Same Fighter, Different Divisions
It’s been about three months. Oof. Hope everyone has had a great start to the year so far. Very clear that the gif chosen for the cover of this entry had very little to do with the title outside of the fact that it was a fight of some sort. I like gifs. I like anime. That is obvious. Anyways, let’s step into the ring with a verse that’s started more sparring matches than sermons.
2 Corinthians 6:14 (TPT) Don’t continue to team up with unbelievers in mismatched alliances, for what partnership is there between righteousness and rebellion? Who could mingle light with darkness?
If this verse looks unfamiliar to you, I will share it in the version that most run with.
2 Corinthians 6:14 (NKJV) Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?
This verse is triggering to some. Why? On one end, if you don’t consider yourself a believer, this gives “throw me away” vibes. On the other end, if you are a believer, this gives “throw them away” vibes. And both parties would be wrong. But before getting into that, lets address what yoking actually is.
The gif is pretty spot on. The thing around the neck is the yoke. But I’d argue what’s more important is the burden behind. You don’t yoke oxen together, typically, without the intention of them carrying some sort of burden along. Now look at the following image.
That’s oxen that are unequally yoked. No need to overemphasize this, but this is clearly not ideal. The burden shifts significantly to one side and just doesn’t look fun.
Now, going back to the verse—Paul is telling the believers in Corinth not to do this. And from an unbeliever’s point of view, this might seem absurd. The reality is, we already live this way. Paul isn’t telling the believers in Corinth to do something that both believers and unbelievers don’t already practice. He’s telling them not to go against the grain.
Consider the scenario of entering into business with someone. Typically, you want to assess whether that person is trustworthy and able to hold up their end of the bargain. Why? Because you believe yourself to be trustworthy, and you believe you can hold up your end of the bargain.
Now imagine deciding to enter into business with someone who steals. You’ve entered into a more intimate relationship with someone who operates by a completely different set of rules. Consequently, when problems arise, you will likely find yourself carrying the bulk of the responsibility on the basis of integrity.
The advice not to be unequally yoked isn’t a call to eliminate relationships with people who think and live differently than you. It’s about the type of relationship you choose to have with people.
And here’s the part we don’t often talk about: you can be unequally yoked to a believer as well. Alignment cannot be reduced to labels. But that’s another discussion for another time.
Paul’s instruction was specifically addressing unbelievers because he was safeguarding an environment. Yet the principle extends beyond that instance. A yoke binds outcomes. When two people are moving under different governing realities, the strain will eventually reveal itself. However there’s more to this.
We often think these kinds of connections are always conscious decisions—but that isn’t entirely true. When groups of people share similar interests, values, or rhythms, they naturally gravitate toward the same spaces.
If we want to nerd out for a second, molecules literally do this. Hydrophilic molecules move toward water, while hydrophobic molecules move toward oil phases. There’s a natural pull toward what is compatible.
Humans do this as well; however, we aren’t simply just molecules afloat. We have the soul realm at work in us (our emotions, will, intellect, etc.), which means that if we can reason, we will exercise our will at times to push against what would be considered natural. And often we do, leading to emotional damage due to establishment or maintenance of relationships that lack equal yoking.
Someone might say, what about compromise? There are compromises and there are COMPROMISES. Compromises don’t change how you see the world. But when a compromise violates the foundation of who you are, it’s like trying to force a square into a circle. And that is never a painless process. Where coexistence is built on compromises that erode conviction, unraveling is usually not far behind.
Alright, the icky part: lawlessness. Darkness. If one could set aside sentiment for just a moment, this would be a lot clearer.
If you are an unbeliever, you live by a different set of laws than I do. Therefore, by your standard of laws, I am lawless. In the Bible, light is often a metaphor for revelation or the way I see the world. Therefore, you live and see the world differently than I do. Therefore, by your standards, I live in darkness. Though I believe truth is objective, we all interpret life through frameworks. And those frameworks determine what we call light or darkness.
Romans 12:2 tells the believer not to “be conformed to the patterns of this world.” This is literally telling us that there are different ways of thinking and moving through the world. Paul instructs that the believer is to move by the leading of the Holy Spirit. However, an unbeliever moves by another leading, which means they too would not conform to my pattern.
Perhaps you’re the kind of person who “accepts” others as they are. That doesn’t change anything. There is a way you see life, and the fact that someone else does not see it that way means, from your perspective, they lack light and hence live in darkness.
People have taken this verse and turned it to be some sort of “better than you” posture. In reality, it is not.
Galatians 5:16 (TPT) Let me emphasize this: As you yield to the dynamic life and power of the Holy Spirit, you will abandon the cravings of your self-life.
The Christian posture is one of taking a knee to self and being led along like a child. Where the pattern of the world typically encourages a high degree of “self”, the posture of a Christian is one in which you look to God because for lack of a better phrase, “I’m too dumb to figure life out on my own.” As Paul says:
Galatians 6:14 (TPT) May my only boast be found in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. In him I have been crucified to this natural realm; and the natural realm is dead to me and no longer dominates my life.
So what am I saying? This verse is emphasizing that there are varying levels of intimacy in our dealings with people—levels that are practical and low risk for harm when we respect who we are and who someone else is not. To move contrary to this isn’t just unwise, but is likely to lead to a grossly unfruitful outcome in the end. So the next time you read this verse, instead of thinking, “Those Christians think they are so high and mighty”, maybe consider it a reminder to take inventory of the relationships in your life so that unnecessary harm isn’t caused. A gentle reminder that not every relationship is meant to carry weight.
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