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Equally Yoked?

Maddog

Maddog

Seasoned Member
Male
Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? 2 Cor 6:14
I believe that the primary application of 2 Corinthians 6 is about business type relationships where a person is "on par" with another partner. The idea of a covenantal relationship is addressed in another location and thus it is allowed to have marriage with an unbeliever over which he is the patriarch.
To be sure, being in a covenantal relationship with an unbeliever could be problematic, but what if she is willing to follow?
 
Maddog said:
Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? 2 Cor 6:14
I believe that the primary application of 2 Corinthians 6 is about business type relationships where a person is "on par" with another partner. The idea of a covenantal relationship is addressed in another location and thus it is allowed to have marriage with an unbeliever over which he is the patriarch.
To be sure, being in a covenantal relationship with an unbeliever could be problematic, but what if she is willing to follow?
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I agree. It is especially makes sense when we look at the passage on instruction when to marry captured virgin after a battle. Are we to assume that she gets converted in a month.

However, there is a difference for women. Women are instructed to marry believers.
 
some will not convert. That was King Solomons problem. They lead his heart astray and he began to honor then worship others gods. Why would someone follow idols when they had first hand knowledge of the Creator? Two reasons: one was he was outnumbered. Even a King can succumb to being outnumbered by others especially if she played the sex card on him, his obvious vulnerability. Second reason: Idolatry works when it is backed by demonic forces. Do what the idols demand and the demons reward him. So it was a wash religiously. He was a contrast to his dad, King David who, was controlled by his libido with Solomons mom BUT he still followed Yahweh and did not get lead into idolatry.
 
Maddog said:
but what if she is willing to follow?
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If she is willing to follow, she will be converted pryor to becoming your wife.
 
Maddog said:
some will not convert. That was King Solomons problem. They lead his heart astray and he began to honor then worship others gods. Why would someone follow idols when they had first hand knowledge of the Creator? Two reasons: one was he was outnumbered. Even a King can succumb to being outnumbered by others especially if she played the sex card on him, his obvious vulnerability. Second reason: Idolatry works when it is backed by demonic forces. Do what the idols demand and the demons reward him. So it was a wash religiously. He was a contrast to his dad, King David who, was controlled by his libido with Solomons mom BUT he still followed Yahweh and did not get lead into idolatry.
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Most of Solomon’s marriages were political in origin.
From heads of provinces sending their prettiest girls to curry his favor, to foreign kings marrying their daughters to him to cement a non-aggression treaty with him. The latter were his downfall. You can’t vet them properly because you don’t have a choice. Rejecting any them wouldn’t be a peacekeeping decision.
 
Maddog said:
I believe that the primary application of 2 Corinthians 6 is about business type relationships where a person is "on par" with another partner.
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I disagree because the contrasts Paul give are spiritual; righteousness and lawlessness, light and darkness, Christ and Belial, a believer and an unbeliever, the temple of God and idols. These are not business relationships, they are spiritual and have eternal consequences.
 
Maddog said:
Even a King can succumb to being outnumbered by others especially if she played the sex card on him,
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If she "played the sex card" one of the 999 other wives or concubines would probably be good for a roll in the hay. Actually, there might be a few of those wives who hadn't been in the king's bed chamber for a while that might want to avail themselves of the opportunity. One of the advantages of polygyny, even with only two wives, is the ease with which playing the sex card can be dealt with - and that with minimal difficulty. ;)
 
Maddog said:
Now for a follow on question: Can a man be unequally yoked with a BELIEVING woman? Yes, in my not so humble opinion, most definitely YES. examples?
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Not if you define “believing” as upholding your beliefs.
She doesn’t get to define believing according to another man’s (church’s) teachings.
You are either the priest in your own home, or you are not.

Don’t ask me how I know.
 
I have a lot of work to do to defend my position.

It appears that Jacob's wife was not a believer when he married her for she stole her father's idols. And yet God started whole nation through them. They were "unequally yoked". But that requires assumption that she stole it for personal use.

The way Christians disqualify each other from the kingdom based on minute violations, it would be surprising if our current spouses qualify as equally yoked.

Better approach would be, and it is something that I believe, we are all children of God. All have been adopted. Paperwork has been completed. All has been done for it to happen. Christ died for us while we were enemies of God. All is required of us is to believe that this has happened. Acknowledge that this has taken place.

Therefore, when we look at other people who are not believers, they are just persons who have not realized that they have been adopted. Failure to acknowledge this gift of adoption, results in failure to benefit from this adoption. As result those persons remain in their sins, and condemnation remains too. But it is ok to treat them as brothers and sisters in Christ who are yet to believe.

To marry a believer or not, is matter of wisdom. I would definitely not marry those who are hostile to God. But there are spouses who claim allegiance to Christ yet who make life in a corner of a housetop something to be preferred, and yet there may be a woman who is not a believer who shows humility and submission that puts a Christian woman to shame.
 
Transformator Reformator said:
It appears that Jacob's wife was not a believer when he married her for she stole her father's idols.
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That was a much different day and time, hardly an example for us.
It is possible that she was taking them in order to stop her father from worshiping them. 🤷
Transformator Reformator said:
it is something that I believe, we are all children of God.
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Sorry,
10In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.
 
steve said:
10In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.
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Yes, that is true. But John 3:16-17 is also true (description of how to get hold of that adoption). The rest of the world are lost sheep that Christ is still searching for.

We cannot have an attitude of supremacy. We are all beggars telling other beggars where to find a bread.

There were present at that time some who told Him of the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. Jesus answered, “Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered such things? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse offenders than all men living in Jerusalem? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.”

I reject limited atonement view propagated in reformed circles.

At the same time I do not deny that there is certain partiality is allowed for those who have acknowledged their adopted status.

To assume that everyone are children of God is helpful in terms attitude, but I understand in the end some will end up being children of devil for refusing adoption.

These are metaphors to communicate certain truth for specific situation: bride, people, children, sheep, bastards. At certain point Jesus called Peter Satan.
 
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Transformator Reformator said:
At certain point Jesus called Peter Satan.
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Matthew 16:21–23 (LEB)
21 From that time on Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised on the third day.
22 And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, "God forbid, Lord! This will never happen to you!”
23 But he turned around and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a cause for stumbling to me, because you are not intent on the things of God, but the things of people!”
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Jesus spoke rhetorically (as He often did) and IMHO He did not call Peter Satan so much as He called out Peter's intention as worldly and as coming from Satan.

Edit: Remember that when Jesus was in the desert (Matthew 4:1-11) Satan tempted Jesus with worldly things and Peter echoed those same temptations.
 
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Transformator Reformator said:
We cannot have an attitude of supremacy. We are all beggars telling other beggars where to find a bread.
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I don’t know about you, but I am repentant and redeemed.
I am a sinner saved by grace, no longer a beggar. My job is to be a shepherd inviting sheep to His water, provision and rest. Not to stay as one of them, helpless and weak.

Does my desire to walk Yah’s prescribed walk make me a bit more acceptable in His eyes than someone who is giving him the bird?
I believe so.
I don’t do the false humility thing. I am no longer guilty, and I don’t have to act like it.
 
steve said:
I don’t know about you, but I am repentant and redeemed.
I am a sinner saved by grace, no longer a beggar. My job is to be a shepherd inviting sheep to His water, provision and rest. Not to stay as one of them, helpless and weak.

Does my desire to walk Yah’s prescribed walk make me a bit more acceptable in His eyes than someone who is giving him the bird?
I believe so.
I don’t do the false humility thing. I am no longer guilty, and I don’t have to act like it.
Click to expand...

This song came to my mind while I was reading your post:

 
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