“Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,”
My Notes
What Does 2 Corinthians 6:17 Mean?
God calls his people to separation: come out from among them, and be ye separate. Touch not the unclean thing. The call is to distinction — living differently from the surrounding culture.
"Come out" implies you are currently in — immersed in, entangled with, surrounded by. The separation requires movement: leaving where you are.
"Be ye separate" means to be distinguished, set apart, visibly different. The separation is not just internal belief. It is observable lifestyle.
"Touch not the unclean thing" uses Old Testament purity language applied to moral and spiritual contamination. The instruction is to avoid contact with what defiles — not people themselves, but the practices and values that contradict God.
The promise (v.18): I will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters. The separation produces intimacy — distance from the world produces closeness with God. What you leave behind is replaced by what you gain: family with God.
Reflection Questions
- 1.What does 'come out and be separate' look like practically without becoming isolated or self-righteous?
- 2.How do you distinguish between touching 'the unclean thing' and touching unclean people (which Jesus did)?
- 3.What entanglements is God calling you to separate from?
- 4.How does the promise of family with God motivate the difficulty of separation?
Devotional
Come out from among them, and be ye separate. The call to separation is uncomfortable in a culture that values inclusion above everything. But God says: come out. Be different. Do not blend.
Touch not the unclean thing. Not the unclean person — Jesus touched unclean people constantly. The unclean thing — the practices, the values, the allegiances that contaminate your devotion to God.
I will receive you. The separation is not isolation. It is relocation — from one community to another. You leave the entanglement. God receives you. The trade is not loss. It is exchange.
I will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters. The reward of separation is family. The distance from the world produces proximity to God. What you give up is replaced by something infinitely better: a Father who calls you son or daughter.
Separation is not about being better than the world. It is about belonging to God so deeply that the world's contamination cannot reach you. You can love people without adopting their practices. You can be in the world without being of it.
What are you entangled with that God is calling you to separate from? Not people — he loves people. But practices, values, allegiances that are contaminating your devotion. Come out. Be separate. And receive what is waiting: a Father.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
And will be a father unto you,.... The same is promised to Solomon, Sa2 7:14 and said of Israel, Jer 31:9 which is…
Wherefore - Since you are a special people. Since God, the holy and blessed God, dwells with you and among you. Come out…
Wherefore come out from among them - Is it not plain from this and the following verse that God would be their God only…
The apostle proceeds to address himself more particularly to the Corinthians, and cautions them against mingling with…
Wherefore come out from among them A combination of Isa 52:11 with Eze 20:34. This passage must be read in conjunction…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture