What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever?
English Standard Version (ESV)
All verses
2 Corinthians 6:15
What does 2 Corinthians 6:15 mean?
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
2 Corinthians 6:15
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
It's not just about what divides us, but about what belongs to us in Christ. The question "What portion does a believer share with an unbeliever?" slams shut any idea of a neutral middle ground or a blend between these two realities. It forcefully declares that our inheritance and identity are exclusively with Christ, leaving no room for compromise with the forces that oppose Him.
What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever?
English Standard Version (ESV)
Paul is directly addressing the Corinthians, urging them not to be unequally yoked with unbelievers in their community and church life. He's just finished a passionate appeal for reconciliation, and now he’s driving home the radical separation that Christ calls his followers to from the world. This powerful rhetorical question sets the stage for his exhortation to come out from among them and be holy.
Paul throws out two rhetorical questions that pack a serious punch. Have you ever considered how different Jesus is from the forces that oppose Him?
In this verse, Paul uses powerful imagery to emphasize the absolute incompatibility between followers of Christ and those who live in opposition to God.
Christ vs. Belial
Paul isn't just asking for a slight difference; he's asking about accord – a harmony, an agreement, a partnership. The answer is a resounding NO. There can be no common ground between the divine and the demonic, between the Savior and the destroyer.
Believer vs. Unbeliever
He extends this to the people involved: 'What portion does a believer share with an unbeliever?' This highlights that our identity in Christ sets us apart. We are called out of darkness into His marvelous light. Sharing life in a way that compromises this core identity with those who remain in darkness is impossible if we are truly following Jesus.
Paul's questions aren't just theological statements; they are a call to action. What does this mean for how we live in the world?
Ask a follow-up
The profound difference between Christ and Belial, and by extension, believers and unbelievers, leads directly to the need for separation – not in a way that isolates us, but in a way that protects our distinct identity in Christ.
Why Separate?
Understand the original words
symphōnēsis · Greek Noun
Agreement, harmony, or concord. It suggests a shared mind or purpose between two parties.
Christos · Greek Noun
The 'Anointed One,' the Messiah of God. He is the Son of God who reconciles humanity to the Father through His substitutionary death and resurrection.
Beliar · Hebrew/Greek Noun
A Hebrew term meaning 'worthlessness' or 'wickedness.' In the New Testament, it is used as a proper name or title for Satan, representing the ultimate enemy of God.
Paul's urgent plea to separate from corrupting influences in Corinth reflects the intense struggle early believers faced to maintain their distinct identity amidst a deeply pagan and syncretistic Greco-Roman world.
c. 330 BC - 167 BC
Hellenistic Period Begins
Following Alexander the Great's conquests, Greek culture and influence spread throughout the ancient Near East, including Judea.
167 BC - 164 BC
Maccabean Revolt
Jewish resistance against the Seleucid ruler Antiochus IV Epiphanes, who sought to suppress Jewish religion and enforce Hellenistic practices.
c. 63 BC
Roman Conquest of Judea
Rome establishes control over Judea, integrating it into the Roman Empire and profoundly impacting Jewish religious and political life.
c. 30 AD
Crucifixion of Jesus
The central event of Christian faith, leading to the formation of the early Church.
c. 40s-50s AD
Paul's Missionary Journeys
The Apostle Paul travels extensively, establishing Christian communities across the Roman Empire, often in areas with existing pagan and Jewish populations.
c. 50s AD— this verse
Tension in Corinth
The Apostle Paul addresses significant challenges within the Corinthian church, including divisions, moral issues, and external pressures from the surrounding pagan culture.
c. 55 AD
Writing of 1 Corinthians
Paul writes his first letter to the Corinthians, dealing with their problems and offering guidance on Christian living in a complex society.
This passage directly echoes the idea of divided loyalties, asking if you can drink from the Lord’s cup and the cup of demons, highlighting the incompatibility of serving two masters.
Matthew 6:24Jesus makes a similar point about allegiance, stating that no one can serve two masters, emphasizing that our devotion must be singular and cannot be split between God and worldly possessions or opposing forces.
2 Corinthians 6:14This verse immediately precedes 2 Corinthians 6:15 and sets the stage by explicitly commanding believers not to be unequally yoked with unbelievers, providing the direct context for Paul's rhetorical questions.
1 John 2:15John warns against loving the world or the things in the world, showing that this love is not from the Father, which parallels Paul's question about sharing anything with opposing forces.
It's not just about what divides us, but about what belongs to us in Christ. The question "What portion does a believer share with an unbeliever?" slams shut any idea of a neutral middle ground or a blend between these two realities. It forcefully declares that our inheritance and identity are exclusively with Christ, leaving no room for compromise with the forces that oppose Him.
Paul is directly addressing the Corinthians, urging them not to be unequally yoked with unbelievers in their community and church life. He's just finished a passionate appeal for reconciliation, and now he’s driving home the radical separation that Christ calls his followers to from the world. This powerful rhetorical question sets the stage for his exhortation to come out from among them and be holy.
Paul is directly addressing the Corinthians, urging them not to be unequally yoked with unbelievers in their community and church life. He's just finished a passionate appeal for reconciliation, and now he’s driving home the radical separation that Christ calls his followers to from the world. This powerful rhetorical question sets the stage for his exhortation to come out from among them and be holy.
"What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever?" — It's not just about what divides us, but about what belongs to us in Christ. The question "What portion does a believer share with an unbeliever?" slams shut any idea of a neutral middle ground or…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026