Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? 15 What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? 16 What agreement has the temple of God with idols? ESVUK

The truth is that Christians and non-Christians belong to different worlds, cultures, kingdoms. They are citizens of differing countries and speak ‘foreign’ languages. This is the principle established in these verses, and it is the reason given for why believers should ”not be unequally yoked with unbelievers.” (Notice the ”For” which follows on from the opening sentence). Christians should not enter into permanent relationships with those who do not share their faith. Two examples often cited relate to marriage and business partnerships. Many a believer has, often against the advice of spiritual leaders, family and friends, married an unbeliever, telling themselves, (more frequently deluding themselves), that they will ‘win them over.’ In the grace of God this may well happen – occasionally. But in my experience it’s rare. It’s usually the Christian who ends up having to compromise in order to keep partnership going. Once the initial attraction fades, and the romance loses its lustre, the cracks begin to show, the fissures open up, and you see evidence of deep fault lines. The ‘continental plates’ diverge and a valley-like rift appears.

‘The basic command, in 6.14, could refer to any sort of partnership, such as in business. But its most obvious reference is to marriage. In 1 Corinthians 7:12-16 Paul addresses the question of people who become Christians when their spouse does not, and tells them not to separate unless the unbelieving spouse wants to. But in verse 39 of that same chapter he makes it clear that when contracting a fresh marriage it is important that this be only ‘in the Lord’, in other words, to a fellow-Christian. That is the thrust of this passage as well.

Paul had no doubt witnessed the tensions and problems that arose when one partner came to belong to the Lord, with all that that meant, and the other one remained unbelieving. Anyone who thinks this doesn’t matter very much, Paul would say, has simply not realised how serious belonging to the Messiah really is. If you have received privileges such as the ones he lists here, you mustn’t trample on them as though they were worthless. That would be like the Prodigal Son spurning his father’s welcome and going back to feed the pigs.’ Tom Wright