I have received a few emails from Christians
(and even one from a non-Christian) asking
if it is okay for a Christian to date or marry
an unbeliever. Usually, by the time the
question is asked, the relationship has gone
far enough that a negative answer is going to
be difficult to accept, even if it is the right
answer. The short answer is "no." However,
it is good to examine the scripture behind the
answer to understand it more completely,
including why such a marriage is a bad idea.
The usual answer given the believer is from
2 Corinthians:
Do not be bound together [unequally yoked]
with unbelievers; for what partnership have
righteousness and lawlessness, or what
fellowship has light with darkness? (2
Corinthians 6:14)
The original Greek word translated "bound
together" or "unequally yoked" is
heterozugeo?, which is a compound word
originating from heteros, meaning "other,"
"altered," or "opposed," and zugos, meaning
"yoke." So, the literal meaning really is
"unequally yoked," originally referring to
two opposite farm animals being joined
together to do work. As a metaphorical term,
it refers to individuals being part of a team to
accomplish some goal.
As with any Bible verse, one should never
accept it on face value without first checking
the context. The context is found in the
verses following 2 Corinthians 6:14. In these
verses, the Apostle Paul compares believers
with unbelievers in terms of light with
darkness (verse 14), Christ with Belial (a
references to Satan, verse 15), a believer
with an unbeliever (verse 15), and a temple
of God with a temple of idols (verse 16).
Paul goes on to say that a believer is ?the
temple of the living God? (see also 1
Corinthians 6:19)
Verse 16 also makes a reference to the Old
Testament prophecies that God will put His
laws into the hearts of believers and "I will
be their God, and they will be My people."
Paul quotes from the Old Testament
scriptures that tell God's people to be
separated from the other peoples in order to
remain pure.
The concept of being separated from
unbelievers originally comes from the Old
Testament. The reason given for the
separation was so that G ?Bw2V??Rv?V?@???B&RV?6?&VBv?F?F?R??W&?G??bF?P?7W'&?V?F??rV??W2?F?R6??6WB?`?6W&F????26??F??VVB??F?R?Wp?FW7F?V?B?v??6?FV??2W2F?Bg&?V?G6??v?F??F?Rv?&?B??W2W2?V?V??bv?B??7FVB?vR&R??BF?&R6??f?&?VBF?F?P?v?&?B?'WB&RG&?6f?&?VB'?F?R&V?Wv??r?`??W"??G2F?&?Vv?F?R?vW"?bv?B??v?Bw2w&??rv?F?&V??r&?V?BF???V?&V?WfW#?WfV?F??Vv???R??F??????P??fR??B??6??????F?R??7B???'F?@?F???w2??RF??wB???B??6??????F?R&?&?R??W7V6???F?R?WrFW7F?V?B?v&?0?6?&?7F??2F?f??B?F??G'????F???0?6??WF???rF?B?2?V?B????v?W"W7FVV?F???v?B?6??6R?V?&V?WfW"F?W6?wB&V?WfR???v?B?F????WfW'?F???r?2??F?????6?VF??p???2&V?F???6??v?F???R???6?VFVB??F?R?7@??b?F??2&R6W?V?????&?G????W&?G???76????Wf??FW6?&R??Bw&VVB???R?bF?P?&?r&?&?V?2??F?R?'&?vR?b6?&?7F????B????6?&?7F???2F?R6W?V??&V?F???6????