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"UNEQUALLY YOKED" – WHAT DOES IT MEAN?
The passage quoted above is often cited as proof that it is actually sinful for a Christian to marry a non-Christian. That may be open to debate. As in many instances of biblical interpretation, there’s more than one side to this story. Some students of these verses have pointed out that the context and the original language – in particular the Greek word heterozugeo, “to come under the yoke with another” – indicate that Paul is not thinking specifically about marriage here. His real concern, it is sometimes said, is with the believer’s freedom from idolatry.
There is something to be said for this exegesis of the text, at least from a technical point of view. But from another angle these scholarly details are beside the point. Setting aside for the moment the question of whether it would be a sin to marry a non-believer, we can still say without the slightest hesitation that it is unwise. Common sense itself suggests as much. Why? Because, generally speaking, the practical logistics of a spiritually mixed relationship don’t bode well either for the success of the marriage or the health of the believing partner’s relationship with Christ.
It may be true that Paul wasn’t thinking primarily of marriage when he wrote, “Be not unequally yoked with unbelievers.” But that doesn’t mean that the principle contained in these verses can’t be given a broader application. It’s always important to ask ourselves, in every area of life, what part a believer can have with an unbeliever. This is particularly true where marriage is concerned. Remember the call of Christ: “Deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow Me” (Mark 8:34). If you’re a believer, how can you expect to follow a Master who demands absolute allegiance if you choose to become “one flesh” (Genesis 2:24) with a person who disregards His claims? It’s a question well worth pondering.
Naturally, nobody has the authority to dictate the choice of a marriage partner to anybody else. If you’re pondering the possibility of entering into matrimony with a non-believer, you are correct in assuming that the decision is yours alone to make. But for that very reason it’s vital to approach it with the greatest of care. If you do marry a non-Christian, chances are good that the potential for conflict will only increase with time. When it comes to raising children, tithing to a church, or dealing with serious illness and death, the two of you are likely to have strikingly different attitudes and methods of coping. This is why Paul advises Christians not to be “unequally yoked with non-believers.” Life’s decisions are tough enough when two people share the same belief system. But the situation can become intolerably difficult when their worldviews are diametrically opposed.
The passage quoted above is often cited as proof that it is actually sinful for a Christian to marry a non-Christian. That may be open to debate. As in many instances of biblical interpretation, there’s more than one side to this story. Some students of these verses have pointed out that the context and the original language – in particular the Greek word heterozugeo, “to come under the yoke with another” – indicate that Paul is not thinking specifically about marriage here. His real concern, it is sometimes said, is with the believer’s freedom from idolatry.
There is something to be said for this exegesis of the text, at least from a technical point of view. But from another angle these scholarly details are beside the point. Setting aside for the moment the question of whether it would be a sin to marry a non-believer, we can still say without the slightest hesitation that it is unwise. Common sense itself suggests as much. Why? Because, generally speaking, the practical logistics of a spiritually mixed relationship don’t bode well either for the success of the marriage or the health of the believing partner’s relationship with Christ.
It may be true that Paul wasn’t thinking primarily of marriage when he wrote, “Be not unequally yoked with unbelievers.” But that doesn’t mean that the principle contained in these verses can’t be given a broader application. It’s always important to ask ourselves, in every area of life, what part a believer can have with an unbeliever. This is particularly true where marriage is concerned. Remember the call of Christ: “Deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow Me” (Mark 8:34). If you’re a believer, how can you expect to follow a Master who demands absolute allegiance if you choose to become “one flesh” (Genesis 2:24) with a person who disregards His claims? It’s a question well worth pondering.
Naturally, nobody has the authority to dictate the choice of a marriage partner to anybody else. If you’re pondering the possibility of entering into matrimony with a non-believer, you are correct in assuming that the decision is yours alone to make. But for that very reason it’s vital to approach it with the greatest of care. If you do marry a non-Christian, chances are good that the potential for conflict will only increase with time. When it comes to raising children, tithing to a church, or dealing with serious illness and death, the two of you are likely to have strikingly different attitudes and methods of coping. This is why Paul advises Christians not to be “unequally yoked with non-believers.” Life’s decisions are tough enough when two people share the same belief system. But the situation can become intolerably difficult when their worldviews are diametrically opposed.
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About this Plan
Marrying someone who doesn’t share your faith in Jesus Christ is no casual affair. Disagreeing between chocolate and vanilla is a relational speed bump. Disagreeing between worldviews can be a mountain. Whether you became a Christian before or after you got married, or whether you’re single and dating or building a romantic relationship, let’s talk about the challenges and the opportunities that come with being in a spiritual mismatch.
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