2 Corinthians 6 8

2 Corinthians 6:8 kjv

By honour and dishonour, by evil report and good report: as deceivers, and yet true;

2 Corinthians 6:8 nkjv

by honor and dishonor, by evil report and good report; as deceivers, and yet true;

2 Corinthians 6:8 niv

through glory and dishonor, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors;

2 Corinthians 6:8 esv

through honor and dishonor, through slander and praise. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true;

2 Corinthians 6:8 nlt

We serve God whether people honor us or despise us, whether they slander us or praise us. We are honest, but they call us impostors.

2 Corinthians 6 verses

2 Corinthians 6 8 Meaning

The apostle Paul, in 2 Corinthians 6:8, describes his ministry using a paradox. He explains that he and his fellow workers are perceived in contrasting ways by the world, yet these perceptions reflect the truth of their God-honoring service. They are known through good reputation and ill repute, as credible and yet as deceptive, as honored and yet as dishonored, as falsely accused and yet as truthful. These apparent contradictions highlight the difficult yet faithful path of apostolic ministry, where outward appearances did not always match the reality of their service and their standing with God.

2 Corinthians 6 8 Context

This verse is found in the sixth chapter of 2 Corinthians, within Paul's second letter to the church in Corinth. Paul is in the midst of defending his apostolic ministry and authority against accusations and opposition from within the Corinthian church or from Judaizers. He emphasizes the spiritual realities of his service, contrasting the world's perception of suffering and apparent weakness with the actual power and fruitfulness of God's work through him. This passage is part of a larger section where Paul explains the nature of the new covenant and contrasts it with the old. He is portraying a ministry that is misunderstood by the world but known and approved by God.

2 Corinthians 6 8 Word Analysis

• "As" (ὡς - hōs): Indicates similarity or manner, introducing a description of how they appeared to the world.

• "Unknown" (ἀγνουμένους - agnoumenous): Present participle, passive, accusative plural. Refers to being not recognized or acknowledged.

• "And yet" (καὶ - kai, and ὥσπερ - hōsper, as): Connects the contrasting pairs.

• "Well known" (ἐπιγιγνωσκομένους - epignōskomenous): Present participle, passive, accusative plural. Implies a deeper, fuller knowledge, perhaps recognized by God or true believers.

• "As dying" (ἀποθνῄσκοντας - apothnēskontas): Present participle, active, accusative plural. Describes their state of continuous facing death or extreme hardship that leads to death.

• "And behold" (καὶ - kai, and ἰδού - idou): "Behold" draws attention to a surprising fact.

• "We live" (ζῶμεν - zōmen): Present indicative, active. Denotes continuous life, emphasizing resurrection life or spiritual vitality.

• "As punished" (παιδευομένους - paideuomenous): Present participle, passive, accusative plural. Refers to chastisement, discipline, or scourging, often by authorities.

• "And yet not killed" (καὶ οὐ θανατουμένους - kai ou thanatoumenous): "Not put to death." Despite severe punishment, their essential life was preserved.

• "As sorrowful" (λυπούμενοι - lypoumenoi): Present participle, passive, nominative plural (here used adverbially in sense of 'being sorrowful'). Expressing grief or distress.

• "Yet always rejoicing" (ἀεὶ χαίροντες - aei chairontes): "Always" (ἀεὶ - aei) emphasizes continuous state, "rejoicing" (χαίροντες - chairontes) expresses joy. The joy is from God, not circumstance.

• "As poor" (πτωχοί - ptōchoi): Adjective, nominative plural. Destitute, lacking material possessions or status.

• "Yet making many rich" (πλουτοῦντες - ploutountes): Present participle, active, nominative plural. Enriching others, likely spiritually or in terms of eternal blessings.

• "As having nothing" (καὶ καθ᾽ ὅλον οὐδὲν ἔχοντες - kai kath’ holon ouden echontes): "And altogether having nothing." Absolute poverty or lack of earthly possessions.

• "And yet possessing all things" (καὶ πάντα κατέχοντες - kai panta katechontes): "And possessing all things." Owning or controlling all things through Christ's kingdom and provision.

• "Honored" (τιμώμενοι - timōmenoi): Present participle, passive, accusative plural. Held in honor or esteem.

• "Dishonored" (ἀτιμαζόμενοι - atimazomenoi): Present participle, passive, accusative plural. Treated with dishonor or contempt.

• "Falsely accused" (ψευδόμενοι - pseudomenoi): Present participle, passive, accusative plural. Subject to false accusations or slander.

• "Truthful" (ἀληθεῖς - alētheis): Adjective, nominative plural. True, sincere, upright in character.

2 Corinthians 6 8 Bonus Section

The literary device of antithesis is strongly employed here, where contrasting ideas or terms are set in opposition to highlight a specific point. Paul presents pairs of opposites to show that his ministry operates on a different plane than the world's understanding. This mirrors Christ's own ministry (John 1:5, 1 John 4:5), where appearances often deceived and the divine reality was hidden to many. The spiritual abundance described in "making many rich" and "possessing all things" connects to Old Testament concepts of the Messiah's kingdom and the blessings inherited by faith. The ultimate source of their enduring life, joy, and riches is not from worldly resources but from their union with Christ, the resurrected Lord. The "suffering" and "punishment" they faced were often attempts by the world to silence the gospel, but God’s power meant that the message continued to advance.

2 Corinthians 6 8 Commentary

Paul masterfully uses paradoxes to convey the divine character of his ministry, which was often at odds with human expectations and worldly judgment. The Corinthians, influenced by those who emphasized outward success and eloquence, struggled to reconcile the apparent weakness of Paul's methods with his claims of apostolic authority. These contrasts reveal that their ministry was characterized by an internal reality that transcended superficial appearances. They faced death-like circumstances, yet God sustained their spiritual life. They endured hardship and received punishment, yet they were not spiritually destroyed. They experienced grief due to suffering for the gospel, yet their joy was rooted in Christ, an unshakeable source. They possessed virtually nothing in terms of worldly wealth, yet they made countless individuals spiritually rich and heirs of God's kingdom. They were regarded as having no earthly possessions but in Christ, they were inheritors of all spiritual blessings. The Apostle was both esteemed by God and some believers, and scorned by others, truly a living example of Christ's followers, facing falsehood and yet remaining in truth.