Unequal yoke

[OneLight]

13 minutes ago, Marathoner said:

Ah, I missed your response the first time around. I don't find any issue with it. 

My own stance regarding marriage is a simple one: whomever the Lord joins together, let no man or woman stand in the way. Much like how a servant falls or stands by the Lord, so too does marriage. 

My comments in the topic pertain to being a friend to our neighbor no matter who they are. I've pointed out how the Son of God was our friend even when we were His enemies. He blessed us, calling us to Him, and so we are called according to the blessing just as Peter wrote in the scriptures. 

Love our neighbor as ourselves. It's an honor to love others as Jesus Christ loves us. I can't speak for others who are defiled by what they encounter. I can only speak for myself. 

The relationships are not the same.  Where does it say that you and your neighbor become one?  Does a friendship with a neighbor include "For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’"?  

Are we joined with Christ the same way we are joined with our spouse?  Be careful how you view biblical truths.

[Vine Abider]

Thanks for your response on that @AnOrangeCat and @Marathoner! I had always thought of that verse in 1 Cor 6:14 to be directly pertaining to marriage, as that is was is often taught.  But the context does not specifically mention marriage!  Now, I don't think that it's wise to marry an unbeliever, but let's not directly associate this passage with marriage if the word does not!

Here's another article @Wayne222 arguing to not directly associate 1 Cor 6:14 with marriage: https://apologeticspress.org/be-not-unequally-yoked-431/ (although I find a couple of his arguments a little spurious) 

I've known a brother for all my life who about 30 years ago was going through a very rough patch in his spiritual life and with his marriage.  He eventually got divorced and met a fine lady who was not a believer.  She did believe in God, but in a more Unitarian kind of way. He was aware that marrying her would be challenging in many respects, because she didn't acknowledge the deity of Christ. (For a couple reasons, he thought she might have been saved at an early age, but she told him it "was a private matter" and wouldn't really discuss it.)

But they were crazy about each other, and since he was not actively pursuing the Lord, hearing from Him or in fellowship with an ekklesia at the time, and was going after more worldly interests, he asked her to marry him.  She was an amazingly bright and decent woman, and he did believe her to be quite a moral person, therefore there wasn't any overt sin to deal with or things that greatly bothered him spiritually.  (He was in some angst over her apparently being a non-believer, but . . .)  

They got married 25 years ago and very shortly after that the Lord created a powerful hunger in the brother to begin to pursue the Lord and to get back into fellowship with others again.  He became on fire for the Lord once more and said the Lord was showing him big things in the word he'd never seen before.  He's remained in fellowship and in pursuit of the Lord since then.

And his wife is amazingly supportive of his spiritual life and even likes to interact with the ones in his fellowship, and they frequently have Christians over to their house and she goes to church functions occasionally.  And the brother often shows up to his church gatherings with a prayer request his wife has given him for the group.  He also says he often prays for various things/people with her in private.  However, while she is very supportive, I know it bothers him that she doesn't openly profess Christ as her Savior.  However, he says, "She is a really good wife who is incredibly supportive of all my Christian activities, so I thank the Lord daily for her."  We do pray for her often.

They are still crazy about each other and do a lot of things together.  I know he does take some condemnation from the enemy for marrying an unbeliever, but we just remind him that "There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus," which he readily receives and appreciates. I have no other advice for him except to keep thanking the Lord and to keep bringing the situation before Him and just to trust Him that He's got this!  

BTW - I did share with him about this "unequally yoked" passage and how it does not specifically mention marriage.  He really appreciated hearing that and said it took a load off him.  Praise God!

[Marathoner]

34 minutes ago, Vine Abider said:

Now, I don't think that it's wise to marry an unbeliever, but let's not directly associate this passage with marriage if the word does not!

Indeed. Associating marriage with that passage is opinion, for the term doesn't make an appearance. When scripture is weaponized to scrutinize others as this passage has been for a very long time, it becomes entrenched and therefore is a stronghold. We note how eagerly some use their interpretation of this passage (as well as others) to criticize brethren. That's a red flag flying atop the stronghold to be sure. 

As for me, I'm not going to counsel my brother with regard to whom he should or shouldn't marry, knowing that our Lord does whatever He pleases. I also don't care to fall back upon anecdotes to argue a point, for that is precisely the occupation of some who fancy themselves judges of the Lord's servants. It should be noted that divorce rates among Christians in the United States are identical to the unbelieving population. Proclaiming that a brother or a sister shouldn't marry an unbeliever because they won't like what their spouse does (or doesn't do) lacks teeth; the same holds true of Christian couples.

I might return later on to explore this subject further. Work calls!  

[Marathoner]

2 hours ago, OneLight said:

The relationships are not the same.  Where does it say that you and your neighbor become one?  Does a friendship with a neighbor include "For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’"?  

Are we joined with Christ the same way we are joined with our spouse?  Be careful how you view biblical truths.

Pay attention to the OP where we are warned to avoid friendship, OneLight. I responded to the OP regarding that statement. 

[OneLight]

1 hour ago, Marathoner said:

Pay attention to the OP where we are warned to avoid friendship, OneLight. I responded to the OP regarding that statement. 

I am not posting anything against the OP or what was mentioned in the OP, just what you posted.  Is anything I said not true?

[Marathoner]

2 hours ago, OneLight said:

I am not posting anything against the OP or what was mentioned in the OP, just what you posted.  Is anything I said not true?

It's your opinion, brother. 

The apostle of Jesus Christ addressed marriage between saints and unbelievers in 1 Corinthians 7, my friend. Notice how Paul didn't forbid this but rather, issued guidance regarding this matter. This establishes the dissonance between "scriptural truth" and our own opinion in this topic.

As some of us have pointed out already, marriage is not mentioned at all with regard to unequal yoking in 2 Corinthians 6. It's conspicuously absent. Seeing as how the apostle specifically addressed marriage in 1 Corinthians 7 (marriage between a brother or sister and an unbeliever was not forbidden), why would he then fail to address marriage in those passages from 2 Corinthians 6?

The apostle wasn't addressing marriage in that second letter to the Corinthians. I have no dog in the fight (in a manner of speaking) where marriage is concerned, seeing as how I'm not married and never will be. However, I'm acquainted with how certain passages have been used to forbid something which was not forbidden by the Lord nor His apostles in a manner which is reminiscent of what occurred in Acts 15. 

I say this: one's only concern is whom they marry, not who others marry. Marriage between brethren and unbelievers was not forbidden by the apostle. 

[OneLight]

2 hours ago, Marathoner said:

It's your opinion, brother. 

The apostle of Jesus Christ addressed marriage between saints and unbelievers in 1 Corinthians 7, my friend. Notice how Paul didn't forbid this but rather, issued guidance regarding this matter. This establishes the dissonance between "scriptural truth" and our own opinion in this topic.

Are you saying that the relationship between a married couple is the same as with your neighbor?

2 hours ago, Marathoner said:

As some of us have pointed out already, marriage is not mentioned at all with regard to unequal yoking in 2 Corinthians 6. It's conspicuously absent. Seeing as how the apostle specifically addressed marriage in 1 Corinthians 7 (marriage between a brother or sister and an unbeliever was not forbidden), why would he then fail to address marriage in those passages from 2 Corinthians 6?

The apostle wasn't addressing marriage in that second letter to the Corinthians. I have no dog in the fight (in a manner of speaking) where marriage is concerned, seeing as how I'm not married and never will be. However, I'm acquainted with how certain passages have been used to forbid something which was not forbidden by the Lord nor His apostles in a manner which is reminiscent of what occurred in Acts 15. 

I say this: one's only concern is whom they marry, not who others marry. Marriage between brethren and unbelievers was not forbidden by the apostle. 

Why do you say this has nothing to do with marriage?  Is it because the word "marriage" is not printed in black and white?  This is the "loop-hole" men look for when they discuss marriage.  "Well, scripture surely didn't mean not to marry an unbeliever ... God surely would of said it directly if it were so!", when He did, through Paul, when the Holy Spirit moved Paul to say "Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? "

That is not my opinion, Brother, it's scripture.

[steve morrow]

CEASE  YOU  FROM  MAN 

 

JEREMIAH 6:10  to whom shall I speak and give warning that they may hear behold their ear is uncircumcised and they cannot hearken ---behold the word of  THE  LORD  is unto them a reproach  ---  THEY  HAVE  NO  DELIGHT  IN  IT---

 

EZELIEL 3:20  again when a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness and commit inequity and I lay a stumbling block before him  --he shall die--  because  ---THOU  HAST  NOT  GIVEN  HIM  WARNING  ---  HE  SHALL  DIE  IN  HIS  SIN--- and his rigteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered but his blood will I require at thine hand 

--3:21-- nevertheless  IF  THOU  WARN  THE RIGHTEOUS MAN  that the righteous sin not and he doth not sin  HE  SHALL SURELY  LIVE  because he is warned  ---  also thou hast delivered thy soul

 

PROVERBS 11:4  RICHES  PROFIT  NOT  IN  THE  DAY  OF  WRATH  BUT  RIGHTEOUSNESS  DELIVERETH  FROM  DEATH 

 

ACTS 10:34 then peter opened his mouth and said of a truth I perceive that  GOD  is no respecter of persons 

--10:35-- but in every nation he that feareth  HIM  and worketh righteousness is accepted with  HIM

 

ACTS 5:29  THEN  PETER  AND  THE  OTHER  APOSTLES  ANSWERED  AND  SAID   WE  OUGHT  TO  OBEY  GOD  ---  RATHER  THAN  MEN

 

LOVING  THE  LORD  JESUS  CHRIST

[FJK]

Make it simple, just don't entangle yourself with evil. 

If you find yourself having become entangled with evil without knowing it, end the entanglement as quickly as possible.

The Lord gives you the power and the means to do this in a way that pleases him if you ask him for and seek it, but you're still the one that has to actually do it.

[Wayne222]

20 hours ago, OneLight said:

Are you saying that the relationship between a married couple is the same as with your neighbor?

Why do you say this has nothing to do with marriage?  Is it because the word "marriage" is not printed in black and white?  This is the "loop-hole" men look for when they discuss marriage.  "Well, scripture surely didn't mean not to marry an unbeliever ... God surely would of said it directly if it were so!", when He did, through Paul, when the Holy Spirit moved Paul to say "Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? "

That is not my opinion, Brother, it's scripture.

I don’t understand why the plain scripture is not listen to . If God says be NOT unequally yoke with unbelievers. People will come up with unsound reasons they can . Good post !