May a Christian Marry a Non-Christian Without Being Unequally Yoked?
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In 2 Corinthians 6:14-15 does this also cover the question of marriage between a Christian and a non-believer?
2 Corinthians 6:14-18 is the entirety of the context in which we find these verses.
Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.
First, let’s try to understand what is being said in these verses. A “yoke” is an instrument that was used on beasts of burden to share a single task. Two oxen or horses may be yoked together so that one can plow a field. The yoke is supposed to help the beasts of burden distribute the weight of the work evenly so that one animal doesn’t work harder than the other. A “yoke” that was unequal didn’t accomplish this job; an unequal yoke burdened one animal greater than the other which animal ended up doing more work.
In this context, Paul isn’t referring to physical labor, but to bearing the load of life. Particularly, Paul has in mind the sin of idolatry as practiced by unbelievers at Corinth. So the primary application of the verse is with respect to idolatry. Being unequally yoked with an idolater may have very well involved marriage. Many of the priestesses of the idolatrous temples were prostitutes; marrying such an unbeliever would indeed constitute an unequal yoke between a believer and an unbeliever. Perhaps there were some at Corinth who had business associates who were involved with idolatry. We recall the silver craftsmen at Ephesus in Acts 19 who sold silver statuettes of the goddess Diana. Certainly, a Christian entering into such a business venture with one who did such work would be considered being unequally yoked with an unbeliever.
However, there is also the possibility that the Christian may be able to be involved with unbelievers on an equal footing without the Christian’s having to participate in or condone sinful practices in order to maintain the relationship. The Christian who marries a person who is morally sound and does not pose a burden to his or her Christian beliefs or practices doesn’t’ fall under Paul’s prohibition regarding being unequally yoked. Neither does the Christian businessman who is involved with unbelievers in the practice of a legitimate trade necessarily involve being unequally yoked. It is only when one’s involvement with an unbeliever would necessarily involve the Christian in sin that such a relationship would be wrong.
We must balance this passage with Paul’s comments to the church in 1 Corinthians 5:10 where Paul states that if we were to totally cut ourselves off from unbelievers that we would have to “go out of the world.” Hence, this passage (2 Corinthians 6:14,15) can’t be prohibiting all relationships between Christians and unbelievers. And while marriage is the most intimate relationship that one can have with another, it may be had with an unbeliever provided that such relationship does not involve the Christian in a sinful situation or inhibit the Christian from practicing his faith. So, it’s not necessarily sinful for a Christian to marry an unbeliever, but it may be, if one is unduly burdened by such a relationship. The wisest and safest course of action is for the Christian to marry another Christian and that would be my personal advice to those who are considering marriage.