What Does Unequally Yoked Mean?
Updated: Jun 28, 2024
Many Christians have heard this expression in the context of marriage, which raises the question of whether it only applies to marriage. The answer is no.
Before we dive in, let’s examine a yoke. What it is not is the center of an egg. That is a yolk, not a yoke. So, this verse does not mean that you screwed up so badly you ended up with egg on your face.
A yoke is an agricultural device used to distribute loads. One is for a person; if you've never seen one, imagine you have two buckets and a long distance to carry them. You might use a yoke, a long stick you carry across your shoulder with a bucket tied to each end. The closer the buckets are in weight, the easier the yoke is to use. I have tried to use one when my two sides were uneven in weight. I ended up falling. It was hard to keep the rig balanced, and it messed with my internal center of balance.
Another type of yoke, and the one we are talking about, is often associated with oxen. In this case, the yoke serves two purposes: to distribute the load between the animals and to keep them together. If the animals are similar, like a pair of oxen or a pair of donkeys, there is less chance of trouble. If you paired a donkey with an ox, it could be disastrous. The two are too dissimilar if there is a difference of opinion about direction; the donkey is at such a disadvantage that it could be mangled, but the ox could be hurt, too.
In 2 Corinthians 6:14, Paul's yoke represents anyone with whom you have a strong tie, contract, or covenant. If you are unsure whether a current relationship you have meets the criteria of a yoke, ask this straightforward question:
What would happen if this person in my life were committing crimes? 2 Corinthians 6:14b
It would be easy to see how a spouse or business partner might find this unsettling. What about someone on your lease or a co-owner of a piece of property? What about an investor or lender who realizes their money is controlled by a criminal? These people could potentially have their lives yanked off course while dragged along.
Right now, someone might say that the relationship or partnership they are considering is not with a vastly incompatible unbeliever. Perhaps your lifestyles are similar, except you attend church and do some Christian functions. You two may agree to respect each other’s viewpoints. You might even think the person is so nice, kind, and generous that they would make a good Christian if they were only saved.
Making excuses for the other person is not a sign of Christian maturity. It is a sign that you want to get your way and dismiss necessary instruction from the Bible. Maybe you are so invested in this person already that you can’t imagine God saying no or that God will have someone better for you.
God did say no. He said it before you got invested in the person.
As far as it is a single reference to not binding yourself with an unbeliever, this is untrue. If you look at the verse in context, 2 Corinthians 6:14-18, you will see where Paul quotes v15-18 from in the OT. It comes from places where God instructs Israel on being holy and undefiled. He says explicitly not to marry or enter peace agreements with them. Solomon was a cautionary tale of why not marry unbelievers. Up to that time, he was the wisest man ever to live, and that didn’t save him from the influences of his wives.
Going back to the yoke, let’s try to understand what the problem may be. When the marriage or partnership begins, you may not be at a stage of sanctification in which your life looks dissimilar to unbelievers'. When you yoke yourself to an unbeliever, you will have to compromise. These compromises may inhibit your spiritual growth. As you grow in the Spirit, your lives SHOULD look more and more different.
Imagine discovering the person you are connected to has taken a huge amount of money and gambled it all away. You’d be upset, right? Imagine they discovered you gave considerable money away because the Holy Spirit told you to. It would probably be easier for them to understand that you gambled it.
What if your yoked person becomes “woke” and wants to use the resources you have together to help sponsor activist activities for things you do not believe in? What if you want to sponsor an organization that educates people about biblically based values?
I can't see your future, but God can. I can't tell you all the possible pitfalls that await you if you decide to disobey God. I would much rather say God wants to bless your marriage and business dealings.
Scripture referenced or considered in the writing of this blog article: "What does unequally yoked mean?" By RD Montgomery
2 Corinthians 6:14-18, Deuteronomy 7:2–3, 22:10, Leviticus 26:12, Exodus 29:45, Isaiah 52:11, Ephesians 5:1-9, 2 Corinthians 7:1, Deuteronomy 7:3, Joshua 23:12-13, Ezra 9:11-12, Nehemiah 13:23-27, 1 Kings 3:5-9, 1 Kings 11:1-4, Matthew 7:13-14
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