What is the meaning of 2 Corinthians 6:1? As God’s fellow workers - “As God’s fellow workers” highlights the astonishing privilege of sharing in God’s mission. - Paul places himself and every believer alongside God in active service—never as independent contractors, but as partners under His direction (1 Corinthians 3:9). - This partnership springs from grace: God equips us for “good works, which God prepared in advance as our way of life” (Ephesians 2:10). - Because the Lord Himself is involved, the work carries eternal weight (Philippians 2:13). we urge you - Paul’s tone is earnest yet pastoral: “we urge you.” He is not merely informing but pleading, as a spiritual father would (1 Thessalonians 2:11–12). - The appeal follows his role as “ambassadors for Christ” from the preceding verse (2 Corinthians 5:20). - Urging shows that grace received produces responsibility; indifference is not an option (Romans 12:1). not to receive God’s grace - “God’s grace” encompasses the entire saving work of Christ—His cross, resurrection, indwelling Spirit, and daily provisions (Ephesians 2:8–9). - Receiving grace is more than hearing the gospel; it involves embracing and responding to it. - Paul warns that grace can be passively accepted yet practically neglected (Acts 13:43; Titus 2:11–14). in vain - “In vain” means “to no purpose,” empty, producing no fruit (1 Corinthians 15:10, 58). - The danger is not the loss of salvation earned by works—salvation is secure in Christ—but the squandering of grace’s transforming power and potential reward (Galatians 2:21; Hebrews 12:15). - A life untouched by the grace it claims to possess damages witness and wastes opportunity (Matthew 5:13–16). summary God invites believers into His work, urges us forward, and warns against hollow acceptance. Grace received must be grace applied—fueling faithful service, visible transformation, and lasting fruit. Anything less is grace received “in vain.” |
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