Belial: This name from the pages of Scripture chills the soul. Who is this mysterious figure Paul invokes in 2 Corinthians 6:15? “What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever?”

The stark contrast grabs our attention, demanding we unravel its meaning. Is Belial a demon, a metaphor, or something more? Let’s trace Belial’s roots through Scripture—from Old Testament rebels to Paul’s pointed warning—and uncover why this matters for believers today. Join us as we solve the mystery behind the name and discover its timeless challenge to live set apart for God.

THE ANCIENT STORY BEHIND THE NAME

The name “Belial” comes from the Hebrew word beliyya’al, which literally means “without profit” or “worthless.” In the Old Testament, it wasn’t originally a personal name at all. Instead, it described people who were spiritually worthless—those who rejected God’s authority and lived in complete rebellion against His ways.

Think of characters like the corrupt men of Gibeah (Judges 19:22), or perhaps the sons of Eli (1 Samuel 2:12 ) or even the man Nabal (1 Samuel 25:25). These weren’t just people having bad days; they were individuals whose entire life orientation opposed everything God stood for. They were “sons of Belial”—children of worthlessness.

But something fascinating happened between the Old Testament and Paul’s time. Jewish writers began personifying Belial, transforming this description of wickedness into an actual spiritual being. By Paul’s era, Belial had become another name for Satan himself—the ultimate embodiment of everything opposed to God’s kingdom.

PAUL’S MASTERFUL RHETORICAL STRATEGY

Understanding this background helps us make sense of Paul’s argument in 2 Corinthians 6:14-16. He’s not randomly throwing out scary names. Instead, he’s building a carefully constructed series of contrasts that crescendo to an unavoidable conclusion.

Look at the pattern: righteousness versus lawlessness, light versus darkness, believer versus unbeliever, God’s temple versus idols, Christ versus Belial. Each pair represents the same fundamental opposition, but Paul saves the most personal contrast for the climax—Christ versus Belial.

Why not simply say “Christ versus Satan”? Because Belial emphasises something specific: the complete worthlessness and moral corruption of everything that opposes Christ. While Satan can disguise himself as an angel of light, Belial represents pure, undisguised rebellion against God’s order.

THE POINT PAUL IS DRIVING HOME

Paul isn’t giving relationship advice or cultural commentary. He’s making a theological statement about the nature of spiritual reality. When he asks, “What harmony is there between Christ and Belial?” he’s not expecting an answer—he’s highlighting an impossibility.

From the Reformed perspective, this touches on the doctrine of total depravity and the absolute distinction between the regenerate and unregenerate. Paul is saying believers and unbelievers don’t just have different opinions or preferences—they operate from fundamentally different spiritual natures that cannot be harmonised.

The Corinthians were apparently getting comfortable with spiritual compromise. Perhaps they were entering business partnerships that required participating in pagan religious ceremonies, or considering marriages that would demand they accommodate idol worship. Paul’s response is nuclear: “You cannot serve both Christ and worthlessness. Choose.”

WHAT THIS MEANS FOR US TODAY

Paul’s Belial warning isn’t about avoiding all contact with non-Christians—Jesus himself ate with tax collectors and sinners. Instead, it’s about avoiding spiritual entanglements that require us to compromise our allegiance to Christ.

This might mean reconsidering a romantic relationship where our faith is treated as negotiable, or declining a business partnership that would require us to act against biblical principles. It could mean saying no to social situations where participating fully would mean participating in what opposes Christ’s kingdom.

The key question isn’t “Are they Christian?” but rather “Does this relationship require me to yoke myself to what Belial represents—worthlessness, rebellion against God, spiritual compromise?”

THE TEMPLE PRINCIPLE

Paul concludes his argument with a powerful image: “We are the temple of the living God” (6:16). Temples in the ancient world weren’t multipurpose buildings. They were exclusively dedicated to one deity. A temple couldn’t simultaneously honour Zeus and Yahweh—that would defile both.

As believers, we’re God’s living temples. We cannot house both the Holy Spirit and what opposes Him. This isn’t legalism; it’s spiritual logic. Oil and water don’t mix not because of arbitrary rules, but because of their fundamental natures.

THE BEAUTIFUL INVITATION

Paul’s seemingly harsh warning actually flows from a beautiful truth: God has chosen to make His dwelling place in us who believe in Him. We’re “beloved” (the opposite of Belial) not because of our worthiness, but because Christ has made us worthy.

Understanding who Belial is helps us understand who we’re not. We’re not worthless rebels against God’s kingdom. We’re not spiritually homeless wanderers. We’re the dwelling place of the Most High, and that identity shapes every relationship and decision we make.

The mystery of Belial ultimately points us to the clarity of our calling: to live as those who belong completely to Christ, the one who transforms worthlessness into infinite worth.

 

WHO IS BELIAL? RELATED FAQs

How do modern Reformed scholars interpret Paul’s use of Belial in 2 Corinthians 6:15? Contemporary Reformed theologians like John Murray and Sinclair Ferguson emphasise Paul’s reference to Belial demonstrates the impossibility of spiritual syncretism. They argue Paul isn’t merely giving practical advice but revealing the ontological reality that the regenerate and unregenerate exist in fundamentally incompatible spiritual realms. This reflects the Westminster tradition’s emphasis on the absolute sovereignty of God in election, making any true spiritual partnership between the elect and reprobate impossible at the deepest level.

• How does the Westminster Confession’s doctrine of election relate to Paul’s Belial warning? Westminster Confession 3.5-7 establishes that God has eternally predestined some to life and others He has “pleased to pass by,” leaving them in their sin and misery. This creates an unbridgeable antithesis between the elect (who are effectually called and regenerated) and the reprobate (who remain under the dominion of sin). Paul’s contrast between Christ and Belial perfectly illustrates this Westminster principle: there can be no spiritual harmony between those chosen in Christ and those who remain “vessels of wrath fitted to destruction” (Romans 9:22).
• Did other New Testament writers use the concept of Belial? While “Belial” appears only in 2 Corinthians 6:15 in the New Testament, the concept appears throughout apostolic writings. John’s Gospel repeatedly contrasts light and darkness, truth and lies, reflecting the same Belial-Christ antithesis. The Johannine epistles warn against fellowship with those who “walk in darkness” (1 John 1:6), and Revelation depicts the ultimate conflict between Christ and “that ancient serpent” who embodies everything Belial represents.

Is there archaeological evidence for Belial worship in Corinth? Archaeological findings in Corinth reveal extensive pagan religious activity, including temples to Aphrodite, Apollo, and various mystery cults, but no direct evidence of “Belial worship” per se. However, Paul likely uses Belial as a catch-all term representing the spiritual reality behind all idolatry and pagan religious practice. The Corinthians would have understood Belial as representing the demonic forces they previously served before conversion (1 Corinthians 12:2).

• How do Arminian theologians interpret the Belial passage differently than Reformed scholars? Arminian interpreters generally focus on the believer’s responsibility to choose separation from worldly influences, viewing Paul’s warning as conditional rather than reflecting eternal, unchangeable spiritual states. They emphasise human agency in maintaining or losing salvation, whereas Reformed scholars see Paul describing the necessary fruit of an unchangeable spiritual nature. This difference reflects their broader disagreement about whether salvation can be lost and whether spiritual transformation is permanent.

What role does Belial play in Jewish apocalyptic literature outside the Bible? In the Dead Sea Scrolls, particularly the War Scroll, Belial leads the “sons of darkness” in cosmic battle against the “sons of light.” The Testament of Benjamin describes Belial as having seven spirits of deceit, while Jubilees presents him commanding evil spirits. These texts show how Second Temple Judaism developed Belial from a description of worthless people into a supernatural opponent of God, providing crucial background for understanding Paul’s usage.

 

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