Why is Belial mentioned in 2 Corinthians 6:15, and who or what is it? Text and Immediate Context “What harmony exists between Christ and Belial? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever?” (2 Corinthians 6:15). The verse lies within Paul’s appeal (6:14–18) that believers “not be unequally yoked with unbelievers,” framing five antithetical pairings: righteousness/lawlessness, light/darkness, Christ/Belial, believer/unbeliever, temple of God/idols. “Belial” is the third and climactic contrast, sharpening Paul’s call to separateness by invoking a personal designation for ultimate wickedness. Occurrences in the Old Testament Canon • Deuteronomy 13:13 – agitators who entice Israel to idolatry. • 1 Samuel 1:16; 2:12 – Eli’s corrupt sons. • 1 Kings 21:10,13 – false witnesses against Naboth. No OT passage depicts Belial as an individual spirit; the writers brand ungodly people with the term to highlight their moral bankruptcy. Belial in Intertestamental Literature Dead Sea Scrolls crystallize Belial as a supernatural enemy: • 1QM “War Scroll” 13:1–12 – “the authority of Belial” commands the forces of darkness. • 1QS “Community Rule” 1:18 – humanity divided between the “Spirit of Truth” and the “Spirit of Belial.” Testament of the Twelve Patriarchs, 2 Enoch, and Jubilees likewise employ Belial as Satan’s synonym. The shift from abstract worthlessness to a personified evil was complete by Paul’s day; he and his Corinthian readers would have recognized the name immediately. Belial in Early Rabbinic and Targumic Sources Targum Jonathan on Isaiah 14:12 uses “Belial” for the fallen morning star; Babylonian Talmud (Sanhedrin 111b) links Belial with Satan. These post-NT materials confirm a first-century Jewish milieu that equated Belial with the cosmic adversary. Belial in the New Testament 2 Corinthians 6:15 is the sole canonical NT usage. Paul therefore reaches for a Jewish theological term already freighted with the idea of Satanic headship. His earlier letters have “Satan,” “the god of this age,” and “the prince of the power of the air” (2 Corinthians 4:4; Ephesians 2:2). “Belial” carries the same referent but in sharper antithetical form: Christ versus Belial frames the entire moral universe. Paul’s Rhetorical Purposes 1. Intensification of Contrast: The Corinthian church struggled with pagan alliances (1 Corinthians 8–10; 2 Corinthians 12:21). Invoking Belial personifies their potential compromise as allegiance to Satan himself. 2. Covenant Allusions: Quoting Leviticus 26:12 and Isaiah 52:11 in vv.16–17, Paul mirrors the Deuteronomic separation theme—Israel must purge “sons of Belial” (Deuteronomy 13:13–14). 3. Temple Imagery: The believer’s body/church is God’s temple (1 Corinthians 3:16–17; 6:19). To tolerate Belial-aligned partnerships would mimic idolatry in Yahweh’s sanctuary. Theological Identification: Belial = Satan Scripture’s unified worldview recognizes a single personal evil power under varied titles: Satan (Job 1:6), the devil (Matthew 4:1), the serpent (Revelation 12:9), Beelzebul (Matthew 12:24), and here Belial. Each label highlights a facet: accuser, tempter, destroyer, ruler of demons, or embodiment of worthlessness. 2 Corinthians 6:15’s parallel structure (“Christ/Belial”) demands a personal rather than abstract referent, making Satan the only consistent identification. Early Church Interpretation • Tertullian, Against Marcion 5.17 – treats Belial as Satan’s name. • Chrysostom, Homily 13 on 2 Corinthians – “Belial is the very devil.” • Augustine, City of God 8.24 – lists Belial among the demons opposed to Christ. Patristic unanimity confirms the satanic identity and underscores the passage’s call for moral separation. Practical and Pastoral Implications 1. Spiritual Allegiance: Every covenant, partnership, or intimate bond aligns us with Christ or with Belial; neutrality is mythic. 2. Holiness and Mission: While believers engage unbelievers evangelistically (1 Corinthians 9:19-23), they reject binding yokes that compromise lordship. 3. Worship Integrity: Ecclesial and personal purity safeguard God’s temple from desecration (2 Corinthians 6:16). Summary Definition Belial is a Semitic title that evolved from an adjective meaning “worthlessness” to a proper name designating Satan, the personal embodiment of evil. Paul invokes it in 2 Corinthians 6:15 to dramatize the absolute incompatibility between Christ’s lordship and any alliance with idolatrous or unbelieving systems. The term thus anchors the apostolic exhortation to holy separation and exclusive devotion to the risen Lord. |
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