2 Corinthians 6:16; What Agreement Hath The Tempe of God With Idols?

2 Corinthians 6:16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

It is interesting to observe the background giving rise to the Apostle Paul’s indictment, “In 1 Corinthians 8:1-13 and 10:14-30, Paul dealt extensively with problems relating to dining in pagan temples and eating meat sacrificed to idols. These activities were not simply a function of pagan religiosity from which the new believer could easily abstain. Rather, they were an integral part of the social fabric of Roman society and were often associated with the fulfilment of civic responsibilities. Since only the well-to-do had homes large enough for a formal dining room, the abundant temples of Corinth provided facilities for entertaining dinner parties. The related fees were naturally used for the support of the temple and cult. Numerous invitations to these ancient cocktail parties survive.”¹

The Apostle Paul is seeking the Corinthian believer not to be entangled again with idolatry which they have been delivered from in Christ. He is requesting them to cleanse their life from any idols, not just physical ones, but spiritual ones like money, pleasure, fame or material things. [MacDonald]

It is timely that the believer is reminded to make a clean break from the entanglement idolatry.

1 John 5:21 Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.

¹Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary, NewTestament – Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary on the New Testament – Romans to Philemon.”