Introduction
Brief setting (MAP). We are in the section of this letter that focuses on reconciliation – which we defined as the restoration of relational closeness (not merely a cease-fire) by removing the root cause of alienation.
Last week we studied what Paul says about reconciliation with God (5:18-21 NLT). We are alienated from God because of our trespasses – our violations of His moral character. But God has sent His Son Jesus to remove this barrier by dying for our sins. On this basis, God welcomes us (just as we are) into a personal love-relationship with Him. Our part is simple, but essential – to say "Yes" to God's offer, to tell Him that you want a relationship with Him through Jesus.
This week we study the next section, in which Paul seeks reconciliation with the Corinthians (read 6:11-13; 7:2). He wants to be close to them, he has no ill will toward them – but some of them don't want to be close to Him. Why? Read 6:14a – they are "bound together (lit. "unequally yoked") with unbelievers." It's impossible for two spouses to be reconciled as long as one of them is involved in an inappropriate relationship with someone else. In the same way, it's impossible for the Corinthian Christians to be reconciled to Paul as long as they are involved in unequally yoked relationships with non-Christians.
What does it mean to be "bound together" with non-Christians?
We know what Paul does not mean: he is not against friendships with non-Christians. After all, he follows Jesus, who was known as the "friend of sinners." In his previous letter, he made it clear that he didn't want the Corinthians to remove themselves from non-Christian society (read 1 Cor. 5:9,10). He just stated in this letter that God has given Christians "the ministry of reconciliation" – to reach out in love to non-Christians and invite them to be reconciled to God (5:18). Many of us (including myself) need more friendships with non-Christians – not less!
Rather, Paul is warning against activities with non-Christians that involve compromising our commitment to God/Jesus. "Bound together" means literally "unequally yoked." It refers to an OT command not to plow with an ox and donkey yoked together (Deut. 22:10; SLIDE). There is nothing wrong with having oxen and donkeys on the same farm or in the same field. But they are so anatomically different that plowing in the same yoke is injurious and therefore forbidden.
Paul says that this OT law illustrates an important truth Christian/non-Christian relationships. Read 6:14b-16a. Christians are different from non-Christians in a fundamental way – God lives in them, they belong to God, and their life-purpose is to worship Him and become more like Christ. Non-Christians don't know or belong to God, and they don't live to worship God or become more like Christ. It is not friendship with non-Christians that Paul is forbidding; it is relationships that involve "partnership" with lawlessness, "fellowship" with darkness, "harmony" with Satan, and "agreement" with idols.
Paul reminds the Corinthians of this general principle, because he had already spelled out the specific application – joining non-Christians in pagan temples and worshiping their false gods (re-read 6:16a [implies]; read 1 Cor. 10:14-22). By doing this, they violated their commitment to worship only the God of the Bible and His Son Jesus. And, since idols were animated by demonic spirits, they were exposing themselves to demonic influence. This is a common difficulty faced by Christians in cultures that still practice idol worship. Non-Christian parents insist that unless they burn incense at the family idol-shrine, they are dishonoring their parents and angering the family spirits. A choice must be made – be "unequally yoked" by joining their parents in idol worship, or honor God and risk family censure/rejection?
Things are often not this clear-cut in our secular culture. But the principle still applies:
What about long-standing friendships that involve getting drunk/stoned, going to the strip-club, etc.?
What about seriously dating or marrying someone who has no interest in knowing/following Jesus?
What about business relationships/partnerships that involve unethical practices (e.g., cooking the books; dishonesty to customers; etc.), or work-requirements/expectations that leave no/insufficient time for healthy family and church involvement?
What about family relationships in which there is great pressure to continue dysfunctional family dynamics ("WHIRLPOOL"; e.g., accept verbal abuse; defend the abuser; ignore the alcoholism; keep the family secret)?
There are often no simple answers to these questions. There are many variables (e.g., your spiritual maturity, the other person's openness to adjust the relationship, etc.), and there is no app/formula to consult. Each of us is responsible to prayerfully seek God's will concerning such relationships, being willing in advance to follow what He reveals. Following His will be costly – but staying in spiritual compromise will also exact a cost. You will experience growing distance from God – not because He is withdrawing from you, but because you are withdrawing from Him. And you will become alienated from your Christian friends (e.g., the Corinthians with Paul), because you are not walking in the light (read 1 Jn. 1:7).
The path to restoration
Read 6:16b-18. Paul quotes several OT passages that God spoke to the nation of Israel (who also were frequently "bound together" with their non-believing neighbors). He applies these passages to the Corinthian church, distilling from them the path to restoration with God.
Read 6:16b. "I am with you & I am committed to you." From the moment you receive Christ, God indwells you through His Spirit ("I will dwell in them and walk among them"). He is personally accessible to help you in every situation, including this one (Heb. 4:15,16). He is committed to you; will never leave nor forsake you ("I shall be their God, and they shall be My people"), so you can turn back to Him without fear of His rejection.
Read 6:17a. God commanded Israel to live as a separate nation and obey His ceremonial/dietary regulations that signaled that they belonged to Him. The application to us is: "End whatever compromises your relationship with Me." Sometimes this means staying in the relationship – but ending the compromising behavior (e.g., refusing to go along with friends' unethical behavior; setting boundaries on your participation in family dysfunction). Sometimes this means terminating the relationship (e.g., ending a compromised romantic relationship; changing jobs have adequate time for family and church involvement). God is able to personally direct us in this if we are willing in advance to obey Him.
Read 6:17b,18. "I will restore your closeness with Me when you return to Me." This is not about our objective status before God – that was settled when we were reconciled to Him. This is about our subjective experience/enjoyment of Him as our loving Father. See also Jas. 4:6-8a. When you have lived in spiritual compromise for some time, it is easy to believe that you will be on probationary distance from God even after you return to Him. But He promises to immediately welcome you back into intimacy with Him! I have certainly experienced this, as have many of you.
7:1 is a distillation of the above (read). "Since we have these promises (#1 & #3), let us cleanse ourselves from all (physical or spiritual) compromise (#2), and continue to mature in our sanctification through a healthy reverence for God." Having gotten back on track, let's stay on track and keep growing!
Conclusion
NEXT WEEK: 2 Cor. 7:8-16 – Repentance is awesome!
QUESTIONS & COMMENTS