it from the proper perspective. Understanding the privilege of ministry, maintaining its passion, carefully protecting it, and expecting paradoxical reactions to it keep one’s vision clear.”

2 Cor. 6:11:
“O Corinthians! We have spoken openly to you, our heart is wide open.”

We have spoken openly to you… another translation says, “Our mouth has spoken freely to you.” In other words, “Our hearts are open to you.” This speaks of honesty and sincerity of one to another.

Paul isn’t just saying he’s been transparent with them in his speech, he’s expressing his emotional vulnerability toward them as well. His “openness of mouth” reflects an openness of heart. This is a model of authentic spiritual leadership on Paul’s part: he’s not guarded, not manipulative, but he’s sincere and relational. A person couldn’t ask much more of him than that.

Paul opened his heart and spoke with honesty.

In a world full of performance and pretense, that kind of relational integrity is pretty rare. Paul never compromised himself, and with that, he spoke honestly about sin. Today, some argue that it is unloving to confront people about their sin, when nothing could be further from the truth.

True love doesn’t stay silent when someone is walking toward destruction. Paul understood that grace and truth are not opposites, but they are partners. To speak truth about sin is not to condemn, but to invite repentance, healing, and freedom. We need more of this in churches today.

2 Cor. 6:12:
“You are not restricted by us, but you are restricted by your own affections.”

(NLT) “There is no lack of love on our part, but you have withheld your love from us.”

When it came down to it, Paul was a people person; he was always relational in the way he treated the Corinthians. He went out of his way to make sure their relationship was never hindered in any way. He is what he described at the end of chapter 5, an ambassador.

What can believers do to be relational like Paul? They can start by cultivating a sense of humility, thoughtfulness, and having a heart for reconciliation in every relationship.

In other words, be quick to forgive, slow to take offense, and eager to restore broken connections… just as God reconciled us to Himself.

Col. 4:6:
“Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.”

You don’t blast people by being super salty, but you measure how you relate to people by showing them God’s grace.

But you are restricted by your own affections…

This was the Corinthians own doing; a number of them pushed Paul out of their lives and turned their allegiance toward the false teachers. The whispers of liberalism and legality seemed much more attractive to them, thus losing their affections for Paul.

Paul isn’t rebuking them harshly by any means, in fact, he’s grieving that a distance had grown between them. This brings to mind…

1 Cor. 13:7 that love… “bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”

Paul could not remain indifferent to the Corinthians’ sin. As their spiritual leader, he understood that love sometimes requires correction. His rebukes weren’t rooted in anger or superiority, they were sincere expressions of his deep affection toward them. True love doesn’t ignore wrongdoing, it confronts it for the sake of restoration. This mirrors the character of God Himself, who disciplines those He loves.

Hebrews 12:6 (NLT):
“For the Lord disciplines those He loves, and He punishes each one He accepts as his child.”

In Paul’s example, we see that love and discipline are not opposites, they are partners when it comes to spiritual growth.

2 Cor. 6:13:
“Now in return for the same (I speak as to children), you also be open.”

(NLT) “I am asking you to respond as if you were my own children. Open your hearts to us!”

The story of a College Student and the Curfew:

Ethan is a 19-year-old college student living at home for the summer. His parents, out of love and concern, ask him to be home by midnight. They explain that it’s not about control, it’s about safety, respect, and maintaining family rhythms. They’ve always been open, affectionate, and supportive of him, but Ethan feels stifled. He interprets their boundaries as outdated and controlling. Instead of engaging in conversation, he begins to withdraw, avoiding family dinners, ignoring texts, and staying out later to assert his independence.

His parents feel the emotional distance that’s taking place. They’re hurt, not because he broke curfew, but because he’s rejecting their love, the very love that motivated the boundary in the first place.

Eventually, Ethan realizes that their discipline wasn’t rejection… it was protection. Their affection hadn’t changed; he had misread it through the lens of pride and independence.

This story relates to Paul’s hope for the Corinthians, that they would have their eyes opened to the fact that Paul was their spiritual father, and that he was protecting them.

Gal. 4:19 (NLT):
“Oh, my dear children! I feel as if I’m going through labor pains for you again, and they will continue until Christ is fully developed in your lives.”

The Corinthians needed to get to the place where Jesus was fully developed in their lives, which leads us to a personal question, is Christ fully settled in your life?

Jesus isn’t meant to be just a part of our lives, He’s meant to be the center of our lives. His character should be what shapes our thoughts, our words, and our actions. When this takes place, our lives become a living testimony of His grace and truth.

This isn’t about perfection, it’s about attitude. A heart that’s surrendered is a life aligned, and a soul that is at home in Christ.

2 Cor. 6:14:
“Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?”

Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers…

When Paul wrote this, he had Deuteronomy 22:10 in mind:
“You shall not plow with an ox and a donkey together.”

A yoke is a wooden beam used to join two animals, usually oxen, so they can pull a load together. Deuteronomy 22:10 is giving wise practical advice, if you put an ox and a donkey together to work, you’re going to have nothing but trouble. The two animals do not have the same nature, gait, or strength. Therefore it would be impossible for such a mismatched pair to plow together effectively.

To understand this illustration, we put a believer and an unbeliever together, and when it comes to spiritual matters, they just don’t work together; to do so is a recipe for dysfunction. Just like the ox and donkey, such a pairing leads to tension, misalignment, and spiritual compromise.

In Matthew 11:29, Jesus says, “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me…” He invites us into a shared yoke, not with the world, but with Him. His yoke is easy, not because life is easy, but because He carries the weight with us.

We could say that Jesus is the bonding agent. Jesus is the one who unites us to God; it’s through His sacrifice and resurrection that He reconciles us to the Father.

2 Cor. 5:18:
“Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation,”

Honestly, a lot of us are just like the Corinthians. We say we follow Jesus, but we’re not fully yoked to Him; we have other ties pulling us in all different directions. Sometimes it’s a relationship, sometimes it’s a work partnership, but if that person isn’t connected to Jesus, it’s going to create tension. You can’t walk in step with someone who’s walking a different path, it’s like the ox and the donkey. So the challenge for us is simple: make sure the people you’re yoked to are also linked to Christ… especially when it comes to marriage.

Then Paul gives us some additional rhetorical examples: For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness?

Obviously, righteousness and lawlessness are complete opposites. Righteousness is obedience to the law of God, this gives us a picture of the born-again believer.

Romans 4:7:
“Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered;”

Lawlessness is a rebellion against God’s law, which describes for us an unbeliever.

Matthew 13:41:
“The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness,”

People who follow Jesus and people who don’t are heading in two different directions spiritually. It’s like trying to team up with someone who’s playing a different game, you’re just not on the same page. When it comes to faith, values, and purpose, you need to be linked with people who are chasing after Jesus as well. Otherwise, it’s just going to cause confusion and pull you off the narrow path that God has for you.

And what communion has light with darkness?

Here we have a very stark contrast, it’s black and white (pun intended).

Isaiah 5:20:
“Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!”

Light stands for God’s truth, and darkness represents evil. Expecting someone who follows Jesus to be spiritually connected with someone who doesn’t, is like trying to have light and darkness in the same room… it just doesn’t work. They are in fact, going in opposite directions, and mixing the two only leads to confusion.

We’ll close with this…

Paul was deeply relational with the Corinthians, acting as a true ambassador of Christ. He spotlighted reconciliation, emotional transparency, and spiritual integrity when it came to his leadership. As Christians, we are called to reflect Christ in our relationships, speech, and purpose.

Paul’s correction of the Corinthians was always rooted in love, and not him trying to control them. We learned that love and discipline are inseparable, and it even applies in God’s relationship with us.

We compared an ox and a donkey trying to plow together with believers and unbelievers, that it’s unproductive and frustrating… don’t do that.

Jesus is the bonding agent who unites believers in purpose, direction, and spiritual strength. Being yoked with Christ brings oneness, peace, and clarity to our lives.

In the end, it’s always black and white… Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life, no one can come to the Father except through Him!