"Do not be yoked with unbelievers..." scripture

[thelord's_pearl]

Hi all,
What does this Scripture really mean, to what extent?
I know that Jesus associated with a tax collector and then left.
He seemed to even answer and associate with the Pharisees and then leaves.
If we have someone in the world we care about who is not a believer yet, can we still help them and be there for them if they're ok with us talking about Jesus Christ, the Lord and His Words?

2 Corinthians 6:14​

14 Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and lawlessness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?

 

[Randy Kluth]

Hi all,
What does this Scripture really mean, to what extent?
I know that Jesus associated with a tax collector and then left.
He seemed to even answer and associate with the Pharisees and then leaves.
If we have someone in the world we care about who is not a believer yet, can we still help them and be there for them if they're ok with us talking about Jesus Christ, the Lord and His Words?

2 Corinthians 6:14​

14 Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and lawlessness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?

Our connection with the world is purely platonic. It is for the purpose of witnessing to them, or by necessity in our work business.

There is limited, measured unity between believers and unbelievers. All of mankind have access to God's revelation in their conscience. But unbelievers only sporadically resort to it or respond to it.

Therefore, we have a basis for friendship through our common human conscience. But unbelievers do not regularly draw upon divine revelation nor do they acknowledge what it is. There are only limited points we can agree on, since by definition an unbeliever rejects full submission to God's word.

It is dangerous to delve into such relationships beyond the purpose of witnessing to them. They will drag you down, away from your spirituality. That is certain.

But it is good to "be there for them" for the unselfish purposes of God's love. Your conscience, in responding to God's word, should show you how far to go with this.

 

[thelord's_pearl]

How come so little replies on this? This is worth discussing for the Christian life unless you don't know or have nothing to say! Not intending to sound pushy at all or aggressive but just saying the plain truth.
Well, I have read online about this verse I'm talking about, about the two oxen and I somewhat understand more clearly that it's like if one leg is God-centred and the other is worldly, lost and broken and insecure, you're not going to be walking properly.

So as I compare this to the online friend I have right now, if I always am around a worldly person, I as a Christian will always only have myself to lift up myself in a Godly way and my friend will be able to support me only in worldly ways which can feel supportive in that way but is not helpful in the Godly way so it's partly good and the other part is not helpful.

Any other thoughts that can help me see this more clearly than I have just written out and that can help others too? Thank you!

 

[St. SteVen]

How come so little replies on this? This is worth discussing for the Christian life unless you don't know or have nothing to say!

This was already discussed on my topic.
You promised to answer me on this question but never returned. (see post #27)
Nor did you link this topic to my topic. Is this a revenge topic?

My agnostic friend says: "I don't need it." - How would you respond?

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[thelord's_pearl]

This was already discussed on my topic.
You promised to answer me on this question but never returned. (see post #27)
Nor did you link this topic to my topic. Is this a revenge topic?

My agnostic friend says: "I don't need it." - How would you respond?

/

Oh, I did not read everything or lots of what was written in your thread because I have issues right now with a medication I'm on.
I did not promise you anything. I meant to say that I will get back to you with a thread topic I will be making and discussing so that it will be there in the thread I post. No, this was not a revenge topic. Sorry I offended you. I feel it is more clear if I make my own thread though if you don't mind because I read posts in your thread and I didn't find it helpful. If it's my own thread I can probably follow through better because I asked the questions. I hope that will be okay for you and that you will understand.

 

[thelord's_pearl]

If you're really offended then I do not want conflict. God calls for peace. No one has to reply in this thread. They can reply to your thread. Sorry, I was just trying to help.

 

[thelord's_pearl]

I also didn't see this as being discussed in your thread directly but mine discusses this topic directly.

 

[thelord's_pearl]

I just want to be clear @St. SteVen. I thought it was clear that you put a sad smiley on my post when I responded to you that it's against the bible to be friends with unbelievers so it told me that you were weak in that area and I myself am not clear on this scripture either as I walk with God so that's why I made a thread on this which is not your topic thread but will help to strengthen your conviction in this area as I gave you a point in scripture as a response but "this thread topic of mine" addresses MY POINT AND SCRIPTURE REFERENCE, NOT YOUR THREAD TOPIC to clarify for you, but you also didn't appreciate me trying to help you more but condemned me. In my honest and strong opinion, I don't think I did anything wrong. It's okay, we will move on to whatever is right.

 

[Lambano]

2 Corinthians 6:14​

14 Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and lawlessness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?

"Yoked together" implies a certain level of commitment to the other person. It's not possible to define what level of commitment is too much for a given situation, so this requires wisdom and discernment. Which usually comes from making bad decisions...

 

[Lambano]

As I mentioned in that other thread, what it does NOT mean is that we should not associate at all with unbelievers.

9 I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— 10 not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world... (1 Corinthians 5:9-10)​

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[St. SteVen]

"Yoked together" implies a certain level of commitment to the other person.

Agree.
That's a critical issue here. And compared to other scripture you shared, I think we can categorize this one as a tough one to understand.
Which is it? Isolation, or engagement? Requires discernment in each case, I suppose.

The other thing, is that the context in first Corinthians chapter six is dealing with idolatry.
Perhaps the Corinthians in that church were still involved with idolatry, going to temples with their friends from outside the church.
Therefore Paul was giving them the hard line. ???

And this is perhaps how the church is using this scripture today.
A way to keep people in the church. A fear tactic.

/

 

[St. SteVen]

I just want to be clear @St. SteVen. I thought it was clear that you put a sad smiley on my post when I responded to you that it's against the bible to be friends with unbelievers so it told me that you were weak in that area

Rather assumptive to judge me as weak...

and I myself am not clear on this scripture either as I walk with God

Especially when you aren't sure what that scripture means.

so that's why I made a thread on this which is not your topic thread but will help to strengthen your conviction in this area as I gave you a point in scripture as a response

It felt like you did this behind my back. I was not informed. I found the topic under What's New.

but "this thread topic of mine" addresses MY POINT AND SCRIPTURE REFERENCE, NOT YOUR THREAD TOPIC to clarify for you,

That's fine.
But no one took the bait. As your post of concern showed. Post #3
What does that tell you? (no one is buying it)

but you also didn't appreciate me trying to help you more but condemned me.

The issue was what happened behind my back.
I was waiting for your response on the other topic. (holding my breath) - LOL
You didn't respond to that post either. Stood me up.
I waited until the flowers wilted before I gave up.

In my honest and strong opinion, I don't think I did anything wrong. It's okay, we will move on to whatever is right.

That's fine, no need for animosity between us. All is forgiven.

/

 

[thelord's_pearl]

Rather assumptive to judge me as weak...


Especially when you aren't sure what that scripture means.


It felt like you did this behind my back. I was not informed. I found the topic under What's New.


That's fine.
But no one took the bait. As your post of concern showed. Post #3
What does that tell you? (no one is buying it)


The issue was what happened behind my back.
I was waiting for your response on the other topic. (holding my breath) - LOL
You didn't respond to that post either. Stood me up.
I waited until the flowers wilted before I gave up.

View attachment 38174


That's fine, no need for animosity between us. All is forgiven.

/

I don't think what I did happened behind your back because I informed you in your thread that I was going to get back to you on what I meant was my point and scripture reference in response to you. I can see this was a misunderstanding and I should've linked it in your thread. Sorry about that. I wasn't clear on that part or very good at that kind of stuff but I will be better at it from now on.
"weak" in that area! Everyone has a weakness

 

[St. SteVen]

"weak" in that area! Everyone has a weakness

Do you maintain your stance after reading posts #9 through #11?

And what is your response to post #25 from my topic? (pasted below)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Did you read the OP (opening post) or only the topic title?

Should I tell this friend of 35+ years that we are through being friends because the Bible tells me so?
I was Best Man at his wedding a month ago. He's better than any Christian friend I have ever had.
The rest of the story is in the OP.

Matthew 9:10-17 NIV
While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples.
11 When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
12 On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.
13 But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’[a] For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

/

 

[thelord's_pearl]

Do you maintain your stance after reading posts #9 through #11?

And what is your response to post #25 from my topic? (pasted below)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Did you read the OP (opening post) or only the topic title?

Should I tell this friend of 35+ years that we are through being friends because the Bible tells me so?
I was Best Man at his wedding a month ago. He's better than any Christian friend I have ever had.
The rest of the story is in the OP.

Matthew 9:10-17 NIV
While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples.
11 When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
12 On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.
13 But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’[a] For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

/

I can relate. I have an online 'acquaintance' (I call it now). We were 'friends' until I felt the Holy Spirit tell me I can't be friends anymore with someone who is in the world and not in the kingdom of God. I told that person who I have to call an acquaintance now rather than a friend that I felt the Holy Spirit tell me this yr that I couldn't be friends with him but that I would still be able to be of help and be there if he needs to vent, or even talking like being supportive I would say is ok. I also said that I'm sorry and hope he understands and that I encourage him to read the bible, the Word of God and shared some things with him that I thought could be of impact so I felt I followed and listened to God, but at the same time I feel he has some Godly characteristics such as being a very kind and honest person and says nice things to me but he is just lost and broken and can be an even better person if he had a relationship with God. I hope that he will become a believer in Christ, a child of God but if he's not, I can still be there for him from time to time but I'm not sure always or whenever a need arises and one day he might come to Christ. I also agree with Lambano that we need God's discernment and the do not be yoked together with unbelievers means to maintain a distinction and distance from their worldliness part but still be there to meet a need and to share about God which fulfills the scripture of dining with tax collectors and sinners and spending time with them "fruitfully", as it's the sick who need the doctor, not the righteous, but we are to always try to be around the righteous because as it says in another scripture about each body part of believers being of help to each other so as to lift each other up. I also feel that if we don't make that distinction, we can never draw someone to God. I hope this helps and sorry I didn't respond to your post in your thread topic.

 

[thelord's_pearl]

Sorry I edited my post #15 above for clarification. Without any other believer giving me more insight on my thread topic, I can only have my own insight and conclusions and from online and cannot get any help or get any higher than my level of understanding right now if there is anything more I should know about this topic.
I would also like to say that when you said that no one was buying my thread topic, I have experienced others not replying to my thread before so I didn't think it was for that reason and I didn't agree with it or that wasn't the case.

 

[St. SteVen]

I can only have my own insight and conclusions and from online and cannot get any help or get any higher than my level of understanding right now if there is anything more I should know about this topic.

Fair enough.
God told me that we can't be friends. So this is goodbye.
I'll be here for you if you really need me, but there is no basis for a friendship.


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How does that feel to be told that?

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[thelord's_pearl]

Fair enough.
God told me that we can't be friends. So this is goodbye.
I'll be here for you if you really need me, but there is no basis for a friendship.


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How does that feel to be told that?

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I don't know. I wouldn't even word it that way. I also said that I would like to be friends and hope to be but that I felt the Holy Spirit tell me that we can't be friends anymore. Maybe I just misunderstood in my learning the Word of God and got the wrong feeling but I think it was the Holy Spirit. On the other hand, it does sound pretty harsh. Hopefully other believers can be of more help. Thanks to anyone else?

 

[thelord's_pearl]

I think the way I worded it and what I said sounded ok though like I like and care about him but there's a distinction in my relationship with God and distance from their worldliness that I can't be a part of.

 

[St. SteVen]

I think the way I worded it and what I said sounded ok though like I like and care about him but there's a distinction in my relationship with God and distance from their worldliness that I can't be a part of.

Were you being a part of his worldliness when you were friends?

/