The Unequal Yoke

W. Carl Ketcherside

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     Of all the symptoms of the party spirit perhaps none is more fraught with evil consequences than that of wresting the scriptures to justify a position of separation and exclusiveness as relates to brethren. The entire tenor of the sacred writings is one of encouraging unity and condemning division. To select a passage and interpret it in such a manner as to contradict the very purpose of God is a great tragedy. It is like poisoning the well from which an entire community draws its water. It substitutes bitter for sweet and darkness for light.

     As an example of what we mean consider the partisan application of 2 Corinthians 6:14-18 which begins with the admonition, "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers," and concludes with the command, "Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord." This is quoted by factional leaders in order to enforce a boycott directed against other splinter parties. It is employed as a threat to discourage all fraternization across party lines. It is used to make it appear a dire sin to even go hear a man speak who does not belong to "the loyal church." An "unbeliever" in party parlance is anyone who disagrees with "the powers that be" on the factional test of fellowship.

     If a party opposes Bible classes one who does not oppose them is an "unbeliever."

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If the party opposes individual cups one who does not oppose them is an "unbeliever" with whom you dare not associate. If instrumental music is made a test of fellowship those who use it are "unbelievers" and you must have no concord with them. "The unclean thing" which must not be touched (verse 17) is whatever the party opposes. Each party has a different test of fellowship so the "unclean thing" differs with each party. That which is unclean to one group is clean to another.

     Although such an interpretation appears ridiculous to a real student of the sacred oracles, our readers would be surprised at how many factional leaders stand before their adherents and proclaim it in all seriousness. The deplorable thing is that such men confound believers with unbelievers, and use the latter term to describe those who are the very opposite of the ones so designated by the Spirit. No one who believes in the Lord Jesus Christ and has come into covenant relationship with Him can possibly be an unbeliever regardless of how many mistaken ideas he may have while in that relationship. No believer can become an unbeliever by any position he honestly holds on instrumental music, Bible classes, colleges, or individual cups. These are divergent views and opinions held by believers.

     There is a catalog of terms in the passage under consideration referring to association. In the King James Version they are listed as yoked together, fellowship, communion, concord and part. Those with whom God's sons and daughters are not to participate are listed under the following terms: unbelievers, unrighteousness, darkness, Belial, infidels and idols. The word translated "infidel" in verse 15 is the same as the one translated "unbelievers" in verse 14. Surely a man is not an infidel because he disagrees with us about instrumental music or individual cups. If having a mistaken idea makes a man an unbeliever there are no believers on earth.

     Who is an unbeliever as the Spirit uses the term? Certainly an unbeliever is the opposite to a believer, and believers are those who are added to the Lord (Cp. Acts 5:14). Fortunately, the apostle draws a contrast in his first epistle to the Corinthians which gives an insight into the scriptural connotation of "unbeliever." In chapter 6 he deals with the matter of resorting to heathen courts to adjudicate their disputes. He condemns their impleading each other before such tribunals instead of selecting moderators or referees from their own number. "Can it be that there is no man among you wise enough to decide between members of the brotherhood, but brother goes to law against brother, and that before unbelievers?" (verses 5, 6). It is evident from this that members of the brotherhood are not unbelievers. No brother in Christ Jesus is an unbeliever.

     In verse one the unbelievers are identified as the unrighteous, and the brothers as saints. "When one of you has a grievance against a brother, does he dare to go to law before the unrighteous instead of the saints?" The unrighteous cannot be in the church because the apostle says, "If then you have such cases, why do you lay them before those who are least esteemed by the church?" A point frequently overlooked in this connection is that he identifies the unrighteous as the immoral, idolaters, adulterers, homosexuals, thieves, greedy, drunkards, revilers and robbers (verses 9, 10). These are the unrighteous and the unrighteous are the unbelievers. To brand as "unbelievers" those sincere brethren who hold different opinions than ourselves is not only to do them a grave injustice but also reflects the paucity and inadequacy of our own scholarship. We do not so much indict others as we demonstrate our own ignorance of the scriptures.

     Against what was Paul warning? The clue is found in two expressions in the series of questions. "And what concord hath Christ with Belial?...And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols?" The association and fellowship of God's people with idolatry which was so prevalent in Corinth was forbidden. They were to come out from idolaters

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and be separate from them and touch nothing unclean. "The unclean thing" had reference to the lewd and lascivious practices engaged in as a part of the very religion of pagan temples.

     Ephesus, with its temple to Diana, was also a seat of idolatry. To the Ephesians Paul wrote: But fornication, and all uncleanness, covetousness, let it not be once named among you,...no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God...Be not ye therefore partakers with them...And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them" (Eph. 5). To apply these passages to sincere brethren in the Lord to promote separation and division among them; to imply that followers of Christ are servants of Belial- -these are crimes of deepest dye against brethren.

     It is no wonder that under the influence of such interpretation we have become fragmented into fractions, split into segments, and torn into tatters. It is time for brethren to grow up and quit searching the scriptures for a pretext to dissolve brotherly affection and turn saints toward tribal warfare. It is an insult to the Father to brand his offspring as unbelievers and infidels. Such a course is unwarranted, unwise and unscriptural. "These are they which separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit."