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2 Corinthians 6:11-18 – Unequally Yoked

Do not be unequally yoked, says Paul. Jesus says it this way, you cannot serve two masters. You will love the one and hate the other. It can’t be both. This passage is often applied to a husband and wife coming together where one is a believer and one is an unbeliever. That’s a good application of this passage, but it reaches much deeper than that. This is a passage that teaches that God our Father is the one and only one whom we serve. Because of that we shun being unequally yoked with any unbelief.

Paul begins to explain this by saying that he speaks to the Corinthians with an open heart and an open mouth towards them as his best friends. But the Corinthians, Paul says, were not returning that openness. He is begging the Corinthians to return to the openness that they had once enjoyed. He refers to them as children, not in a way to put them down or to talk to them as if they’re childish, but to talk to them as a loving parent would do towards their children. He talks to them as if they were his beloved children. Because of that, he longs to protect them, to provide for them, to make sure that they are not led astray. In response, as children should, the Corinthians were to show affection and responsiveness to the teaching of a godly father.

God has given us godly leaders to lovingly watch over us and to guide us. These verses imply an important duty of Christian leaders to lead in such a way that there’s an open heart, an open mouth. But it’s also implied that a congregation or people of God freely speak and freely share with their leaders, and open their hearts to the teaching that is given in Christ, like the honour that children give parents. God calls believers to seek out this type of association, this type of binding together, where there’s oversight of spiritual leaders in Christ that will lead in good ways.

Question

  1. How is Paul saying he treated the church at Corinth?

Prayer Points

  1. Give thanks for the gift of Godly leadership.
  2. Use prayer points from your congregation.
  3. Pray for family matters.