2 Corinthians 6:16
Intermediate2 Corinthians 6:16 · World English Bible (WEB)
“What agreement has a temple of God with idols? For you are a temple of the living God. Even as God said, “I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they will be my people.””
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Overview
God’s holy dwelling among His people excludes fellowship with idols.
Paul grounds the call to separation from idolatry in a glorious identity: believers are the temple of the living God. The church is not merely avoiding evil; she is guarding the sacred place where God Himself has promised to dwell and walk among His people.
What Makes This Verse Confusing?
Paul is not mainly picturing each believer as a private little temple here, though that truth is taught elsewhere. The wording points especially to God’s people together as His dwelling place. The contrast is between the living God’s holy sanctuary and lifeless idols; the church cannot belong to both.
The English phrase “a temple” can sound individual and general, while Paul’s argument is corporate: the Corinthian believers together are being addressed as God’s sanctuary in contrast to pagan idol-shrines.
This makes the verse weightier: compromise with idolatry is not just a personal weakness; it profanes the gathered people of God, the place He has claimed as His own dwelling.
Cultural & Historical Context
The letter was written to the church in Corinth, a city where pagan temples, civic life, trade relationships, and social meals could be closely connected with idol worship.
Paul is urging believers not to enter binding partnerships or forms of fellowship that would compromise their allegiance to Christ. In this verse, the sharp issue is idolatry: the holy dwelling of God cannot be joined to idol worship.
- ✦Ancient idol temples were not only religious buildings; they were often connected with meals, festivals, social honor, and business relationships. For Corinthian believers, refusing idolatrous fellowship could have real social and economic cost.
Theological Insights
Holiness is rooted in God’s presence: because God dwells among His people, His people must not make peace with idols.
Believers must examine any allegiance, relationship, practice, or desire that asks for the trust, devotion, or obedience that belongs to God alone.
Symbols & Metaphors
temple
The temple represents the sacred dwelling place of God, the place set apart for His presence and worship.
In the Old Testament, God dwelt among Israel in the tabernacle and later the temple. In the New Testament, His people in Christ are called His temple, as also seen in 1 Corinthians 3:16-17.
Paul is saying that God’s presence is no longer confined to a stone building in Jerusalem. By His Spirit, He dwells among His redeemed people; therefore, the church must be holy ground.
idols
Idols represent false gods and rival objects of worship that demand devotion but have no life.
Throughout Scripture, idols are contrasted with the living God: they are made things, powerless and unworthy of worship, while the Lord speaks, saves, judges, and dwells with His people.
Paul’s contrast exposes idolatry as spiritual incompatibility, not merely religious error. The living God does not share His sanctuary with lifeless rivals.
Original Language
agreement — συν-κατά-θεσις (Rec συγκ-), -εως, ἡ (συνκατατίθημι) concord, agreement : 2Co.6:16 (Polyb., Plut., al.).† (AS)
The word translated “agreement” carries the idea of mutual consent or shared arrangement. Paul’s question is not whether idols are unpleasant additions to Christian life, but whether any settled compatibility can exist between God’s sanctuary and idols. The implied answer is no.
temple — ναός , -οῦ, ὁ (Att.. νεώς; ναίω, to inhabit), [in LXX (νεώς, 2Ma.6:2 , al.) chiefly for הֵיכָל ;] __1. a temple (Hom., Find., al.). __2. The inmost part of a temple, the shrine (Hat., Xen., al.); in NT, __(a) generally : pl., Act.17:24; of silver models of a heathen shrine, Act.19:24; __(b) of the temple building proper, or sanctuary, at Jerusalem, as distinct from τ. ἱερόν (which see), the whole…
The word for “temple” refers especially to the sanctuary itself, the holy dwelling place, not merely the broader temple complex. That makes Paul’s image intensely sacred: believers are being called the very dwelling place of God.
to walk in/among — ἐν-περι-πατέω , -ῶ (Rec. ἐμπ-, see: ἐν) [in LXX: Lev.26:12 Job.1:7 , al. (הָלַךְ hithp.), Wis.19:21 ;] to walk about in or among : before ἐν., dative of person(s), 2Co.6:16 (LXX),† (AS)
The word translated “walk in/among” echoes covenant fellowship, not a passing visit. God’s presence with His people is active, relational, and continual: He dwells with them and moves among them as their God.
Lexicon & word tagging: STEP Bible (Tyndale House, STEPBible.org, CC BY 4.0)
Related Passages
Revelation 21:3
fulfillmentRevelation announces the final consummation: “Behold, God’s dwelling is with mankind,” and they shall be His people.
Exodus 29:45
backgroundGod promised to dwell among the children of Israel and be their God in connection with the tabernacle.
Hebrews 8:10
BackgroundLeviticus 26:12
backgroundLeviticus contains the covenant promise, “I will walk among you, and will be your God, and you shall be my people.” Paul draws on this promise directly in 2 Corinthians 6:16.
Jeremiah 32:38
BackgroundEzekiel 37:26-27
Background1 Corinthians 3:16-17
parallelPaul had already told the Corinthians, “You are God’s temple,” and warned that God’s temple is holy.
Ezekiel 11:20
BackgroundCross-references from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge · openbible.info (CC-BY)
How This Applies Today
This verse calls believers to reject every form of spiritual compromise that tries to place the living God beside an idol. God’s people are His dwelling place; therefore worship, loyalty, and fellowship must be governed by His holiness.
- →Identify any “agreement” in your life where loyalty to Christ is being blended with something that competes for His place.
- →Treat the gathered church with reverence, remembering that God calls His people His temple.
- What rival devotion is seeking space in the sanctuary that belongs to the living God?
Key Takeaway
God’s people are His living temple, so they cannot make covenant peace with idols.
The church is not a room where God occasionally visits; she is the sanctuary where the living God has promised to dwell.“
Analysis generated on September 8, 2026 · version 2.0
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