What does 2 Corinthians 6:17 mean?

In 2 Corinthians 6:14—7:1, Paul is calling Christians to be separate from the world around them. More specifically, he is commanding the Corinthians to separate themselves from any connection with the worship of idols.

He showed in the previous verse a Christian connected to idol worship is equivalent to Jewish person under the Old Covenant worshiping an idol in the temple. This is because Christians themselves have become God's temples on earth, occupied by His Holy Spirit.

Paul is quoting from a collection of Old Testament passages to make this case. This verse is put together from Isaiah 52:11 and Ezekiel 20:41. God freed the Israelites from slavery to other nations and told them to separate from the peoples around them and to maintain their purity by not even touching forbidden things. Then the Lord would welcome them.

God calls Christians to live in freedom from sin and the law, and to lead holy lives. The difference is that God has already welcomed believers in Christ. We are His people with a permanent place with Christ in eternity. Paul described in his letter to Titus what God has done for us in Christ and how we should live in response: "Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works" (Titus 2:13–14).