1Working together, we entreat also that you do not receive the grace of God in vain. 2For he says,
“At an acceptable time I listened to you.
In a day of salvation I helped you.”
Behold, now is the acceptable time. Behold, now is the day of salvation. 3We give no occasion of stumbling in anything, that our service may not be blamed, 4but in everything commending ourselves as servants of God: in great endurance, in afflictions, in hardships, in distresses, 5in beatings, in imprisonments, in riots, in labors, in watchings, in fastings, 6in pureness, in knowledge, in perseverance, in kindness, in the Holy Spirit, in sincere love, 7in the word of truth, in the power of God, by the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, 8by glory and dishonor, by evil report and good report, as deceivers and yet true, 9as unknown and yet well known, as dying and behold—we live, as punished and not killed, 10as sorrowful yet always rejoicing, as poor yet making many rich, as having nothing and yet possessing all things.
11Our mouth is open to you, Corinthians. Our heart is enlarged. 12You are not restricted by us, but you are restricted by your own affections. 13Now in return—I speak as to my children—you also open your hearts.
14Don’t be unequally yoked with unbelievers, for what fellowship do righteousness and iniquity have? Or what fellowship does light have with darkness? 15What agreement does Christ have with Belial? Or what portion does a believer have with an unbeliever? 16What agreement does a temple of God have with idols? For you are a temple of the living God. Even as God said, “I will dwell in them and walk in them. I will be their God and they will be my people.” 17Therefore
“‘Come out from among them,
and be separate,’ says the Lord.
‘Touch no unclean thing.
I will receive you.
18I will be to you a Father.
You will be to me sons and daughters,’
says the Lord Almighty.”
14 Don’t be unequally yoked with unbelievers, for what fellowship do righteousness and iniquity have? Or what fellowship does light have with darkness? 15 What agreement does Christ have with Belial? Or what portion does a believer have with an unbeliever?
We often hear this verse quoted as a warning to not date or marry someone who is not a Christian, or who is not at the same stage of spiritual development as you might be. These may all be true, but the admonition has a much broader application than that. Over the years, I have gotten into business partnerships with unbelievers. They were lovely people for the most part, but in time, I’ve learned that no matter how things might look on the surface, and no matter how profitable the venture might seem, problems will inevitably arise out of a difference in points of view. An old friend of mine who was a lawyer in my hometown once told me, “If you lie down with dogs, you’ll get up with fleas.” I think Paul is admonishing us here to be careful who we lie down with. I’m not saying that only unbelievers have fleas. We all have our own fair share of them.
No matter how much you might appreciate and love a friend or an acquaintance who might be an unbeliever, you need to exercise caution with them. Don’t share too much intimacy with them. You walk in the light, and they walk in the dark. Yes, your light can overcome the darkness, but sometimes when you’re struggling to keep the light on, the darkness can overwhelm you. They don’t see things the way that you do because they don’t have the same set of spiritual eyes that you have. They can’t and don’t have the same fundamental priorities that you have. Hence, you can see that a dating relationship or a marital relationship with someone like this will be a disaster. Business relationships can become unnecessarily problematic as well.
Hence, over the years, I’ve learned to confine my business relationships to only other believers. And, I’m pretty careful about that as well because I don’t want mere business to get in the way of a sweet friendship that’s centered on the love of Christ. Now, after about seven decades of living, I choose to only enter into business partnerships with my best friend, my wife. I feel equally yoked with her. When I met her, she was in love with the Lord Jesus, and so was I. We looked at the world in much the same way. Our priorities aligned with one another. We worked together. We sweated together. We built a business together. We raised children together. Reader, heed Paul’s words and you’ll have an easier go of things. You’ll have troubles and frictions with anyone along the way, including a Christian brother or sister. But, at least, you’ll be in yoke with someone else who is pulling in the same direction.