2 Corinthians 6:17 Question

[Multi67]

New Living Translation (©2007)
Therefore, come out from among unbelievers, and separate yourselves from them, says the LORD. Don't touch their filthy things, and I will welcome you.

This seems to say not to hang around, make friends of non believers, in the simplest of terms. My question is where do you draw the line, because if I'm not with non believers, how can I make disciples?

Any help is appreciated.

Thanks

 

[singpeace]

New Living Translation (©2007)
Therefore, come out from among unbelievers, and separate yourselves from them, says the LORD. Don't touch their filthy things, and I will welcome you.

This seems to say not to hang around, make friends of non believers, in the simplest of terms. My question is where do you draw the line, because if I'm not with non believers, how can I make disciples?

Any help is appreciated.

Thanks

Hi Multi.

Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers -
This is a military term: keep in your own ranks; do not leave the Christian community to join in that of the heathens. Here it signifies that they should not associate with the Gentiles in their idolatrous feasts.

The next couple of verses refer to idols and the pagan god Belial.

Come out from among them -
These words are taken out of Isaiah 52:11 where God said this to the Israelites, and particularly to the priests and Levites, who bore the vessels of the Lord; and are fitly applied to believers who are by Christ made priests unto God.
They are usually interpreted by the Jewish writers, as a call to the Jews to come out of captivity.

Luke 6:35
But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.

 

[CryptoLutheran]

This should be tempered with what Paul wrote elsewhere, namely in 1 Corinthians 5, where Paul talks about not associating with immoral believers, and specifically says he does not mean those who are not believing, because that would mean having to leave the world itself.

-CryptoLutheran

 

[ebia]

Something else that needs to be born in mind us that this is written to a Christian congregation/community, not individuals. It's part of a warning to a community that had got itself into quite a mess (again). It is emphatically not addressing the question of who I, as an individual, should have over for dinner or whatever.

 

[ebia]

Hi Multi.

Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers -
This is a military term:

do you have a citation for that, because it runs counter to what David Williams says (Paul's Metaphors, page 32)

 

[CryptoLutheran]

do you have a citation for that, because it runs counter to what David Williams says (Paul's Metaphors, page 32)

I was under the impression that it was an agricultural metaphor, and in part a reference the Torah, against two different animals yoked together. Namely because there would be an inequality or imbalance in two beasts of burden attempting to pull the same plow. Eventually one animal would outpace the other, and Christians ought to be mindful of not being influenced by, or rather, compromising themselves in certain social environments. A Christian and a Pagan entering into a business contract, for example, could potentially place a Christian in a certain situation where--for an example off the top of my head--say they make various furnishings, it might require building an ornament for a Pagan temple or some such.

I could be wrong on this, but that was my general understanding; that it is not a blanket command against Christians having personal relationships with non-Christians, but rather a pragmatic warning not to place oneself in a position where one might compromise their faith; especially meaningful in a predominantly Pagan culture where society at large and the Greco-Roman cultus were intimiately tied together.

-CryptoLutheran

 

[ittarter]

I was under the impression that it was an agricultural metaphor, and in part a reference the Torah, against two different animals yoked together.

This is what I've always heard, too. Regardless the point is the same.

People often talk about this in terms of friendship but friendship itself is very different than what it used to be. Still, I think it's a challenging text for the modern age, even if we limit its interpretation to communities rather than individuals. Personally I wouldn't do that -- the point is who is influencing who, with whom do you share your vision and your values, who works alongside you to change the world? If non-believers, then you're missing out.

I honestly haven't thought through this but this is where I would start in terms of application.

 

[Multi67]

Hard to understand, personally it makes more sense from a community stand point, but it also makes sense that you shouldn't be working too closely with someone who has absolutely no desire to be a believer.

At the same time though, if you only associate on a deeper level with other Christians it seems as though you have less opportunity to show others the light. My belief has just as much chance, hopefully much more to influence them to the light as they do to influence me to the dark. .???

 

[ebia]

I was under the impression that it was an agricultural metaphor, and in part a reference the Torah, ..."
Yes:

David Williams:
"Each ox in a pair has its preferred side. Thus a right-hand or a left-hand ox that dies may be difficult to replace. Paul may have known this when he urged the Corinthians not be yoked incompatibly with unbelievers. No other example of this verb is known, but the adjective from which it is apparently formed (heterozygos) is found in LXX Lev 19:19, in a passage that prohibits harnessing together different species of animal. The same prohibition (but not the word) is found in Deut 22:10. (Paul's metaphors, their context and character, p32-33).

 

[Jpark]

New Living Translation (©2007)
Therefore, come out from among unbelievers, and separate yourselves from them, says the LORD. Don't touch their filthy things, and I will welcome you.

This seems to say not to hang around, make friends of non believers, in the simplest of terms. My question is where do you draw the line, because if I'm not with non believers, how can I make disciples?

Any help is appreciated.

Thanks

The NASB renders 2 Cor. 6:17 as:

"Therefore, COME OUT FROM THEIR MIDST AND BE SEPARATE," says the Lord.
"AND DO NOT TOUCH WHAT IS UNCLEAN;
And I will welcome you.

2 Cor. 6:14-15, 17 basically says "don't be too close to unbelievers". It doesn't indicate total separation from unbelievers.

As for "do not touch what is unclean", if you look at the cross reference, you'll find this:

Rev. 18:4 I heard another voice from heaven, saying, "Come out of her, my people, so that you will not participate in her sins and receive of her plagues;

Now take a look at Acts 10:35.

Acts 10:35 but in every nation the man who fears Him and does what is right is welcome to Him.

So to fear God and do what is right is synonymous or equated with not participating in sin with unbelievers.

James 1:27 Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: ...and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

 

[Mr Dave]

In Corinth in the first century there were all sorts of pagan temple practices as was the nominal religion of the context. These ranged from merely sharing in the feasts to the various gods, to temple prostitution. In the Roman world, particularly in Corinth, it was difficult to get to a decent position in society without partaking in the pagan practices; the best of the feasts etc. was reserved for the top elechons of the hierarchy, people's families remained and to not get involved was to break with the family...

As a result, some of the early Corinthian Christians were sharing in the pagan practices as well as the new Judeo-Christian ones. As such they were not focusing wholly on the one true God.

Paul has just mentioned the sharing of God's temple with idols (v.16) so seems to be to be reprimanding those who are refusing to sever ties with their former religious ways and are trying to create some mix of Roman paganism and Christianity, a mix which is unacceptable to God.

It's not about not spending time with non-believers at all, but not sharing in their practices as these run contrary to their Christian faith.