“And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols?”
The full verse · 2 Corinthians 6:16 · KJV
hath the of ? the of the ; hath , I will , walk them; I will , shall .
Asked by
Paul: the apostle appealing to the Corinthians as a father to his children (2 Corinthians 6:13)
Asked to
Corinthians: the church of God at Corinth, whom Paul addresses as his children and urges to open their hearts to him (2 Corinthians 6:11-13)
The Scene
Paul is finishing a string of questions about partnerships that cannot work: righteousness with unrighteousness, light with darkness, Christ with Belial, a believer with an unbeliever (2 Corinthians 6:14-15).
Why It Was Asked
The purpose behind the questionThis is the last and sharpest of Paul's questions. A temple of the true God was never meant to hold idols. Barnes puts it simply: the temple was built for a different purpose, and idol worship in it would not be tolerated. Then Paul turns the question on the Corinthians: "ye are the temple of the living God." If they are God's dwelling place, then joining themselves to idolatry makes no more sense than setting an idol in God's house. Gill says there can be no agreement, "no more than the ark of the Lord had with Dagon."
The Response
What Scripture recordsPaul answers right away: "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." He then draws the conclusion: "come out from among them, and be ye separate ... and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you" (2 Corinthians 6:17-18). He closes, "Having therefore these promises ... let us cleanse ourselves" (2 Corinthians 7:1).
Historical Context
The world behind the wordsIdols were a real issue for the Corinthian church: Paul had earlier written about what could happen if a believer were seen sitting "at meat in the idol's temple" (1 Corinthians 8:10). Barnes says the promise Paul quotes comes substantially from Exodus 29:45 ("I will dwell among the children of Israel"), Leviticus 26:12 ("I will walk among you"), and Ezekiel 37:27 ("I will be their God, and they shall be my people"). Gill points back to 1 Samuel 5, where the Philistines set the ark of God in the house of their idol Dagon, and Dagon fell on his face before it (1 Samuel 5:2-4).
The Bigger Picture
Where this fits in God's storyGod has always wanted to live among His people. He promised it at the tabernacle (Exodus 29:45), in the law (Leviticus 26:12), and through the prophets (Ezekiel 37:27). Paul says that promise is now true of believers: they are His temple. Barnes notes that the words "I will dwell in them" allude to God's presence among Israel through the Shechinah, which he describes as the visible symbol of God's presence.
That is why idols do not fit. Matthew Henry writes, "Idols are rivals with God for his honour, and God is a jealous God." But the command to come out comes with a warm promise: "I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you" (2 Corinthians 6:17-18). Holiness here is not about being kept away from God. It is about making room for Him.
Look Closer
Who does Paul say is "the temple of the living God"?
Carry the question into prayer and conversation.
Father, You have chosen to dwell in Your people; what in my life is competing for the place that belongs only to You?
A prayer to carry into the day.
- If your life is God's dwelling place, what would "making room" for Him look like this week?
- Share a time you let go of something that had taken God's place, and what you found in His presence afterward.
For you, a small group, a friend, or the dinner table.
You are not just someone who visits God's house. Together with other believers, you are God's house. He has promised to dwell in His people and walk among them.
That changes how you look at the things that compete for your heart. An idol is anything that takes God's place. Paul's question asks you to notice those things and give them up, not out of fear, but because God Himself lives with you.
This is not about earning God's presence. Paul says God has already made His people His temple. The call to holiness grows out of the promise, not the other way around: "Having therefore these promises ... let us cleanse ourselves" (2 Corinthians 7:1). Scripture's own application: 2 Corinthians 7:1
Built from the biblical text and checked against trusted commentaries and lexicons. References & Sources
Keep questioning
“For what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness?”
“And what concord hath Christ with Belial? Or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?”
“How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious?”
“Do ye look on things after the outward appearance?”