Bible Strands
2 Corinthians 6:15
What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever?
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — Paul addresses the Corinthian congregation to reinforce his immediate command against compromising partnerships with non-believers.
The words — συμφωνησις (sumphōnēsis) literally means musical harmony, and Βελιάρ (Beliar) translates to Belial, a term for absolute opposition.
The thread — The text’s demand for exclusive allegiance runs parallel to the warning against participating with demons in 1 Corinthians 10:20, Elijah’s rebuke of wavering between two opinions in 1 Kings 18:21, and the declaration that eternal life resides solely in His Son in 1 John 5:11.
Why it lands — The passage states that Christ and Belial share no harmony and that believers have nothing in common with unbelievers, requiring readers to actively reject any alliance that blurs this boundary.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Greek words
King James Version
And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?
Cross-references
- 1 Corinthians 10:20 No, but the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to God. And I do not want you to be participants with demons.
- 1 Kings 18:21 Then Elijah approached all the people and said, “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him. But if Baal is God, follow him.” But the people did not answer a word.
- 1 John 5:11 And this is that testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.
- 1 Samuel 5:2 carried it into the temple of Dagon, and set it beside his statue.
- Ezra 4:3 But Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the other heads of the families of Israel replied, “You have no part with us in building a house for our God, since we alone must build it for the LORD, the God of Israel, as Cyrus king of Persia has commanded us.”
- Mark 16:16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.
- Acts 5:14 Yet more and more believers were brought to the Lord—large numbers of both men and women.
- Acts 8:20 But Peter replied, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money!
- 1 Timothy 5:8 If anyone does not provide for his own, and especially his own household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.