You asked

how does the old testament's emphasis on separation for holiness relate to paul's message here?

Adds the setting and its conversation across both testaments.

2 Corinthians 6:14-18

“Don’t be unequally yoked with unbelievers, for what fellowship have righteousness and iniquity? Or what communion has light with darkness? What agreement does Christ have with Belial? Or what portion does a believer have with an unbeliever? What agreement has a temple of God with idols? For you are a temple of the living God. Even as God said, “I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they will be my people.” Therefore, “Come out from among them, and be separate,” says the Lord. “Touch no unclean thing. I will receive you. I will be to you a Father. You will be to me sons and daughters,” says the Lord Almighty.”

The apostle Paul is writing to the church in Corinth, a bustling Roman city known for its diverse culture and various religious practices. In this part of his letter, he is urging the believers to consider the implications of their faith for their relationships and conduct in the world.

How might living distinctly today, without withdrawing from the world, look different for different people?

Then — the setting

Paul wrote this letter to the Corinthian church around 55-56 CE. Corinth was a major port city with a blend of Greek, Roman, and various Eastern religious influences. The early Christians there were a minority grappling with how to live out their new faith in a pagan society, specifically concerning participation in idol worship, moral practices, and even marriage. Paul's exhortation here draws heavily on Old Testament concepts of covenant and holiness, reminding them that their identity as God's people requires a distinct way of life.

Across the Testaments

The Old Testament concept of holiness (Hebrew: *qadosh*) is fundamentally about being 'set apart' or 'consecrated' to God. Israel was called to be separate from the surrounding nations, demonstrated through laws, rituals, and ethical standards, to reflect God's unique character. Paul, in the New Testament, recontextualizes this call for Christian believers. While the Old Testament often emphasized physical and ritual separation, Paul spiritualizes it, focusing on ethical and moral distinction rooted in their new identity 'in Christ.' The New Testament maintains the principle of distinction but shifts its primary expression from national and ritual boundaries to an inner transformation and ethical conduct, forming a 'new creation' that lives distinctly within, rather than entirely apart from, society.

Keep thinking

Read alongside it

Leviticus 11:44-45
This passage from the Old Testament explicitly connects God's holiness to the call for Israel to be holy and separate, particularly in dietary laws.
Romans 12:1-2
Paul encourages believers in Rome to present themselves as a living sacrifice and not conform to the patterns of this world, resonating with the theme of distinct living.
John 17:15-16
Jesus prays for his disciples, stating they are 'not of the world' but also asks God not to take them 'out of the world,' highlighting a tension between separation and engagement.

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