We begin with a text I plan to refer to often over this summer. Summer begins now for me, as a homeschooling mama that begins the academic year in the first week of August, and ends in the second week in May. We have worked hard, read so many books, studied and written, memorized, narrated, and solved so many math problems. We have earned this Mid-May through July summer break! But as a life-long-learner, we do not take a break from using our minds, from enjoying good books and good discussions! What is on your summer reading list? At the end of this post I make a book recommendation that I hope you’ll enjoy.
First, our text in 2 Corinthians:
6:14 Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? 15 Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? 16 Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said,
“I will dwell in them and walk among them;
And I will be their God, and they shall be My people.17 “Therefore, come out from their midst and be separate,” says the Lord.
“And do not touch what is unclean;
And I will welcome you.18 “And I will be a father to you,
And you shall be sons and daughters to Me,”
Says the Lord Almighty.7:1 Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
Join me in a summer saunter through this passage. Perhaps commit this to memory?
Today we focus on 6:14. Have you wrestled with these questions before? “what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness?”
There is a separation that precludes closeness; what God says are opposites truly are opposed to one another. They can never be bedfellows, or friends, or co-workers. They can never be mistaken for one another. Darkness hates the Light, hides from the Light. Yet those whose works are righteous dance and glory in the Light. (see John 1)
What does this mean for relationships? In context, this epistle is written to those who are struggling with relationships, and with church unity. This epistle is written to the congregation, not just the elders; and is not addressed to the city at large, not to unbelievers. Believers are being told not to be bound together–this word means “yoked.” The yoke metaphor is used in Scripture of our relationship to Jesus, and here concerning who else we yoke ourselves to. The metaphor extends back to the Law, wherein we are told not to yoke an ox to an ass (Deut. 22).
SIDEBAR
Paul had already addressed many marriage, adultery, and sexual purity issues with this church. He had already addressed those who try to create cliques. And very importantly, we have already been instructed to associate with the world in some ways that we should not with someone who claims to be a Christian. If someone delights in sin, we are instructed to correct, to rebuke, to gently restore; but if that someone continues to delight in their sins, we cannot continue in fellowship in the same way as though it did not matter. If someone does not want to be restored:
9 I wrote you in my letter not to associate with immoral people; 10 I did not at all mean with the immoral people of this world, or with the covetous and swindlers, or with idolaters, for then you would have to go out of the world. 11 But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler—not even to eat with such a one. 12 For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Do you not judge those who are within the church? 13 But those who are outside, God judges. Remove the wicked man from among yourselves.
Another Sidebar
Does this apply to a person who becomes a Christian, if they are already married to a person who is not and shows no desire to be a Christian? NO! Paul specifically addresses that concern in 1 Corinthians 7.
Yoked Together
Already yoked? Stay that way, unless your spouse leaves you. Not yoked yet? Then do not be yoked to one if it would be unequal in spiritual terms. However, this being bound applies to so many relationships, not just marriage. Will your “best friend” who does not love God speak godly wisdom into your life? Many a business person has found themselves yoked together with someone who wants to lie to the IRS, or to customers; or who will cheat you out of your due. Many a ministry partner has realized that choosing to partner with someone who embraces heresy is devastating. Many a ministry has been funded by people who then make claims on that ministry, thinking their money gives them a say in how operations are run; and when the giver of those dollars is not a believer the funding fails, the ministry crumbles.
I once listened to a sunday school teacher tell us this passage had nothing to do with dating or marriage relationships. When asked which relationships, he did not have an answer. It is easy to want to believe that God wants us to equally love everyone, making no distinction. While our showing of Christ’s love must be toward everyone–yet our intimate fellowship, and our most intimate of relationships wherein we share as much of our ‘self’ as we can–these relationships are to be fenced in differently. This teacher misled many to believe that God does not design marriage or family to be a relationship of upbuilding and encouraging in spiritual truth.
Opposites
Righteousness and Lawlessness. Have we any right to consider ourselves righteous? Yes! In Christ! In Him, we are made righteous. He has purified us from every lawless deed. He has clothed us in His righteousness. The Spirit is conforming us to His image, transforming us. We are not yet perfected, but we are not still in our sins. Our union with Christ has forever eternally and ultimately changed us. This is not a bragging point, and does not support a “holier than thou” attitude. Yet in Christ, we are new creations. Let us choose from here on out to be equally yoked to those who are in Union with Christ.
Light and Darkness. Something I’ve written extensively on in the past, see here. And here. And, here too. We who have (2 Corinthians 4) the knowledge of the glory of God shining in our hearts cannot be fully understood by those who do not know God. We who have gone up the mountain and seen His shining face are forever changed. And we shine that light, and walk in the Light (the fruit of the Light consisting of? See Ephesians 5!). We want those walking in darkness to come to know God, but this does not mean we are willing to live in darkness, or be yoked to darkness. We learn the difference.
Verses 15-16a
This leads into the next few questions, the first of which has us considering harmony. This draws our minds towards music, art, beauty, peace. Can enemies enjoy peace? To a culture steeped in tribal warfare (such as much of the ancient world into which this text was first written) and neighboring states taking over one another’s territories, this answer is easy. No harmony between arch-enemies like Christ and Belial. No harmony between opposing rulers. The King of Light, the prince of darkness.
Consider the world-view of Belial, and that of Christ. Christ, the One through Whom all was created, and is held together by the Word of His Power; He sustains everything that is, and knows all things, and is perfect. He loves beauty, goodness, truth, order, joy, abundant life. Consider Belial, another name for Satan. He could not stand the Glory of God, wanting his own, wanting to usurp God’s throne. Power-hungry, selfish, distorted in thought, word and deed. Is there harmony there? Can these two agree about marriage, about business, about politics, about finances, about how to raise children, about education, about leisure, about stewardship…? Would they team up?
No consider all of this, but in the life of two people: one indwelt by the Holy Spirit, and one with a different spirit at work:
Ephesians 2:1 And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, 2 in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience.
The Holy Spirit will not share His temple with another. We are that temple, and His people are corporately that temple. 1 and 2 Corinthians use the temple language in both individual and corporate ways, reminding us that He has made each believer His home, and together the True Church is His dwelling. What agreement has the temple of God with the temple of idols? The answer is “none” yet in this world we often listen to other spirits, let our worship be directed by other spirits, let our minds be saturated with the rhythms of other spirits. Who is God to us, for us? What do we depend on Him for? When we give another a foothold in those ways, we attempt to place an idol “in agreement” with God. “All truth is God’s truth” has led many to believe that seeking God, and seeking what only He gives, in ways that He has not sanctioned, is acceptable. But beloved, He will not share His glory with another; He alone is our Life, our Source; and His ways are always good.
Next week we will meander through verse 16b, a bold statement of fact, rooted in a promise and God’s hesed (click here), His covenant-faithful-love. For those of you looking for a good book this summer, a couple recommendations:
John Owen, Mortification of Sin.
I had not read this classic until three years ago. Though I had enjoyed thousands of pages of Puritan writings, I avoided this one, assuming that the book would have me focus on “being a worm.” Silly as it sounds, I had assumed it would be disheartening. I know better than to listen to people who say Puritans didn’t have any fun, shunned laughter and pleasure, and found little joy in life. “Puritanical.” Ugh. Even C.S. Lewis writes about Puritans this way. The truth is, it is the Puritans who tell us that for every look we have at our sins, we take ten looks at Christ. Their focus is on the beauty and joy and peace found in Christ. They enjoyed the good pleasures offered to us by our Loving Father–especially intimacy in marriage, fellowship among believers, family life, poetry and song, nature… they shunned drunkeness, debauchery, impurity–anything that took life rather than nourishing it. I loved this book!
Larry Crabb, Shattered Dreams.
One I recently have picked back up, having read it roughly 15 years ago. Or so? I read it the first go around by myself, the second time with friends, this time revisiting by myself. Helpful, thought provoking. If you have ever asked “why? how come?” or wondered whether God has good plans for your life, this book is for you. He writes to help us remember that our joy is found in Christ: (page 119) The person on the secular journey is doing well when he gets over a tough patch and stops crying so much, when he regains hope that life offers many pleasures and learns to manage its challenges well…the spiritual journey is different. Doing great on the journey to God involves sensing an appetite that is never fully satisfied, an appetite for everything to always go well…to experience God deeply enough to keep moving toward Him no matter what happens…eventually they discover their desire for Him is stronger than all their other desires, and in their seasons of misery when life disappoints and they fail, they seek Him more earnestly…” This book will help you in your quest for soul-satisfying joy and endurance.
Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash