2 Corinthians 6:11-18 Click here for Bible Verses
Hi GAMErs,
Today’s passage is 2 Corinthians 6:11-18. Let’s go!
2 Corinthians 6:11-13 (NIV)
11 We have spoken freely to you, Corinthians, and opened wide our hearts to you.
12 We are not withholding our affection from you, but you are withholding yours from us.
13 As a fair exchange–I speak as to my children–open wide your hearts also.
On verses 11-13: Paul feels that he has been consistently open-hearted and loving toward the Christians in Corinth, whose church he helped to start, whereas the Christians in Corinth have gone from being hot to lukewarm and closed-hearted toward Paul. That is why he says “As a fair exchange – I speak as to my children – open wide your hearts also.” When you love someone deeply, you want them to be open hearted and transparent with you. It distresses you when you feel that the person you love has closed their heart. That’s the way Paul felt toward the church in Corinth.
2 Corinthians 6:14-18 (NIV)
14 Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?
15 What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever?
16 What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God…
16 …As God has said: “I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.”
17 “Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.”
18 “I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.”
On verses 14-18: What does it mean to “be yoked together with unbelievers” (v14)? Remember that a yoke is a farming tool that joins two oxen together, such that one has difficult going anywhere without the consent and cooperation of the other. To “be yoked together” with unbelievers means to enter into such a close relationship with someone who does not acknowledge or trust Jesus where now you are dependent on that person’s consent and cooperation. This of course includes marriage and romantic relationships but could also under certain circumstances include close business ties and very close friendships. Why does Paul warn the Christians in Corinth about yoking themselves with unbelievers? It’s because Paul knows that when we enter into very close relationships with someone whose values conflict with our own, the result will be trouble and strife for both sides as well as unnecessary stress for the Christian who will often be tempted to compromise their faith. In verses 16-18 Paul quotes or paraphrases a number of verses from the Old Testament which speak to the same issue.
Keep in mind that Paul is not advocating that Christians have nothing to do with unbelievers. Paul himself dedicated his life to building friendly connections with as many unbelievers as possible so that he could lead them to Jesus. But Paul is saying that if you allow an unbeliever to get so close to you that now you’re married to them or otherwise yoked with them, eventually you’ll allow values that are not aligned with Christian values to affect your life, and you could end up severely compromising, or even losing entirely, your faith as a Christian.
In my time as a pastor, I can say that by far the biggest killer of Christians I have witnessed is unwise relationship choices. I find that Christians who ignore this warning in 2 Corinthians 6 and yoke themselves to unbelievers tend to experience a lot more trouble in their relationships, end up compromising their faith, and actually do more harm to the unbeliever than good. For every miracle story you hear, there are so many more tragic stories. As Christians we want to love and respect everyone, but we also want to be careful to protect the most important part of our lives, namely, our faith as believers in Jesus.
Who we choose to yoke ourselves with is a reflection of what we value the most. As Christians our closest relationships were always meant to be a natural extension and the greatest expression of our faith.
Be careful and intentional about who you “yoke yourself with”. When it comes to your closest relationships, choose to yoke yourself with people who have the same values as you. Otherwise you’re bound for much unnecessary conflict and strife.
Heavenly Father, may we be careful and intentional about who we yoke ourselves with, that our closest relationships would encourage and strengthen our faith rather than discourage or destroy it. For whom we choose to yoke ourselves with is a reflection of what we value the most. In Jesus’ name, AMEN!
