"Do not be yoked together with unbelievers."
What does this phrase really mean? Where does it come from? Some use it to forbid Christians marrying non-Christians or discourage Christians from doing business with non-believers. Is that warranted?
A quick note: The King James version lists verse 14 with the words, "unequally yoked". This would be like harnessing a cow and donkey together to a plow. They have different heights and sizes, lengths of stride, they could not cooperate well to pull a plow. The implications of that will be addressed later.
It is my opinion that Paul's argument concerning a relationship between believers and unbelievers goes back to chapter 1 of 2 Corinthians and continues like a scarlet thread through the letter. Indeed, the argument starts earlier: in Paul’s previous letter to the Corinthians. Both letters are full of the argument that the Corinthians were succumbing heavily to false teaching by false apostles (much like some groups today), and Paul was adamant to disprove the faulty methods and theology of the others and prove his authority of apostleship so that the Corinthians would listen to his advice. Paul built up his case and held it up throughout the two books of Corinthians, declaring the apostolic power and authority he had received from God that the false apostles did not have, and compared his manner, methods of ministry and teaching with theirs. He emphasized that his teaching was based on the Old Testament and was inspired by the Holy Spirit, that he did not preach his own ideas, but God’s. He countered the arguments of the false teachers. While those arguments are not included, we can guess what they were accusing Paul and the other apostles of, demonic possession, self-imposed office, etc., similar to the way Jesus was falsely accused by the Pharisees. Paul also revealed how the false teaching was corrupting the Corinthians. He genuinely praised the actions of specific believers in order to give the Corinthians a guideline of how Christians and their leaders are to behave.
Paul starts his argument by basing even his opening greeting in his first letter to the Corinthians with full intention (I will leave the full name of the book from each reference for the sake of brevity):
The passages in 2 Corinthians chapters 10-13 are particularly revealing as to Paul’s purpose for writing the letters. As a whole, he was worried about the Corinthian’s lack of self-control in many areas of their lives, and attributed part of the reason to false teaching from false apostles or teachers that were not sent by God, provable by Paul’s and the apostle’s manner and Godly ways and teaching compared to the un-Godly behavior and teaching of the impostors. The impostors had distorted the gospel and other teachings. He was addressing a situation that was taking place within a church group, not outside of it.
Considering the context of the verses, I conclude that the passage of 2 Corinthians 6:14-18 does not apply specifically to marriage or business, because Paul was addressing the Corinthians in reference to the impostors that were posing as apostles and spreading false teaching among the them. He reproved their motives and actions and those of the impostors, comparing them to his and the other apostles, and admonishing them not to have anything to do with such unbelievers. These were not just non-Christians that were minding their own business. These people claimed to be believers and tried to gain power over churches, but their teaching and actions were so far from what the Corinthians had already been taught, so far from the true gospel, that it should have been immediately apparent that they were only trying to deceive the Corinthians into thinking they were wise Christians leaders, so that they could manipulate them and live off of them. This tactic is still being used today, quite successfully, to fleece God’s sheep or anyone that is willing to surrender his good judgment.
The verses cannot be applied to forbid a relationship between Christians and non-Christians on the sole basis that one person is a Christian and the other is not. This would be pulling the verses out of context and stretching their meaning. It is necessary to consider that 1 and 2 Corinthians are letters and not prophetic books. Though inspired by the Holy Spirit there are no second meanings hidden here that may surface later in time. These were straightforward letters written to address a specific situation in a specific church body. Paul was deeply concerned that the Corinthians were condoning, working together with and believing religious charlatans that lied, deceived, encouraged sinful behavior. They preached false gospels and made up things to teach the Corinthians, fooling them into thinking that those things were God's will AND had the audacity to want to get paid for all of the deception and manipulation. Sounds familiar doesn't it?
Would the above interpretation of "yoked to unbelievers" condone doing business with ethically questionable companies or marrying morally questionable people? I think not. This would be involving ourselves with "wicked" people and products, supporting their actions and influence on society. Blantant examples of this would be to support drug trade that ruins lives or marry someone involved in that business. Less blatant examples would be to invest in a company that is known for exploiting its employees and/or customers or marrying someone that takes advantage of others. We can choose not to invest in or support wicked endeavors, if we have the choice. I would say that avoiding close relationships with such persons or companies would be in line with God’s teaching, since it would be actively supporting the wickedness that scripture speaks out against. Earlier in the first letter to the Corinthians Paul gives us a glimpse of what he would soon mean by the phrase, "yoked with unbelievers".
Paul knew that sometimes having to do with greedy and dishonest people cannot be avoided, such people like to lodge themselves at some place where no one can avoid them. The tax collectors of Jesus' day were often of that mold. But one should not be closely associated with them, spending time with them as friends. He even said not to eat with a professing Christian that would behave in such a manner. Jesus did eat with tax collectors and sinners, but he was there for the purpose of explaining the gospel to them. He did not approve of their activities, but was offering them a way out of a sinful lifestyle. They were not yet associated with him, knew that they were living in sin. The Pharisees tried to associate themselves with righteousness, but Jesus repeatedly showed them up for what they were, whitewashed tombs. He ate with them too, closer to the beginning of his ministry, to give them a chance to be humble and believe in him, but they didn't take it, most could not recognize that they needed salvation as much as any tax collector or prostitute. Toward the end of his ministry he called them a brood of vipers.
What about the King James version's words, "unequally yoked?" Paul cannot mean that Christians are better than non-Christians because of their belief in Christ, he refutes this idea repeatedly throughout his letters. Above and beyond that Jesus also emphasized humility and rejected pride, many statements concerning such an attitude are also found in the Old Testament (Mic. 6:8; Isa. 57:15; Pr. 16:19; Lk. 22:26; Zech. 9:9; Lk 14:10; 1 Ti. 1:15; Lk. 18:11). Taking 1 Corinthians 5:9,10 into account, Paul could be referring to what he mentions further on in the same passage (yoked with unbelievers) as the difference between wickedness and righteousness. It is true that scripture mentions non-believers as having nothing good within themselves, as rebels against God. They cannot be righteous as a Christian can in the sense that they have believed and are made righteous. But righteousness can also be an attitude coupled with humility. I think that everyone has encountered Christians that behave as described in 1 Corinthians 5:9,10; they behave even worse than many non-believers. Indeed, he is addressing exactly this situation in verses 1 and 2 of 1 Corinthians 5.
I think that even though it cannot be said that there are righteous non-believers, there are "good" non-believers that do try to behave honestly and uprightly though they do not believe in Jesus Christ. They willingly give of themselves to help others. They know the difference between right and wrong and have chosen to do the right things. Some non-believers, at least as far as deeds, outshine some Christians in their endeavors. That, of course, is not enough for salvation. But for my part I would rather associate with such good non-believers than the kind of Christians that Paul wrote of in 1 Corinthians verses 1,2,9 and 10. At least one could be at peace with them. I have such non-believers as friends, and I must admit that I love them more than some unmerciful and unloving Christians I have encountered. Getting back to Jesus' disapproval of the Pharisees, I think that Paul was addressing the same false kind of righteousness that the Pharisees had. Even more, some Christians at Corinth were not even doing as the Pharisees did, maintaining a facade of purity and righteous-looking deeds while neglecting their hidden hearts. Instead they were openly parading their sins and were looking for and receiving other's approval nevertheless. Paul maintained that even the Pagans (I imagine he is referring to those that belonged to and upheld respectable society) of the time did not openly approve of such behavior, it was frowned upon by them as well. The Corinthian Christians were making themselves into a disgusting public spectacle in the name of Christ, dragging his name through the filth. Paul wanted them to renounce that filth by not willingly associating with those openly wicked brothers. He considered such wicked Christians to be worse than unbelievers as did Peter (1 Tim. 5:8; 2 Tim. 3:12,13; 2 Peter 2 especially verses 13-22).
What really seemed to bother Paul and Peter as well if we take 2 Peter 2 into account, was that not only were Christians approving of the worst behavior going on in their midst, but were also accepting such persons as leaders in their churches. They were letting themselves be manipulated by and were listening to the teaching of wicked people. These leaders would of course condone their own actions since they were displaying them openly, whether they would teach in favor of them or against them, and by so doing would teach others to do what they were doing. How could such persons that were ignoring what God taught, and that even openly, be qualified to lead Christians that were striving to be righteous? Of couse their actions disqualified them and gave them away for what they were. The Corinthian Christians were not only yoked with wicked people, they were unequally yoked with them - righteous Christians under wicked leadership.
Overall I think that Paul was encouraging the Corinthians to use the brains that God gave them to discern how skewed and backward their situation was. Jesus did not say something for specifically every situation, nor could any of the epistle writers. They encourage believers to be wary and watchful, yet free and joyous. Jesus told us how our hearts should be and told us how our behavior is to be generally: to stop living sinful lifestyles, reject false righteousness and live true righteousness inside and out. He warned us what to watch out for. Unfortunately yet realistically, wise men and fools, the gentle and the violent, the upright and the wicked are thrown together in the mix, both in Christian groups and outside them. Also, not every Christian is officially in a group of Christians (a church). Some have been rejected for false reasons, others have distanced themselves from Christian groups that are not behaving according to what Jesus taught. Some are running away from wicked leaders like those the Corinthians accepted. In every situation we can decide who our friends, marriage partners and business partners are, non-Christians according to their "goodness", Christians according to sincere righteousness, all the while accompanying our good judgment with love, mercy and humility, remembering that we are saved by grace. This calls for discernment and wisdom. I think that these verses sum it up well:
Remember that some wolves are in the sheepfold already like in Corinthians, and that they are not always leaders, but could be anyone that controls others for their own benefit or pleasure. Some like to control large groups, others are content with only one other person to rule over. Christians are not automatically wise, nor are all non-Christians fools.
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