2Cor 6:14-18 | KingComments | STEP | . Quite a lot has been said and written about these verses. It is because they are of great importance for your practical faith life. You must pay attention to the stark contrast between these and the previous verses. In the previous verses Paul describes the life of a true servant of God. Did you discover in it any characteristic that would bring you any respect and honor from this world? Not in the least. But the Corinthians were after them. They also wanted the profits of the world. They were narrow-minded with regard to Paul and his service. But they were broadminded when it came to their relationship with the world. They easily fell in line with the world’s systems. They wanted the benefits of the world. With this unsound mind-set they preferred to be spared from all unpleasant and extreme circumstances and hardships Paul experienced. Unfortunately today there are Christians young and old who are also of the same mind-set though these things are not said aloud. Their life shows that their connection to the world is not thoroughly severed. The subject here is the kind of compromises which prevents a believer from pursuing the right way of obedience to the Word of God. This does not mean that you should not at all have any dealings with unbelievers. For instance your work or school situation is something different. With your colleagues or class-mates you are definitely not living in an unequal yoke. It is your duty to go to work and to school. It is wrong to free yourself from such obligations. But there are relationships that lead to disobedience. This could be business connections or friendships. This is certainly true of marriage as well, although this is not the prime subject here) Therefore, never begin a relationship with an unbeliever, then marriage will never be possible either. In the Old Testament you can see God saying the same with regard to connections between His people and the surrounding nations. He speaks of this figuratively when He says: “You shall not plow with an ox and a donkey together” ( ). An ox is a clean animal, which can be sacrificed to God. A donkey is an unclean animal; its neck must be broken or it must be redeemed with a lamb ( ). The same as these two animals cannot plow together so a believer and an unbeliever cannot go together. With this picture in mind Paul razor sharp demonstrates the difference that exists between believers and unbelievers. Before I dwell further on these verses let me call your attention to where you find great promises in store for everyone who says good-bye to the world. Do you find it difficult at the moment to let go off anything that still connects you with the world? Have you no strength to break with it? Then read . Let them encourage you. Now back to . The Corinthians are called upon not to be unequally yoked with unbelievers. You know if your life is not wholly connected to the Lord Jesus that will inevitably lead to a connection with the world. A few comparisons which follow this admonition clearly show why such relationships are impossible. A believer and an unbeliever are opposite poles as they are guided by totally very different sets of motives and feelings. There is a vast difference between their life’s starting point and their life’s goal. The source of an unbeliever’s life is completely different from that of a believer. There is the greatest imaginable difference between them. Paul here shows their two extremes, not to exaggerate, but to show things as they are. Any other depiction will obscure the facts. These are the facts: 1. “Righteousness” is doing what is in tune with the rights of God. “Lawlessness” is doing one’s own will without recognizing any authority. What “partnership” can these two have with one another? ‘Partnership’ means to have the same part in something. Righteousness belongs to the new life of the believer. The unbeliever does not have this new life and so he does not listen to God and also he does not acknowledge His authority. These two expressions of the life of the one and the other are far apart. 2. “Light” and “darkness” denote the spheres which both parties find themselves in. On the first page of the Bible, right after creating light, God causes a separation between light and darkness. This fact shows more clearly than the first fact that any form of “fellowship” between a believer and an unbeliever is absolutely unthinkable. ‘Fellowship’ means there is something in common, a common interest. In light a believer enjoys intercourse with God. In darkness an unbeliever enjoys sin. 3. . “Christ” and “Belial” specify to whom an individual belongs. The believer belongs to Christ and the unbeliever to Belial. I need not tell you Who Christ is. He is the Man after the heart of God and also after your heart since your conversion. The name ‘Belial’ appears only here in the New Testament. We find this name more often in the Old Testament. Originally it means ‘worthlessness’ or ‘useless pile of rubble’ or ‘utmost malignity’, ‘devastation’. So it is clear that it is a name for satan. Can you imagine just one thing in what Christ and Belial have “harmony”? 4. “Believer” is the term for a follower of Christ and “unbeliever” is the term for a follower of Belial. A believer is the one who places his complete trust in Christ not only for eternity but also for his daily life. An unbeliever does not consider Christ. The “common” part of the believer is Christ and that of the unbeliever is satan. 5. . In “the temple of God” God is honored and served by the believer. There is no place for “idols”. Idols fill the life of the unbeliever. Paul says even more emphatically about the temple of God: “We are the temple of the living God.” That means the church is the dwelling place of God. The perception here is God’s desire to dwell with His people and walk with them. He wants to be their God and He wants to acknowledge them as His people. With reverence it can be said: God wants to feel at home here and to move around freely. This is possible only when there are no disturbing elements. But this is inevitable when believers associate themselves with the world. “Holiness befits Your house, O Lord, forevermore” ( ). The logical sequence can be none other than the appeal in . I would like to continue on this subject in the next section. Now read 2 Corinthians 6:14-16 again. Reflection: Is there something present in your life that shows you are unequally yoked?

‏ 2 Corinthians 6:14-18

The Unequal Yoke

2Cor 6:14. Quite a lot has been said and written about these verses. It is because they are of great importance for your practical faith life. You must pay attention to the stark contrast between these and the previous verses. In the previous verses Paul describes the life of a true servant of God. Did you discover in it any characteristic that would bring you any respect and honor from this world? Not in the least. But the Corinthians were after them. They also wanted the profits of the world.

They were narrow-minded with regard to Paul and his service. But they were broadminded when it came to their relationship with the world. They easily fell in line with the world’s systems. They wanted the benefits of the world. With this unsound mind-set they preferred to be spared from all unpleasant and extreme circumstances and hardships Paul experienced.

Unfortunately today there are Christians young and old who are also of the same mind-set though these things are not said aloud. Their life shows that their connection to the world is not thoroughly severed. The subject here is the kind of compromises which prevents a believer from pursuing the right way of obedience to the Word of God.

This does not mean that you should not at all have any dealings with unbelievers. For instance your work or school situation is something different. With your colleagues or class-mates you are definitely not living in an unequal yoke. It is your duty to go to work and to school. It is wrong to free yourself from such obligations.

But there are relationships that lead to disobedience. This could be business connections or friendships. This is certainly true of marriage as well, although this is not the prime subject here) Therefore, never begin a relationship with an unbeliever, then marriage will never be possible either.

In the Old Testament you can see God saying the same with regard to connections between His people and the surrounding nations. He speaks of this figuratively when He says: “You shall not plow with an ox and a donkey together” (Deu 22:10). An ox is a clean animal, which can be sacrificed to God. A donkey is an unclean animal; its neck must be broken or it must be redeemed with a lamb (Exo 13:13). The same as these two animals cannot plow together so a believer and an unbeliever cannot go together. With this picture in mind Paul razor sharp demonstrates the difference that exists between believers and unbelievers.

Before I dwell further on these verses let me call your attention to 2Cor 6:17-18 where you find great promises in store for everyone who says good-bye to the world. Do you find it difficult at the moment to let go off anything that still connects you with the world? Have you no strength to break with it? Then read 2Cor 6:17-18. Let them encourage you.

Now back to 2Cor 6:14. The Corinthians are called upon not to be unequally yoked with unbelievers. You know if your life is not wholly connected to the Lord Jesus that will inevitably lead to a connection with the world. A few comparisons which follow this admonition clearly show why such relationships are impossible.

A believer and an unbeliever are opposite poles as they are guided by totally very different sets of motives and feelings. There is a vast difference between their life’s starting point and their life’s goal. The source of an unbeliever’s life is completely different from that of a believer. There is the greatest imaginable difference between them. Paul here shows their two extremes, not to exaggerate, but to show things as they are. Any other depiction will obscure the facts.

These are the facts:

1. “Righteousness” is doing what is in tune with the rights of God. “Lawlessness” is doing one’s own will without recognizing any authority. What “partnership” can these two have with one another? ‘Partnership’ means to have the same part in something. Righteousness belongs to the new life of the believer. The unbeliever does not have this new life and so he does not listen to God and also he does not acknowledge His authority. These two expressions of the life of the one and the other are far apart.

2. “Light” and “darkness” denote the spheres which both parties find themselves in. On the first page of the Bible, right after creating light, God causes a separation between light and darkness. This fact shows more clearly than the first fact that any form of “fellowship” between a believer and an unbeliever is absolutely unthinkable. ‘Fellowship’ means there is something in common, a common interest. In light a believer enjoys intercourse with God. In darkness an unbeliever enjoys sin.

3. 2Cor 6:15. “Christ” and “Belial” specify to whom an individual belongs. The believer belongs to Christ and the unbeliever to Belial. I need not tell you Who Christ is. He is the Man after the heart of God and also after your heart since your conversion. The name ‘Belial’ appears only here in the New Testament. We find this name more often in the Old Testament. Originally it means ‘worthlessness’ or ‘useless pile of rubble’ or ‘utmost malignity’, ‘devastation’. So it is clear that it is a name for satan. Can you imagine just one thing in what Christ and Belial have “harmony”?

4. “Believer” is the term for a follower of Christ and “unbeliever” is the term for a follower of Belial. A believer is the one who places his complete trust in Christ not only for eternity but also for his daily life. An unbeliever does not consider Christ. The “common” part of the believer is Christ and that of the unbeliever is satan.

5. 2Cor 6:16. In “the temple of God” God is honored and served by the believer. There is no place for “idols”. Idols fill the life of the unbeliever. Paul says even more emphatically about the temple of God: “We are the temple of the living God.” That means the church is the dwelling place of God.

The perception here is God’s desire to dwell with His people and walk with them. He wants to be their God and He wants to acknowledge them as His people. With reverence it can be said: God wants to feel at home here and to move around freely. This is possible only when there are no disturbing elements. But this is inevitable when believers associate themselves with the world. “Holiness befits Your house, O Lord, forevermore” (Psa 93:5a).

The logical sequence can be none other than the appeal in 2Cor 6:17. I would like to continue on this subject in the next section.

Now read 2 Corinthians 6:14-16 again.

Reflection: Is there something present in your life that shows you are unequally yoked?

Separation – From What and to What

2Cor 6:17. The word “therefore” is meaningful. God will dwell in the midst of His people and walk among them and that’s why His people cannot associate with the world. His people must be radically separated from the world and from everything found therein. The preceding verses make it clear that this separation already exists, but that God’s people must live this out in practice. A believer must break all relationships in which God does not have the first place.

This applies primarily to relationships a believer enters into on a voluntarily basis. It is about relationships in which a believer carries responsibility together with an unbeliever and makes compromises. The unbeliever is guided by an entirely different set of motives and therefore the believer has to make compromises. Jehoshaphat – a Godly king in the Old Testament – was reproached by God for being unequally yoked (2Chr 18:1-3). You can read what God thinks about this in 2 Chronicles 19 (2Chr 19:2). Unfortunately he falls into this error again (2Chr 20:35-37). You can see there the consequences are more serious than the first time.

There are also other examples. I know of young men who played in a music band and quit the band after their conversion. They still play music but now only with believers and for the Lord. I know believers who had relationship with unbelievers. When they realized that it was not right they confessed it as sin before God and broke off the connections. Sometimes the Lord worked in such a way that the other got converted later and the relationship resumed and they got married.

In connection with this, a few words about marriage. Once a marriage has taken place it should not be broken. God hates divorce (Mal 2:16). The appeal “come out from their midst and be separate” does not apply to marriage (1Cor 7:10-11). But all other connections, in which you join forces with unbelievers in order to achieve a common goal and in which you cannot give God the first place you must give up and let go. You can think of a business you want to set up with someone in which both you and the other person are equally responsible for the management. On the basis of this scripture such a partnership cannot be approved if the other person is an unbeliever.

Obedience to these instructions has cost many a person much trouble. Separation can be painful. It also can be painful to the other party from whom you separate because that person can get the impression that you are superior. This never may be the reason. Then try to explain to the other party about the specific issues you cannot compromise. I cannot guarantee that the other person will understand or will accept your decision, but you are responsible to the Lord to obey His Word.

You separate from something or someone. Separation in itself can be nothing else than Phariseeism, the kind of holiness doctrine that indicates that you feel yourself far superior to others. Separation in the biblical sense does not have a negative but a positive goal. God wants you to be set apart for Him. In order to help you to reach His standard God gives you the following great promises in which He shows what He does with you and what He wants to be for you.

1. “I will welcome you” (2Cor 6:17b). You might ask: ‘Was I not already welcomed?’ Yes, that’s right. But in this verse the point is that you also enjoy it. When you are not separated God cannot let you feel that you are welcome.

2Cor 6:18. 2. “I will be a Father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to Me.” Here also you can ask: ‘Was I not so already?’ Yes, but He cannot let you feel that you are precious to Him. For example, my children are and will remain my children, no matter what they do. But if they are disobedient I cannot let them feel my love as their father. So it is with the Father in heaven. He cannot recognize His children as His children when they live like the worldly people. He is ashamed of them. He very much wants that His children exhibit His character.

The power to separate lies in “the LORD Almighty”. The name “LORD”, “Yahweh” indicates the connection God had with Israel and the promises He has given to these people. All these promises will be fulfilled. “Almighty” is the name by which God revealed Himself to Abraham. Abraham is a good example of someone who broke away from his family and lived separately in a pagan country. He put his faith in God. To him God was the only One Who will fulfill everything He has promised. God is not ashamed to be called his God (Heb 11:16).

How God blessed Abraham! In Isaiah 51 there is a beautiful verse: “Look to Abraham your father and to Sarah who gave birth to you in pain; when [he was but] one I called him” (Isa 52:2) The consequence of your separation could be that you stand alone. Then think of Abraham and see what God did for him. Your obedience will end in God’s blessings. Probably you already know God so well that you know that He gives back twofold or threefold of all that you give up for Him. God is no man’s debtor.

Now read 2 Corinthians 6:17-18 again.

Reflection: What is the result when you break a wrong connection?