What is the meaning of 2 Corinthians 6:14? Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers “Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers.” (2 Corinthians 6:14a) • Paul reaches back to the farm image of Deuteronomy 22:10, where an ox and a donkey were never to pull the same plow. Two different natures tug in different directions—nothing but strain results. • The command is broad: marriage, business partnerships, close-knit friendships, ministry teams—any binding relationship that requires shared goals and values. • Jesus invites His followers to take His yoke (Matthew 11:29). When we accept that gentle yoke, we cannot at the same time strap ourselves to someone moving the opposite way. • 1 Corinthians 15:33 warns, “Bad company corrupts good character.” Prolonged entanglement with unbelief risks moral drift, compromised witness, and spiritual fatigue. For what partnership can righteousness have with wickedness? “For what partnership can righteousness have with wickedness?” (2 Corinthians 6:14b) • “Partnership” implies shared aims and joint investment. Scripture presents righteousness and wickedness as mutually exclusive kingdoms (Romans 6:13; 1 John 3:7-10). • Old-covenant pictures help: Israel was never to mix holy and unholy things (Leviticus 10:10). In the same way, believers—declared righteous in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21)—cannot braid their life purpose with what opposes God. • Psalm 1 contrasts the blessed man who avoids the counsel of the wicked with the chaff-like destiny of the unrighteous. The two pursuits simply do not blend. • James 4:4 pushes the logic further: “Friendship with the world is hostility toward God.” Choosing one allegiance invalidates the other. Or what fellowship does light have with darkness? “Or what fellowship does light have with darkness?” (2 Corinthians 6:14c) • Light and darkness cannot occupy the same space; the arrival of one dispels the other (John 1:5). • Jesus calls Himself “the Light of the world” (John 8:12). By faith we become “children of light” (1 Thessalonians 5:5). Darkness represents ignorance of God, moral evil, and satanic deception (Colossians 1:13). • 1 John 1:6-7 draws the practical line: those walking in darkness cannot claim true fellowship with God, while those walking in the light enjoy cleansing and shared life with other believers. • Ephesians 5:8-11 urges believers not only to avoid dark works but also to expose them, underscoring the impossibility of genuine spiritual camaraderie between light and darkness. summary Paul’s command is plain: binding ourselves to unbelief pulls us away from Christ’s purpose. Righteousness and wickedness chase opposite goals, and light and darkness are incompatible realms. For the believer, every significant alliance must honor the Lord, protect holiness, and safeguard witness. Remaining single-yoked with Christ keeps the walk steady, the testimony clear, and the heart at rest. |
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