Featured What is It to be Unequally Yoked?

What Is It to be Unequally Yoked?

2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1
14 Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? 15 What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? 16 What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said:

“I will live with them
and walk among them,
and I will be their God,
and they will be my people.”[c]

17 Therefore,

“Come out from them
and be separate,
says the Lord.
Touch no unclean thing,
and I will receive you.”[d]

18 And,

“I will be a Father to you,
and you will be my sons and daughters,
says the Lord Almighty.”[e]

7 Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.


As for my own viewpoint on these verses, I believe they come down to key words and phrases used.

Unbelievers and believers have nothing in common. The Greek word means: a sharing, partaking; communion, fellowship.

There is no fellowship with light or darkness, believers and unbelievers. The Greek word used communicates either partnership or fellowship.

These words "partnership" and "fellowship" refer to a myriad of relationships. A community joined by a common interest, regular company, a romantic relationship, business partners, and more. All seem to indicate someone whose company you regularly keep, no matter why that is so.

Fellowship
Definition of FELLOWSHIP

Partnership
Definition of PARTNERSHIP

Partner
Definition of PARTNER

Unbelievers and believers have no harmony. The Greek word used means: unison, accord; agreement.

Unbelievers and Believers have nothing in common. The Greek word used means: a portion in common, share.

There is no agreement between believers and unbelievers. The Greek word means "assent."

We are to be free of all that contaminates body and spirit. The Greek word means: defilement or pollution.

Lastly, we are exhorted to do something that would be difficult: to perfect holiness in the fear of God.

All of that said, it seems that any close association with an unbeliever, where they are in some way a steady companion for any reason, is to violate the command to not be unequally yoked.

This means something completely unsettling for most American Christians: Church is where you find your spouse, friends, companions, close associates, and partners for life, not the unbelieving world. The verses given even offer an explanation for this fact.

Unbelievers also being people we are trying to win for Christ, through giving the Gospel.

 

Jesus was seeking after the Lost, as we should. That said, it is very telling that the only close associates of Jesus, that were regularly with him, were the disciples.

 

I understand that the disciples were imperfect, as are people in the Church.

I am not saying "do not eat with unbelievers." I am simply saying that there are certain close relationships we should not have with unbelievers.

Do you believe there are any relationships where we can be unequally yoked?

 

Could you elaborate?

 

I'm left with few words

I see I was a hasty in four ways:

1. Many believers have spouses from when they were not believers. Martin is right, 1 Corinthians 7:12-14 makes it plain that we are to love our spouse regardless of what they believe.

2. Family are people we are close to, but whom we have no control over.

3. Unbelievers are people Jesus associated with to save those he could (Matthew 11:19, Luke 7:34).

4. Business relations are people we have no control to associate with in most cases.

I see the problem I have is that I did not understand that certain people, such as our family or longtime spouse, are people we must be close to, regardless. I also made the mistake of not carefully defining what a close associate is versus an associate. Unbelievers are to be our associates, coworkers as well, but given the history of my life and those of many I read of, it seems if we have control over who is very close to us, it should be someone we are in agreement with as a believer.

I will have to dive deeper into the word to gain a better understanding, thank you. I have more research to do.

 

I agree completely on the need for real church discipline.

As for our relations with unbelievers, I amended my previous stances, you may want to check out post #12. I have much more to research on this matter through study of the Word.

I agree that churches must never corral themselves in with groups of unbelievers on a variety of issues. We lose our aura of holiness if we do so.

I think individual stances on issues comes down to political affiliation concerning certain causes, which is something it would seem we are to do. Christian soldiers and Centurions served Rome, and we are told to honor the emperor by Peter. It would seem, against Dave's advice, that we participate in government to the extent we are able to in good conscience. Although, I think it is very important never to let political group identity come first before our identity as Christians, as many are wont to do.

 

I guess its hard to relax when you are two years old in the faith, and constantly finding challenging things in the bible. Things that warrant investigation and wrestling with. Things that change your whole perspective on life and everything.

I do get your point though, but it just doesn't feel I am to a place where I can relax too much.

I mean I was a liberal Christian when I started two years ago, so I'm in a very weird land trying to understand anything concerning things that feel familiar but aren't. Familiar biblical interpretations that seem diametrically opposed to the truth of a literal reading of an inerrant bible. Everything I stood for, believed in, and hoped to do three years ago was in error as far as I can tell. So much in error, it was anti-biblical.

As for Thomas, I always figured Christ did that because of Thomas' previous doubting comments to reinforce what was happening. A reinforcement Thomas would remember forever.