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
I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back: bring my sons from far, …
They shall come with weeping, and with supplications will I lead them: I will cause them to walk by the …
At the same time, saith the Lord, will I be the God of all the families of Israel, and they …
But I said, How shall I put thee among the children, and give thee a pleasant land, a goodly heritage …
Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we …
Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: …
And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.
He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.
I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which …
Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through …