2 Corinthians 6:7Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

“In the word of truth” (v. 7), which he often mentions, meaning that we proclaimed the word of God without deception and without falsification.

“In the power of God.” As he always does, he attributes nothing to himself, but assigns everything to God and ascribes all his actions to Him. So he does here also.

Since he had said many great things about himself, namely that he lived blamelessly in all things and showed the highest wisdom in himself, he ascribes all this to the Spirit and to God.

Indeed, what he said was extraordinary. If it is difficult even for one living in quiet to become virtuous and blameless, then consider what sort of soul he had.

“In the word of truth.” That is, not corrupting the word of God.

“In the power of God.” Nothing, he says, is mine, but all this was accomplished “in the power of God,” either in signs and wonders, or in power that both chastens and does good.

“With the weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left.” The “weapons of righteousness in the left hand” mean everything grievous. Those in the “right hand” mean everything that protects us and places us in safety.

In the “left hand” are things many regard as sorrowful, for the Lord also commanded us to pray that we not enter into temptation. In the “right hand” are joyful things.

Thus Paul showed himself blameless in both, neither losing heart in sorrows nor being puffed up in joys. He made all these things weapons of righteousness.

The Holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth, enlightens the human mind. Therefore the holy Apostle Paul, having received the grace of the Holy Spirit, showed his love for Him in the word of truth and in the power of God.

He warred with the weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left.

Truth is an invincible power, no matter how men try to suppress it, conceal it, or drive it away.

The true teaching of Christ, having seized the apostolic heart, stirred in him everywhere a great zeal.

Thus he dedicated to Christ all the powers of both spirit and body, and established God’s righteousness despite every obstacle, defending himself on every side, on the right and on the left.

He warred, as it is written, with the weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left.

For a man of elevated mind, everything appears entirely equal, and nothing is more preferable than another. The goal of life is reached equally amid contrary conditions.

Each allotment of life has equal capacity for virtuous and for vicious living, “with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left,” “in honor and dishonor,” as the Apostle says.

With these weapons, a man whose mind is purified and who understands the truth of things rightly completes his journey.

He passes from birth to the end of life through the time appointed to him, neither corrupted by pleasures nor crushed by difficulties.

Like travelers, he advances ever farther and pays little attention to the things that appear before him.

And in the word of truth toward strangers and one’s own, and in the power of God, that is, through the great help of God. Through the weapons of righteousness on the right and on the left, understand this as toward good sons and evil sons.

The word of truth was in his teaching, for the Apostle handed down nothing other than what he himself had received from the Lord (cf. Gal 1:12).

[...] and by “the word of truth” he means the preaching of piety. He made everything depend on “the power of God,” because by its help he succeeded in what he mentioned.

“With weapons of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, by glory and dishonor, by evil report and good report; as deceivers, and yet true; as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live.

As chastened, and not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.”

All these things are directly opposed to one another: glory to dishonor, reviling to praise, life to death, joy to sorrow.

Yet the Apostle made both kinds weapons of righteousness. From opposites he blended one single virtue.

The ninth virtue is the power of God, that is, its manifestation in action and in human weaknesses. To it the Apostle joins the weapons of righteousness, with which he attacks and defends himself in the struggle against the enemies of his ministry.

By weapons on the right hand and on the left he means those held by a soldier in the right and left hands. In the right hand was the sword or spear, and in the left the shield. Therefore the right hand served for attack, the left for defense.

Some, however, take the right-hand weapons as favorable circumstances, and the left-hand weapons as adverse ones. Compare Eph 6:16-17.

In preaching these fundamental truths of Christianity, we strive in our life and conduct to place no stumbling block before anyone in anything. That is, we allow nothing scandalous, so that our apostolic ministry may not be blamed.

“But in everything we commend ourselves as servants of God: in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses, in stripes, in imprisonments,” and so forth.

In the words that follow, the holy Apostle Paul vividly depicts the outward contrast between the constraint and oppression of his position and the greatness of the labors he undertook.

He undertook them so as not to give believers even one stumbling block in anything.

“We are unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as chastened, and not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.”

In explaining the words “in the power of God,” blessed Theophylact writes that the Apostle means this: “In the preaching of the Gospel and in its success, nothing is mine.

Everything here was accomplished by the power of God, by signs and wonders, by a power that chastens or does good.”

Concerning the words “weapons of righteousness on the right hand and on the left,” and so forth, His Grace Theophan says:

“The Apostle continues to indicate in what and how they showed themselves true servants of God.

We used both the defensive instruments and those that strike the enemies of righteousness in such a way as to show ourselves servants of God.

By righteousness he means the righteous cause, the faith of Christ. By weapons he means both his word and his labors, and every help from above.

“In the word of truth,” in a true word, one in which there was neither deception, nor falsification, nor flattery, nor guile.

As we received, as we were convinced, so we also hand it on, with full consciousness that we hand it on exactly and without any admixture.

“Of this he often makes mention,” says Saint Chrysostom, “namely, that we proclaim the word of God without deceit and without falsification.”

“In the power of God.” By the words “in the Holy Spirit” he signified in general the whole fullness of apostolic gifts.

Here he chiefly signifies the signs and wonders that accompanied the preaching of the Gospel.

The manifestation of God’s power was so inseparable from the word of truth that without it this word could not have taken root in human minds and hearts.

He who righteously strives for righteousness according to human relations is armed with the weapons of righteousness in the left hand. But he who acts thus according to the teachings of truth, enduring persecutions in order to become a son of righteousness, bears the weapons of righteousness in the right hand.