2 Corinthians 6:18
And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.
Study Note
Study Note
The compilation of Old Testament quotations climaxes in this adaptation of 2 Samuel 7:14 ('I will be his father, and he shall be my son') expanded to include 'sons and daughters' — a significant broadening of the Davidic promise to encompass the entire new-covenant community. The inclusion of 'daughters' (an addition to the Samuel text) extends the promise beyond its original dynastic-royal scope to all believers regardless of gender, reflecting the new-creation inclusivity announced in Galatians 3:28. The preceding verses present this father-child relationship as contingent on separation from idolatrous entanglement ('come out from among them,' v. 17), grounding the call to holiness in relational privilege rather than legal demand. This verse became foundational for Wesleyan and Holiness understandings of adoption and entire sanctification.
Other Translations
And will be to you a Father, And ye shall be to me sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.
and I will be to you for a Father, and ye--ye shall be to Me for sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.'
And will be a Father to you; and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord, the Ruler of all.
Cross References
And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the Lord appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am …
And Jacob said unto Joseph, God Almighty appeared unto me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and blessed me,
I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with …
A seed shall serve him; it shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation.
I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back: bring my sons from far, …
But I said, How shall I put thee among the children, and give thee a pleasant land, a goodly heritage …
At the same time, saith the Lord, will I be the God of all the families of Israel, and they …
They shall come with weeping, and with supplications will I lead them: I will cause them to walk by the …
Then said God, Call his name Lo–ammi: for ye are not my people, and I will not be your God.
Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured …