II Corinthians 6:18 - I Will Be a Father Unto You |

“And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.” — 2 Corinthians 6:18 (KJV)

This verse closes a powerful section in which Paul calls believers to understand both their relationship with God and the holiness that should flow from that relationship. The promise is not merely that God will help His people; it emphasizes that He receives them into the intimacy, protection, authority, and responsibility of His household.

“I will be a Father unto you”

The word translated Father is the Greek πατήρ (patēr), meaning father, parent, or one who stands in a paternal relationship.

Paul is speaking in covenant and family language. God does not simply say, “I will rule over you.” He says:

“I will be a Father unto you.”

This speaks of relationship.

A father provides, instructs, corrects, protects, loves, and establishes identity. Throughout Scripture, salvation is presented as more than deliverance from judgment. Through Christ, believers are brought into God's household and given the privilege of approaching Him as Father.

Paul expresses this elsewhere:

“For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.” — Romans 8:15

The Christian does not merely belong to a religion. The believer has been brought into a Father-child relationship with God through Christ.

“Ye shall be my sons and daughters”

Notice something especially beautiful: Paul explicitly says “sons and daughters.”

The Greek wording is υἱούς καὶ θυγατέρας (huious kai thygateras) — “sons and daughters.”

Women are not hidden within the promise. Daughters are expressly named.

This makes 2 Corinthians 6:18 especially meaningful when studying the biblical identity of women. God does not merely identify Himself as the God of His people collectively. He speaks relationally:

You shall be My daughters.

A daughter of God derives her deepest identity neither from marriage, social position, possessions, appearance, nor the approval of others. Her identity begins with whose she is.

Compare Paul's words in Galatians:

“For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.” — Galatians 3:26

The foundation is faith in Christ Jesus.

The context: separation and holiness

Second Corinthians 6:18 should not be separated from verses 14–17.

Paul has just instructed believers not to enter into spiritually compromising fellowship with unbelief, asking:

What fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness?
What communion hath light with darkness?
What agreement hath the temple of God with idols?

Then comes the command:

“Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord…” — 2 Corinthians 6:17

And immediately afterward:

“And will be a Father unto you…”

Therefore, the passage connects belonging to God with holiness.

This does not mean Christians should refuse ordinary relationships with unbelievers. Paul had already clarified in 1 Corinthians 5:9–10 that complete separation from unbelievers would require leaving the world. Rather, the warning concerns participation in relationships and practices that compromise allegiance to God.

The principle is:

Because we belong to God, we should not join ourselves to what contradicts our allegiance to Him.

Paul is drawing from the Old Testament

Second Corinthians 6:16–18 brings together language and themes found in several Old Testament passages, including Leviticus 26:11–12, Isaiah 52:11, Ezekiel 20:34, 2 Samuel 7:14, and related covenant promises.

One especially important background is God's promise concerning David's royal line:

“I will be his father, and he shall be my son.” — 2 Samuel 7:14

Paul expands the family language:

“sons and daughters.”

This shows continuity in Scripture. The God who declared that Israel belonged to Him is bringing His people into covenant fellowship through Christ.

“Saith the Lord Almighty”

Paul ends with an important divine title:

κύριος παντοκράτωρ (Kyrios Pantokratōr) — “Lord Almighty.”

Pantokratōr carries the idea of the Almighty, the One who rules over all.

This means the One promising to be Father is not powerless.

He is both:

Father — relationally near.
Almighty — sovereignly powerful.

That combination is significant. God's children are not being received by someone incapable of keeping His promises. Their Father is the Lord Almighty.

The connection with 2 Corinthians 7:1

The chapter division can hide Paul's conclusion. His thought continues directly into the next verse:

“Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” — 2 Corinthians 7:1

Notice the order:

Promise → identity → holiness.

Paul does not teach that holiness purchases sonship or daughterhood. Rather, because God's people belong to Him and possess these promises, they are called to live consistently with that identity.

What this means for us

Second Corinthians 6:18 teaches that being God's child is both a privilege and a calling.

God says, in effect:

You belong to Me.
I receive you as My own.
I will be your Father.
You are My sons and daughters.
Therefore, live as people who belong to Me.

For the woman of God, the words “ye shall be my…daughters” are especially powerful. Before every earthly title—wife, mother, daughter, sister, teacher, minister, or friend—there stands a greater spiritual identity:

I am a daughter of the Almighty God.

And that identity calls for a life increasingly characterized by holiness, obedience, faith, and separation from whatever competes with devotion to God.

Key Truth

God's call to holiness is rooted in relationship. He calls His people away from spiritual compromise because they belong to Him. Through Christ, believers are received into God's family as His sons and daughters, and the One who calls them His children is the Lord Almighty.