2 Corinthians 6:10, commentary and pictures

To be sorrowful yet always rejoicing is to endure hardship and share in suffering without losing inward joy and strength. To be poor yet making many rich and to have nothing yet possess all things is to be outwardly without material wealth while being rich in God, enriching others spiritually by giving truth, labor, means and soul-winning service with contentment. These are the closing marks of those who prove themselves true servants of God and keep the ministry blameless through patience in affliction, purity of life, the power of God, and steadfastness through honor and dishonor. Paul lived this pattern himself, finding joy and spiritual riches in toil, sacrifice and poverty, and it remains the pattern for faithful ministers, teachers, canvassers, members and humble workers who represent Christ in character. Living it calls for wholehearted conversion, self-examination, surrender and brokenness of selfishness, putting the whole being into prayer, the Word, unity with brethren and Christlike kindness, so that others take courage and see Jesus.

Context and Meaning

The verse stands within an appeal to those laboring jointly with God not to accept divine grace to no purpose, for the present is the accepted time and the day of salvation. It portrays ministers of God marked by grief united with unceasing joy, material poverty that enriches many, and outward destitution joined with possession of all things. It is one of the binding conditions of 2 Corinthians 6:1-18 for everyone bearing the Christian name, calling believers as appointed chosen representatives to an apostate world to reveal Christ's character in works and to answer the exalted possibility of human excellence, warning that now is ever the eternal now with no tomorrow belonging to anyone, so the whole chapter from first verse to last is of great importance and its principles are in no case to be neglected.

It gives the closing marks of those who commend themselves as ministers of God and give no offense so the ministry is not blamed. That approval is shown in much patience through afflictions, necessities, distresses, stripes, imprisonments, tumults, labors, watchings and fastings, and by pureness, knowledge, longsuffering, kindness, the Holy Spirit, unfeigned love, the word of truth, the power of God, and the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left. It is lived through honor and dishonor and evil report and good report, as deceivers yet true, unknown yet well known, dying yet living, and chastened yet not killed, ending in sorrow joined with constant rejoicing, poverty enriching many, and having nothing while possessing all things. For school work this same life requires rejecting cheap careless management, faithfulness in least as in much, correcting small mistakes at once, and doing every stroke well in cultivating land and erecting buildings with faithful exactitude as stewards of the Lord's treasure, because eternal interests are involved. Those who share in Christ's glory must share in His sufferings, so believers should prepare for affliction, necessity, distress, stripes, imprisonment, tumult, labor, watching and fasting, examine whether they are leaving undone what God expects, be thoroughly converted, and shine brightly amid moral darkness.

The verse belongs to the call to come out from among unbelievers and be separate and touch not the unclean thing. That separation means no fellowship of righteousness with unrighteousness, no communion of light with darkness, no concord of Christ with Belial, and no agreement of the temple of God with idols. Time, talents and every jot of influence belong to the Lord for doing His bidding and learning daily of Him, so His purchased servants are not to set up in business for themselves, not to unite with unbelievers in medical work or link up with the world, but to receive the grace of Christ, wear His yoke in meekness and lowliness, and work in connection with brethren. Those entering the strait gate and traveling the narrow path cast up for the ransomed will find obstacles, tribulations, bruising of spirit, hard speeches, ridicule, persecutions, and demands to conform to laws and customs that would make them disloyal to God, finding the cross in the way to life, and if the Sabbath of the fourth commandment is sacred as the sign between God and His people brought to view in the third angel's message, every word and act must show Him honor and all His requirements must be obeyed in union with Christ. With the large and comprehensive promises that God will dwell in them and walk in them and be their God and they shall be His people, that He will receive them and be a Father to them as His sons and daughters, those having these promises must out of gratitude become debtors to all to share His great goodness and must cleanse themselves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

The chapter's instruction is higher instruction for Christian life, presenting a way of living shaped by the principles of God's Word which students and workers are to study and follow rather than adopting the world's standards. The apostle's exhortation is more appropriate now than ever because the Lord is soon to come and perilous times lie ahead. It applies to the people of God in their present spiritual condition, calling them for Christ's sake to open their eyes to discern spiritual things. Its teaching is to be carried into daily and family life as encouragement of great importance to those who truly understand the gospel message, and practicing it there safeguards against errors that threaten the church.

Being sorrowful yet always rejoicing means enduring sorrow and hardship while continually rejoicing, so outward circumstances do not prevent spiritual joy or strength in the Lord. A faithful minister can endure sorrow and poverty while rejoicing, and sharing in Christ's sufferings does not take away joy in Him. Hardship, deprivation and conflict endured in ministry leave intact the joy and spiritual riches found in serving.

Being poor yet making many rich and having nothing yet possessing all things means being materially poor and outwardly having nothing while possessing all things in God and in Christ. The joy and riches are spiritual, so apparent lack does not mean absence of the gifts and blessings found in God. Enriching many is done spiritually by ministering truth, dwelling on precious truths, getting the light before as many as possible and letting light shine into minds, including visiting from house to house as evangelists with books containing great light. It is done by unitedly engaging in God's work in a humble sphere, teaching the truth, training and educating and lifting up those for whom Christ died, winning all possible to Christ, and investing even limited means, labor and money in that work, with joy, contentment, and the riches of grace flowing out to others.

Ministry and Christian Life

The verse pictures Paul's own work as the pattern for gospel ministers, who must live the truths they teach and give no offense so the ministry is not blamed. It means ministers approve themselves as ministers of God by patient endurance in afflictions, necessities, distresses, stripes, imprisonments, tumults, labors, watchings and fastings, and by pureness, knowledge, kindness, the Holy Spirit, unfeigned love, the word of truth, the power of God, and the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left. His life of toil, sacrifice, poverty and hardship was not loss to him, because though poor in worldly goods and having nothing materially he found joy and spiritual riches in serving God, enriched others, possessed all things in God, held sorrow together with constant rejoicing, and could look back on his struggles with satisfaction.

The verse describes the paradoxes of God's ministers, church members and teachers: sorrowful yet always rejoicing, poor yet making many rich, and having nothing yet possessing all things. It describes gospel canvassers who visit from house to house as evangelists with books containing great light, who as workers together with God dwell on precious truths and get the light before as many as possible, letting light shine into minds and thereby making many rich. It also describes those working in a humble sphere who unitedly engage in the work of God by teaching the truth, training and educating and lifting up those for whom Christ died, winning all they can to Christ, and investing even limited means to enrich others spiritually. The way marked out is to represent Christ in character and approve oneself through patience under affliction, necessity, distress, opposition, dishonor and evil report while holding the favor of God, enduring honor and dishonor and evil report and good report as deceivers yet true, unknown yet well known, dying yet living, and chastened yet not killed, since those who share in Christ's glory must share in His sufferings and prepare for affliction, tumult, labor, watching and fasting.

Living the verse requires putting the powers of the whole being into answering Christ's prayer, correcting thoughts, words and acts, reading and practicing the Word, and taking self sternly in hand. It requires expressing love to God by believing God is working with the worker, putting away one's own ideas, uniting with brethren, not standing in one's own light, and hiding self in Jesus so God can make the worker His mouthpiece to speak through him to others. So lived, it produces people so kind, tender, loving and Christlike that others take knowledge of having been with Jesus and having learned of Him, the world sees that God sent His Son to save sinners, and the worker gives courage and hope to the souls of others.

The verse gives the closing marks of those who approve themselves as ministers of God and workers together with Him, who receive not the grace of God in vain: grief joined with constant joy, material poverty that enriches many, and having nothing while possessing all things, served out in much patience and by pureness, knowledge, longsuffering, kindness, the Holy Ghost, love unfeigned, the word of truth, the power of God, and the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, through honor and dishonor and evil report and good report. These are the timbers to be used in building character by co-workers with Christ, to be heeded in character building, so that in times of perplexity and distress when heavy strain is brought to bear these qualities plainly reveal what kind of timbers were used. For school and daily work this requires rejecting cheap, careless management as unfaithful stewardship of the Lord's treasure, being faithful in least as in much, correcting small mistakes at once, and doing every stroke well in cultivating the land and erecting buildings with faithful exactitude because eternal interests are involved.

The verse calls those who have the light of truth to self-examination whether they are leaving undone much that God expects them to do, to be thoroughly converted, and to shine brightly for the Lord amidst the moral darkness of the world. It exposes a life whose whole center and circumference is self, drawing in everything within reach and grasping and retaining every advantage, as spiritually deceived in heart, spirit, soul and flesh and ruled by selfishness, putting the Saviour to shame. It calls for falling on the Rock and being broken, humbling the heart before God without delay, surrendering whole heart, soul, strength and mind, undoing what has been done wrong, and turning from a wayward heart to receive the blessing Jesus offers. It means doing one's best cheerfully and lovingly and patiently and hopefully without becoming weary so that strength becomes sickly, stopping work till rested when tired, going apart to rest awhile when full of care and worry and self-pity, and not worrying out of the arms of Jesus.