2 Corinthians 6:14
Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership can righteousness have with wickedness? Or what fellowship does light have with darkness?
Do not be unequally yoked
The phrase "unequally yoked" comes from the Greek word "heterozygeō," which refers to the practice of yoking together two different kinds of animals, such as an ox and a donkey, which was forbidden in the Mosaic Law (Deuteronomy 22:10). This metaphor illustrates the incompatibility of believers and unbelievers in close partnerships, particularly in marriage or spiritual endeavors. The imagery of a yoke suggests a binding relationship that requires harmony and shared direction. In a conservative Christian perspective, this command is a call to maintain spiritual purity and to avoid compromising one's faith by forming intimate alliances with those who do not share the same commitment to Christ.

with unbelievers
The term "unbelievers" refers to those who do not accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. In the early church context, this would have included pagans and those outside the Christian community. Historically, the Corinthian church was situated in a diverse and often morally lax society, where believers were constantly tempted to conform to secular practices. The admonition here is to remain distinct and separate in one's values and lifestyle, reflecting the holiness of God. This separation is not about isolation but about maintaining a witness that is untainted by the world's values.

For what partnership can righteousness have with wickedness?
The word "partnership" translates from the Greek "metochē," implying a sharing or participation in common goals or activities. "Righteousness" and "wickedness" are moral opposites, representing the life of obedience to God versus a life of sin. This rhetorical question emphasizes the fundamental incompatibility between a life lived according to God's standards and one that rejects His authority. In a conservative Christian view, this calls believers to pursue holiness and to be cautious about forming alliances that could lead to moral compromise.

Or what fellowship does light have with darkness?
"Fellowship" comes from the Greek "koinōnia," which denotes close association and communion. "Light" and "darkness" are often used in Scripture to symbolize truth and falsehood, holiness and sin, or the kingdom of God versus the kingdom of Satan. This imagery is rooted in the creation narrative where God separated light from darkness (Genesis 1:4). In the New Testament, believers are called to be "the light of the world" (Matthew 5:14), reflecting the light of Christ. The question posed here underscores the impossibility of mixing truth with error or holiness with sin. From a conservative standpoint, this is a call to live distinctly as children of light, avoiding any entanglement with the deeds of darkness that could obscure one's witness or lead to spiritual compromise.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Paul the Apostle
The author of 2 Corinthians, writing to the church in Corinth to provide guidance and instruction on living a Christian life.

2. Corinth
A major city in ancient Greece known for its wealth and moral decadence, where the early church faced challenges in maintaining Christian values amidst a pagan culture.

3. Believers and Unbelievers
The primary groups addressed in this passage, highlighting the distinction between those who follow Christ and those who do not.

4. Righteousness and Wickedness
Concepts representing the moral and spiritual dichotomy between living according to God's standards and living in sin.

5. Light and Darkness
Metaphors used throughout Scripture to symbolize truth and falsehood, purity and sin, and the presence of God versus the absence of God.
Teaching Points
Understanding the Yoke Metaphor
The yoke was a wooden beam used to pair animals for plowing. Being "unequally yoked" suggests an imbalance that hinders progress. In relationships, this means that differing spiritual values can lead to conflict and compromise.

The Call to Holiness
Christians are called to live distinct lives, set apart for God. This involves making choices that reflect our commitment to righteousness and avoiding partnerships that could lead us away from God's will.

Evaluating Relationships
While we are called to love and witness to unbelievers, our closest relationships should be with those who share our faith, ensuring mutual encouragement and growth in Christ.

Light and Darkness Cannot Coexist
Just as light dispels darkness, a life committed to Christ should naturally stand in contrast to worldly values. This calls for discernment in our associations and activities.

Practical Wisdom in Daily Life
Applying this principle involves assessing our friendships, business partnerships, and even entertainment choices to ensure they align with our faith and values.
Bible Study Questions
1. What does it mean to be "unequally yoked" in the context of your personal relationships, and how can you apply this principle today?

2. How can you balance the call to be separate from unbelievers with the command to love and witness to them?

3. In what areas of your life might you be compromising your values by partnering with "darkness," and how can you address this?

4. How does understanding the metaphor of light and darkness help you in making daily decisions that honor God?

5. Reflect on a time when a relationship either strengthened or weakened your faith. What did you learn from that experience, and how can it guide your future choices?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Deuteronomy 22:10
This Old Testament law about not yoking an ox and a donkey together provides a cultural backdrop for understanding the metaphor of being "unequally yoked."

Ephesians 5:7-11
Paul also discusses the importance of separating from the "fruitless deeds of darkness" and living as "children of light."

1 Corinthians 15:33
Paul warns that "bad company corrupts good character," reinforcing the idea of maintaining spiritual integrity by choosing associations wisely.

John 8:12
Jesus declares Himself as the "light of the world," emphasizing the transformative power of His presence in contrast to darkness.
Christian FriendshipsR. Tuck 2 Corinthians 6:14
His Warmth of AffectionC. Lipscomb 2 Corinthians 6:11-18
Amusements and Companies of the WorldT. Chalmers, D. D.2 Corinthians 6:14-16
Communion with GodH. Melvill, B. D.2 Corinthians 6:14-16
Religious SeparationF. W. Robertson, M. A.2 Corinthians 6:14-16
The Nature, Sources, and Results of InfidelityJ. Parsons.2 Corinthians 6:14-16
Unequally YokedJ. Denney, B. D.2 Corinthians 6:14-16
Unequally YokedD. Thomas, D. D.2 Corinthians 6:14-16
Unequally Yoked2 Corinthians 6:14-16
SeparationD. Fraser 2 Corinthians 6:14-18
Unequal YokingE. Hurndall 2 Corinthians 6:14-18
People
Corinthians, Paul
Places
Achaia, Corinth
Topics
Asses, Association, Bound, Close, Common, Communion, Company, Dark, Darkness, Diversely, Evil, Faith, Fellowship, Iniquity, Lawlessness, Mismated, Oxen, Partaking, Participation, Partnership, Righteousness, Unbelievers, Unequally, Unrighteousness, Wickedness, Yoked
Dictionary of Bible Themes
2 Corinthians 6:14

     4811   darkness, symbol of sin
     5711   marriage, restrictions
     6213   participation, in sin
     8158   righteousness, of believers
     8326   purity, moral and spiritual
     8341   separation
     8702   agnosticism
     8736   evil, warnings against

2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1

     8269   holiness, separation from worldly
     8466   reformation

2 Corinthians 6:14-15

     6257   unbelievers
     7105   believers

2 Corinthians 6:14-16

     4696   yoke
     5205   alliance
     5811   compromise

2 Corinthians 6:14-17

     8211   commitment, to world

2 Corinthians 6:14-18

     5345   influence
     5692   friends, bad
     7028   church, life of
     7922   fellowship, with God
     8737   evil, responses to

Library
Blessed Prosperity Meditations on the First Psalm.
INTRODUCTORY. There is a prosperity which is not blessed: it comes not from above but from beneath, and it leads away from, not towards heaven. This prosperity of the wicked is often a sore perplexity to the servants of GOD; they need to be reminded of the exhortation, "Fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass." Many besides the Psalmist have been envious at the foolish when seeing the prosperity of the wicked, and have been
J. Hudson Taylor—A Ribband of Blue

Second Sunday in Lent
Text: First Thessalonians 4, 1-7. 1 Finally then, brethren, we beseech and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that, as ye received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, even as ye do walk,--that ye abound more and more. 2 For ye know what charge we gave you through the Lord Jesus. 3 For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye abstain from fornication; 4 that each one of you know how to possess himself of his own vessel in sanctification and honor, 5 not in the passion of lust,
Martin Luther—Epistle Sermons, Vol. II

Of the Scriptures
Eph. ii. 20.--"And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone." Believers are "the temple of the living God," in which he dwells and walks, 2 Cor. vi. 16. Every one of them is a little sanctuary and temple to his Majesty, "sanctify the Lord of hosts in your hearts." Though he be "the high and lofty One that inhabits eternity," yet he is pleased to come down to this poor cottage of a creature's heart, and dwell in it. Is not this
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

Love and the Comforter.
"By the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned."--2 Cor. vi. 6. The question is, "In what sense is the pouring out of Love an ever-continued, never-finished work? Love is here taken in its highest, purest sense. Love which gives its goods to the poor and its body to be burned is out of the question. St. Paul declares that one may do these things and still be nothing more than a sounding brass, utterly devoid of the least spark of the true and real Love. In 2 Cor. vi. 6 the apostle mentions the motives of
Abraham Kuyper—The Work of the Holy Spirit

Above and Below
"As sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing."--2 Cor. vi. 10. P. G. tr., Emma Frances Bevan, 1899 In the bosom of the Father, Centre of His endless love, In the light and in the glory, Thus in Christ I dwell above. Filling up His bitter sufferings, Drinking of His cup of woe, And rejoicing as I do it, Thus with Christ I walk below. There above I rest, untroubled, All my service to adore; Cross and shame and death and sorrow Left behind for evermore. Therefore am I never weary Journeying onward through
Frances Bevan—Hymns of Ter Steegen and Others (Second Series)

And He was Altogether Wonderful in Faith and Religious...
68. And he was altogether wonderful in faith and religious, for he never held communion with the Meletian schismatics, knowing their wickedness and apostacy from the beginning; nor had he friendly dealings with the Manichæans or any other heretics; or, if he had, only as far as advice that they should change to piety. For he thought and asserted that intercourse with these was harmful and destructive to the soul. In the same manner also he loathed the heresy of the Arians, and exhorted all
Athanasius—Select Works and Letters or Athanasius

Sanctification.
PAUL ENTIRELY SANCTIFIED. I might urge a great many other considerations, and as I have said, fill a book with scriptures, and arguments, and demonstrations, of the attainability of entire sanctification in this life. But I forbear, and will present only one more consideration--a consideration which has great weight in some minds. It is a question of great importance, whether any actually ever did attain this state. Some who believe it attainable, do not consider it of much importance to show that
Charles Grandison Finney—Systematic Theology

How the Whole and the Sick are to be Admonished.
(Admonition 13.) Differently to be admonished are the whole and the sick. For the whole are to be admonished that they employ the health of the body to the health of the soul: lest, if they turn the grace of granted soundness to the use of iniquity, they be made worse by the gift, and afterwards merit the severer punishments, in that they fear not now to use amiss the more bountiful gifts of God. The whole are to be admonished that they despise not the opportunity of winning health for ever.
Leo the Great—Writings of Leo the Great

Clean Carriers
'Be ye clean, that bear the vessels of the Lord.'--ISAIAH lii. 11. The context points to a great deliverance. It is a good example of the prophetical habit of casting prophecies of the future into the mould of the past. The features of the Exodus are repeated, but some of them are set aside. This deliverance, whatever it be, is to be after the pattern of that old story, but with very significant differences. Then, the departing Israelites had spoiled the Egyptians and come out, laden with silver
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

The Warfare of Christian Service
'All that enter in to perform the service, to do the work in the tabernacle.' NUM. iv. 23. These words occur in the series of regulations as to the functions of the Levites in the Tabernacle worship. The words 'to perform the service' are, as the margin tells us, literally, to 'war the warfare.' Although it may be difficult to say why such very prosaic and homely work as carrying the materials of the Tabernacle and the sacrificial vessels was designated by such a term, the underlying suggestion is
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Twenty-Fourth Day. Holiness and Cleansing.
Having therefore these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.'--2 Cor. vii. 1. That holiness is more than cleansing, and must be preceded by it, is taught us in more than one passage of the New Testament. 'Christ loved the Church, and gave Himself up for it, that He might sanctify it, having cleansed it by the washing of water with the word.' 'If a man cleanse himself from these, he shall be a vessel
Andrew Murray—Holy in Christ

Purity and Peace in the Present Lord
PHILIPPIANS iv. 1-9 Euodia and Syntyche--Conditions to unanimity--Great uses of small occasions--Connexion to the paragraphs--The fortress and the sentinel--A golden chain of truths--Joy in the Lord--Yieldingness--Prayer in everything--Activities of a heart at rest Ver. 1. +So, my brethren beloved and longed for+, missed indeed, at this long distance from you, +my joy and crown+ of victory (stephanos), +thus+, as having such certainties and such aims, with such a Saviour, and looking for such
Handley C. G. Moule—Philippian Studies

Introductory Note to the Epistles of Ignatius
[a.d. 30-107.] The seductive myth which represents this Father as the little child whom the Lord placed in the midst of his apostles (St. Matt. xviii. 2) indicates at least the period when he may be supposed to have been born. That he and Polycarp were fellow-disciples under St. John, is a tradition by no means inconsistent with anything in the Epistles of either. His subsequent history is sufficiently indicated in the Epistles which follow. Had not the plan of this series been so exclusively that
Ignatius—The Epistle of Ignatius to the Ephesians

Epistle Xl. To Cyriacus, Patriarch of Constantinople.
To Cyriacus, Patriarch of Constantinople. Gregory to Cyriacus, &c. Observing diligently, most dear brother, how great is the virtue of peace from the Lord's voice, which says, My peace I give unto you (Joh. xiv. 27), it becomes us so to abide in the love thereof as in no wise to give place to discord. But, since we cannot otherwise live in its root except by retaining in mind and in deed the humility which the very author of peace has taught, we entreat you with befitting charity, that, treading
Saint Gregory the Great—the Epistles of Saint Gregory the Great

"And Truly Our Fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. And These Things Write we unto You, that Your Joy May Be
1 John i. 3, 4.--"And truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full." It was sin that did first break off that fellowship that was between God and man, and cut off that blessed society in which the honour and happiness of man consisted. But that fundamental bond being loosed, it hath likewise untied all the links of society of men among themselves, and made such a general dispersion and dissipation of mankind,
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

The First Native Converts and Christian Schools
1800-1810 A carpenter the first Bengali convert--Krishna Pal's confession--Caste broken for the first time--Carey describes the baptism in the Hoogli--The first woman convert--The first widow convert--The first convert of writer caste--The first Christian Brahman--The first native chapel--A Bengali "experience" meeting--Carey founding a new community as well as church--Marriage difficulties solved--The first native Christian marriage feast in North India--Hindoo Christian death and burial--The first
George Smith—The Life of William Carey

Christian Behavior
Being the fruits of true Christianity: Teaching husbands, wives, parents, children, masters, servants, etc., how to walk so as to please God. With a word of direction to all backsliders. Advertisement by the Editor This valuable practical treatise, was first published as a pocket volume about the year 1674, soon after the author's final release from his long and dangerous imprisonment. It is evident from the concluding paragraph that he considered his liberty and even his life to be still in a very
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

Twentieth Sunday after Trinity the Careful Walk of the Christian.
Text: Ephesians 5, 15-21. 15 Look therefore carefully how ye walk [See then that ye walk circumspectly], not as unwise, but as wise; 16 redeeming the time, because the days are evil. 17 Wherefore be ye not foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18 And be not drunken with wine, wherein is riot, but be filled with the Spirit; 19 speaking one to another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; 20 giving thanks always for all things
Martin Luther—Epistle Sermons, Vol. III

From the Latin Translation of Cassiodorus.
[3712] I.--Comments [3713] On the First Epistle of Peter. Chap. i. 3. "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who by His great mercy hath regenerated us." For if God generated us of matter, He afterwards, by progress in life, regenerated us. "The Father of our Lord, by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:" who, according to your faith, rises again in us; as, on the other hand, He dies in us, through the operation of our unbelief. For He said again, that the soul never returns a second
Clement of Alexandria—Who is the Rich Man that Shall Be Saved?

That the Ruler Should be Always Chief in Action.
The ruler should always be chief in action, that by his living he may point out the way of life to those that are put under him, and that the flock, which follows the voice and manners of the shepherd, may learn how to walk better through example than through words. For he who is required by the necessity of his position to speak the highest things is compelled by the same necessity to exhibit the highest things. For that voice more readily penetrates the hearer's heart, which the speaker's life
Leo the Great—Writings of Leo the Great

Thirdly, for Thy Actions.
1. Do no evil, though thou mightest; for God will not suffer the least sin, without bitter repentance, to escape unpunished. Leave not undone any good that thou canst. But do nothing without a calling, nor anything in thy calling, till thou hast first taken counsel at God's word (1 Sam. xxx. 8) of its lawfulness, and pray for his blessings upon thy endeavour; and then do it in the name of God, with cheerfulness of heart, committing the success to him, in whose power it is to bless with his grace
Lewis Bayly—The Practice of Piety

Some Man Will Say: "What Then Does it Profit a Servant of God...
32. Some man will say: "What then does it profit a servant of God, that, having left the former doings which he had in the world he is converted unto the spiritual life and warfare, if it still behove him to do business as of a common workman?" As if truly it could be easily unfolded in words, how greatly profiteth what the Lord, in answer to that rich man who was seeking counsel of laying hold on eternal life, told him to do if he would fain be perfect: sell that he had, distribute all to the indigence
St. Augustine—Of the Work of Monks.

Concerning Perfection.
Concerning Perfection. In whom this pure and holy birth is fully brought forth, the body of death and sin comes to be crucified and removed, and their hearts united and subjected to the truth; so as not to obey any suggestions or temptations of the evil one, but to be free from actual sinning and transgressing of the law of God, and in that respect perfect: yet doth this perfection still admit of a growth; and there remaineth always in some part a possibility of sinning, where the mind doth not most
Robert Barclay—Theses Theologicae and An Apology for the True Christian Divinity

The Yoke of Christ.
"Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and ye shall find rest unto your souls; for My yoke is easy, and My burden is light."--Matt. xi. 29, 30. These words, which are brought before us in the Gospel of to-day's festival[1], are also found in the address made to us upon Ash Wednesday, in which we are told that if we "return unto Him who is the merciful Receiver of all true penitent sinners, if we will take His easy yoke and light burden upon us, to follow Him
John Henry Newman—Parochial and Plain Sermons, Vol. VII

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