Did Paul say, "Don't date unbelievers"?

[Neighbor]

58 minutes ago, shortangel said:

but I would be friends with Christians & nonbelievers we cannot shun nonbelievers

But isn't what Paul said? What partnership, fellowship, accord, or portion does a believer share with an  unbeliever? Go out from their midst be separate, touch nothing unclean.

..."Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?  What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever?  What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said,

“I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them,
    and I will be their God,
    and they shall be my people.
   Therefore go out from their midst,
    and be separate from them, says the Lord,
and touch no unclean thing;
    then I will welcome you,
   and I will be a father to you,
    and you shall be sons and daughters to me,
says the Lord Almighty.”

[Joulre2abba]

The verse is useful when embarking on any kind of relationship. Don't be friends with, don't date, don't marry an unbeliever. Be acquaintances with or fellow employees with, or next door neighbors with unbelievers.. those are permitted.

A way of finding out where you are.. if you have trouble interacting with family members who are unbelievers .. then don't try for having unbelieving friends, or date unbelievers, or marry unbelievers.

 

[missmuffet]

7 hours ago, other one said:

I don't think this is talking about spouses any more than the friends you hang out with...    fellowship tends to be as involved with friends as a spouse.  I think it certainly would include dating.

You do not think that friends, dating or spouses as being unevenly yoked? Do you not believe that a born again Christian should not be unevenly yolked with an unbeliever?

[Willa]

14 hours ago, Neighbor said:

Where is it recorded that Paul said; don't date unbelievers?

Did Paul discuss "dating" at all?

Are there Bible passages in the old testament or the new regarding  "dating" procedures?

No, that is just what I told my kids.  I told them to make believers their best friends.  

God told us not to be mismated with unbeliever, on unequally yoked with, depending on the translations.  I always thought that to mean partnership as well.  The comment was  what fellowship has light with darkness?

 2Co 6:14 Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?

 2Co 6:15 What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever?

 2Co 6:16  What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said,
“I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them,
and I will be their God,
and they shall be my people.

 2Co 6:17 Therefore go out from their midst,
and be separate from them, says the Lord,
and touch no unclean thing;
then I will welcome you,

 2Co 6:18

and I will be a father to you,
and you shall be sons and daughters to me,
says the Lord Almighty.”

[Neighbor]

The text does make one specific reference that  of idol worship. It was addressed to the Corinthian church. 

From John Gill comes this exposition, considering the greater body  of work  by Paul as inspired by God  he makes the following conclusions for consideration:

"2 Corinthians 6:14

Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers
This seems to be an allusion to the law in ( Deuteronomy 22:10 ) and to be a mystical explanation of it; and is to be understood not as forbidding civil society and converse with unbelievers; for this is impracticable, then must believers needs go out of the world; this the many natural and civil relations subsisting among men make absolutely necessary; and in many cases is both lawful and laudable, especially when there is any opportunity or likelihood of doing them any service in a spiritual way: not is it to be understood as dehorting from entering into marriage contracts with such persons; for such marriages the apostle, in his former epistle, had allowed to be lawful, and what ought to be abode by; though believers would do well carefully to avoid such an unequal yoke, since oftentimes they are hereby exposed to many snares, temptations, distresses, and sorrows, which generally more or less follow hereon: but there is nothing in the text or context that lead to such an interpretation; rather, if any particular thing is referred to, it is to joining with unbelievers in acts of idolatry; since one of the apostle's arguments to dissuade from being unequally yoked with unbelievers is, "what agreement hath the temple of God with idols?" and from the foregoing epistle it looks as if some in this church had joined with them in such practices; see ( 1 Corinthians 10:14  1 Corinthians 10:20-22 ) . But I rather think that these words are a dissuasive in general, from having any fellowship with unbelievers in anything sinful and criminal, whether in worship or in conversation:

for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness?
This, with what is said in the following verse, and in the beginning of the next to that, contain reasons or arguments engaging believers to attend to the exhortation given not to keep company with unbelievers. By "righteousness" is meant righteous persons, who are made the righteousness of God in Christ, to whom Christ is made righteousness, or to whom the righteousness of Christ is imputed for justification; and who also have principles of grace and holiness in their hearts, or have the kingdom of God in them, which consists of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost; and who being made free from the dominion of sin, are become servants of righteousness: and by unrighteousness is designed unrighteous persons, who are destitute of a justifying righteousness, are filled with all unrighteousness, and are, as it were, a mass and lump of iniquity; now, what fellowship can there be between persons of such distant characters?

And what communion hath light with darkness?
regenerate men are made light in the Lord; they are enlightened into their state and condition by nature, to see the exceeding sinfulness of sin, to behold the glory, beauty, fulness, and suitableness of Christ, so as to be sensible of their need of him, and to be able to look unto him for life and salvation; they are enlightened more or less into the doctrines of the Gospel, and the duties of religion; and their path is a shining light, shining more and more unto the perfect day. Unregenerate persons are "darkness" itself; they are dark and ignorant of God in Christ, of the way of salvation by Christ, of the work of the Spirit of God upon the heart, and of the mysteries of grace; they know not themselves, nor the sad estate they are in; they are born, and brought up in darkness worse than Egyptian darkness; they go on in it, and if grace prevent not, will be cast into utter and eternal darkness. Now, what "communion" can there be between persons so different one from another? for what is more so than light and darkness? these the God of nature has divided from each other; and they are in nature irreconcilable to one another, and so they are in grace."

 

------

From a list  of various laws; Deut 22:10 "You shall not plow with an ox and a donkey together."

 

 And; from the previous letter to the church at Corinth: 

1 Corinthians 10 English Standard Version (ESV)

Warning Against Idolatry

For I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea,  and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea,  and all ate the same spiritual food,  and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ.  Nevertheless, with most of them God was not pleased, for they were overthrown in the wilderness.

 Now these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did. Do not be idolaters as some of them were; as it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.”  We must not indulge in sexual immorality as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in a single day.  We must not put Christ to the test, as some of them did and were destroyed by serpents,  nor grumble, as some of them did and were destroyed by the Destroyer.  Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come. Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall.  No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

 Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.  I speak as to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I say.  The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread.  Consider the people of Israel: are not those who eat the sacrifices participants in the altar?  What do I imply then? That food offered to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything?  No, I imply that what pagans sacrifice they offer to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be participants with demons.  You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons. Shall we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he?

 “All things are lawful,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful,” but not all things build up.  Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor.  Eat whatever is sold in the meat market without raising any question on the ground of conscience.  For “the earth is the Lord's, and the fullness thereof.”  If one of the unbelievers invites you to dinner and you are disposed to go, eat whatever is set before you without raising any question on the ground of conscience.  But if someone says to you, “This has been offered in sacrifice,” then do not eat it, for the sake of the one who informed you, and for the sake of conscience—  I do not mean your conscience, but his. For why should my liberty be determined by someone else's conscience? If I partake with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of that for which I give thanks?

 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.  Give no offense to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God,  just as I try to please everyone in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, that they may be saved.

 

 

 

 

 

SIGN

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Neighbor]

5 hours ago, Joulre2abba said:

The verse is useful when embarking on any kind of relationship. Don't be friends with, don't date, don't marry an unbeliever. Be acquaintances with or fellow employees with, or next door neighbors with unbelievers.. those are permitted.

A way of finding out where you are.. if you have trouble interacting with family members who are unbelievers .. then don't try for having unbelieving friends, or date unbelievers, or marry unbelievers.

 

Interesting concept of making application- Thanks

[Heybro]

Just thought that I would add to the thread with a little of my humour! As far as "dating an unbeliever is concerned, I don't think that it's currant," lol.  Seriously though, why would you put yourself in a position of being "compromised" in your christian stance by being put in such a position. Anyone considering going down that road, PLEASE, read Matt6:33 Seek First The Kingdom of God, and His Righteousness, and all these thing shall be added unto you, and He Will make your path straight. Ask yourself, "What is my 1st response, to please God, or please the flesh, WWJD? As always, I hope this is helpful, God bless.

[Michael37]

14 minutes ago, Heybro said:

Just thought that I would add to the thread with a little of my humour! As far as "dating an unbeliever is concerned, I don't think that it's currant," lol.  Seriously though, why would you put yourself in a position of being "compromised" in your christian stance by being put in such a position. Anyone considering going down that road, PLEASE, read Matt6:33 Seek First The Kingdom of God, and His Righteousness, and all these thing shall be added unto you, and He Will make your path straight. Ask yourself, "What is my 1st response, to please God, or please the flesh, WWJD? As always, I hope this is helpful, God bless.

Good pun, Heybro. The marriages of Christians to unbelievers tend to be a source of trouble, but shock, horror, how many marriages where both are Christians end in divorce? Too many. 

[other one]

4 hours ago, missmuffet said:

You do not think that friends, dating or spouses as being unevenly yoked? Do you not believe that a born again Christian should not be unevenly yolked with an unbeliever?

did you read what I wrote...                I don't think it just includes spouses, but also anyone you hang out with....    including dates..

[Heybro]

Thanks for the reply Michael, couldn't help myself, and yes, all too common for sure, been there, done that. Oh, how blessed are we that "our lives are hid with God, in Christ." There surely is NO SAFER PLACE, than to be secure in The ROCK Of All Ages.