By the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left,
All Commentaries on 2 Corinthians 6:7 Go To 2 Corinthians 6
John Chrysostom
AD 407
In the word of truth.
A thing he says in many places, that 'we continued neither to handle the word of God deceitfully nor to adulterate it.'
In the power of God. That which he always does ascribing nothing to himself but the whole to God, and imputing whatsoever he has done aright to Him, this he has done here also. For since he uttered great things, and affirmed that he had manifested in all things an irreproachable life and exalted wisdom, he ascribes this to the Spirit and to God. For neither were those commonplace things which he had said. For if it be a difficult thing even for one who lives in quiet to do aright and be irreproachable, consider him who was harassed by so great temptations, and yet shone forth through all, what a spirit he was of! And yet he underwent not these alone, but even far more than these, as he mentions next. And what is indeed marvelous is, not that he was irreproachable though sailing in such mighty waves, nor that he endured all nobly, but all with pleasure even. Which things, all, he makes clear to us by the next words, saying,
By the armor of righteousness on the right and the left.
3. Do you see his self-possession of soul and well-strung spirit? For he shows that afflictions are arms not only which strike not down, but do even fortify and make stronger. And he calls those things 'left,' which seem to be painful; for such those are which bring with them the reward. Wherefore then does he call them thus? Either in conformity with the conception of the generality, or because God commanded us to pray that we enter not into temptation.
