Unequally yoked what does it mean

Being unequally yoked is more dangerous than you think — and waiting for someone with whom you share the same spiritual heritage is far more rewarding than many believe. I once received an email from a reader. God has always cared about the unions His people make — as evidenced by His relationship with Israel. In Deuteronomy 7 , Moses is instructing the Israelites in their responsibilities as the people of God.

They have been freed from slavery and are now free men, about to enter the Promised Land. But Moses gives a warning:. However they rationalized it, the Israelites formed covenants between themselves and people who neither knew nor served God. In so doing, they were led astray. Over and over in Scripture, we see this theme repeated. Two are Samson, who repeatedly sought out unbelieving women, a choice which in the end destroyed him Judges 14 , and Solomon, the wisest man in the world — until his many wives led him to worship other gods 1 Kings If Christ is truly King of our lives, our most intimate selves should be submitted to His influence.

How then can we unite a Spirit-led soul to one in rebellion against God? This is who everyone is apart from Christ. Therefore, those of us in Christ cannot be in a harmonious, God-pleasing relationship with an unbeliever. There is no fellowship between light and darkness 2 Cor. God knows this. This is for our spiritual protection! Righteousness has nothing in common with a person who believes they are good enough apart from God:.

Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? I think the common link is that this section, like the passages on either side of it, is all about relationships. We start with the warning in verses not to form ungodly relationships. But is that what Paul had in mind when he wrote it? What does it mean to be unequally yoked with unbelievers? But what does it mean to be yoked with an unbeliever?

Is it wrong for a Christian to have friendships, at least close friendships, with non-Christians? So to be yoked to an unbeliever must mean something other than being friends, even close friends, with an unbeliever.

In the OT God commanded the Jews not to yoke a donkey and an ox together because it would be a mismatch. For one thing, an ox was ritually clean and the donkey unclean. But they would also be mismatched in strength and size and eventually one or both would chafe as they did not pull equally or in harmony. For a believer to enter such a deep union with an unbeliever, while it may seem to work for a while, will ultimately chafe both parties as they are pulling in different directions, living by different priorities, serving different kingdoms, and loving different masters.

Eventually the believer will be pulled towards compromise, worldliness and a diluted Christian witness. Later Paul will warn they are preaching a different Christ and then he says they masquerade as apostles of Christ the same way that Satan masquerades as an angel of light. Satan is an angel of darkness. Complete, utter, wicked, cruel and murderous darkness. There is no light, none at all, in his soul. So when he appears as an angel of light, he is pretending to be the opposite of what he really is.

Paul says these false apostles are deceitful workers. They masquerade as all about Christ, but the reality is the opposite. They are dragging souls away from Christ. He claimed to be the only way to God the Father. No other way, no other path, no other teaching, no other Savior. The exclusivity of his claim is at the core of what it means to be a Christian.

And all the Bible points to Jesus being the only way. If we try to yoke Christianity with other religions or spiritual practices, we lose Christ. The world will put more and more pressure on Christians to make Jesus more cool and more acceptable by making him one of the religious gang, but we need to resist that pressure no matter what!

Jesus is the only way — the only name under heaven — by which man can be saved! So Paul is thinking of yoking the Christian faith with other religious or spiritual beliefs.

Such partnerships could lend itself to a believer compromising his conscience or otherwise going against Biblical standards of integrity, honesty and generosity. Choosing to be unequally yoked with someone who has a different standard of behavior is a risk that could ultimately prove costly.

Jesus tells us that we can avoid or lessen being unequally yoked together if we ". Ask a Question! Question: In the book of 2Corinthians, the apostle Paul states that Christians should not be unequally yoked together.

What is the meaning of this phrase? Does God allow men to have many wives? What kind of relationship does God want? Are arranged marriages wrong? Must Christians have a marriage license? Bible Answers - Beginners - In-Depth. Study by Topic - Prophecy - Apostle Paul. Maps and Pictures - Amazing Facts!