2 Corinthians 6:14-18

Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? 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."[

"Therefore come out from them

and be separate, says the Lord.

Touch no unclean thing,

and I will receive you."

"I will be a Father to you,

and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty."

(v14-18, NIV)

Yesterday I read ahead and got excited for today's passage. It's the classic "do not marry a non-believer" passage. Or at least, that's how I've always heard it being used. That can also be easily directed towards "do not date a non-believer". However, I've also heard it explained as a business transaction and not anything to do with marriage. The people who explain it as such are usually those who are trying to date a non-Christian and are therefore trying to defend their position.

The contrasts made are like the difference between good and evil. Non-believers get the side of "evil" us the side of "good". Now the contrasts are clearly set out to make it obvious that it makes no sense to be yoked with an unbeliever. Each of those contrasts does not go together. Therefore, a believer should not go together with a non-believer.

So what does it mean to be yoked together? As I've always heard, this passage is meant for those getting married. However, the term itself is referred to a wooden beam used to harness two oxen together. In this way, they are able to pull a load together. The "unequally" part refers to two oxen that are not equal. If two oxen are not equal, the load is not evenly distributed. If it is not evenly distributed, they are not pulling the load together efficiently. One will be doing most of the work. I also assume that if both are not pulling equally as much, the work put in by both of them is not as effective as if they pulled equally as much. Regardless, the point is made that we are not to be yoked together with non-believers.

Aside from the clear contrasts made, the reasoning and point is made, "For we are the temple of the living God;" (v16, ESV). We are to be holy and blameless for God. Now, this doesn't mean that we don't go out and preach to non-believers. Jesus himself ate among tax collectors and sinners. We are called to preach the good news. Obviously, this doesn't mean we aren't supposed to preach to them. We are not supposed to yoke ourselves with them, whatever that means. At the very least, it means do not marry a non-believer. However, it may extend further than that. I do not know. But we are God's temple.