“Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God” (2 Corinthians 7:1).
As we begin our look at 2 Corinthians chapter seven, we can begin by considering the relationship between the opening verse of this chapter and the verse that immediately precedes it.
First, it helps to remember that the Biblical chapter and verse divisions we see today were not included among the original Biblical texts. These reference aids were added later to help identify each individual portion of Scripture. While these divisions provide us with a quick and accurate method of quoting Scripture, they may sometimes interrupt the flow of a Biblical author’s thought. Such is the case here in 2 Corinthians 7:1.
You see, the opening verse of this chapter serves to summarize and close the thought that Paul the Apostle began near the end of the previous chapter. If we were to examine this verse in context along with the closing verses of 2 Corinthians chapter six, the entire concept would look like this…
“Therefore, come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord; do not touch any unclean thing, and I will welcome you. I will be a Father to you, and you will be sons and daughters to Me, says the Lord Almighty. Therefore, dear friends, since we have such promises, let us cleanse ourselves from every impurity of the flesh and spirit, completing our sanctification in the fear of God” (2 Corinthians 6:17-7:1 HCSB).
One commentator then goes on to alert us to the importance of the words “flesh” and “spirit” as contained within this verse…
“We are to cleanse ourselves not only from the filthiness of the flesh, but also of the spirit. As believers, we are very cognizant of the sins of the flesh—those sins that are done outwardly and that seem to permeate our culture increasingly. Yet how often we fail to even notice the much more dangerous sins of the spirit—like gossiping, fault-finding, laziness, cynicism.
Jesus indicted the Pharisees for being more concerned about their rituals and ceremonial cleansing than about the big issues of justice and mercy (Matthew 23:23). That is why it is imperative that we take to heart what Paul is saying. Our flesh might appear quite presentable, but what about the grudges we keep, the anger that wells up within, the lustful thoughts, and the wrong perspectives we know need to be corrected? Paul says, ‘Cleanse yourselves from filthiness of both the flesh and the spirit. Deal with it all.'” (1)
(1) Courson, J. (2003). Jon Courson’s Application Commentary (pp. 1124–1125). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson.