Yoked - Why do people interpet "equally yoked" to mean that a Christian must marry a Christian?

Why do people interpet "equally yoked" to mean that a Christian must marry a Christian?

This interpretation seems to be based on commentary, which itself is not scripture. I am not doubting scripture, but I am doubting the commentary.

Since faith is a gift, couldn’t there be the case where one person has not yet received the gift, and therefore not Christian, but has the same values about how to treat people and lives the same morally upright life? Couldn't this non-Christian person be in fact equally yoked with a Christian?

And ideas would be appreciated. Thanks!

Public Comments

Because no other religion considers themselves farm animals. I just don't get why someone would yolk sheep together.
Good thought. You're pulling this from Paul to the Corintheeos, yeah? I've thought about this also... in depth...

knowing that:

faith itself is a gift of God

salvation is solely God's decision, and has absolutely nothing to do with our anything.

it's a regular dollywhopper.
The yoke was the harness they used to put on mules that were working.

Christians have God's work to do. If they are yoked with another "mule" who is going in a different direction or who is not interested in doing this type of work, it won't work.
If one is not a christian, how can he have the same values as a christian, the prime value being to give preeminence to Christ and to live for Him? This is an oxymoron.
In the Karma Sutra this would directly correlate to male/female anatomy, and caste.

Food for thought......
You are correct - that verse has absolutely nothing to do with marriage. In fact, Paul provides the context for the verse - people who strive to do good should not establish bonds with those who strive to do evil. Elsewhere Paul tells us what he thinks of marriage: the believer sanctifies the unbeliever.
It definately helps. I was married to an atheist for almost 14 years, I loved him, I kept my religion to myself and practiced alone. But in the end, he left--the best for both of us. He was very angry and cynical (as I notice many atheists are) and now he does not have me and my religion to provoke him.

And I will remarry this summer to a real sweet fellow who is of my same faith. I know it will work this time.

THis is not to say that a believer/non-believer relationship is doomed, as long as each person respects the other. Charles Darwin himself was married to a devout Christian woman.
As far as yoking goes... it is all in the hands of the Bible God..

Believe it or not, the Bible God is very much responsible for who gets what girl for a wife! In fact, God is known to take the wife away from a husband and give her to other MEN!

Jeremiah 10:10a (NIV) Therefore I* (*God) will GIVE THEIR WIVES TO OTHER MEN and their fields to new owners.

2 Samuel 12:8 (NIV) I* (*God) gave your master's house to you* (*King David), and YOUR MASTER'S WIVES* (ex-King Saul’s wives) into your arms. I gave you the house of Israel and Judah. And if all this had been too little, I would have given you even more (More wives yet! Wow!).

King David got Bathsheba pregnant and got her husband killed to take her all for himself in spite of the fact that King David already had many wives. God was King David’s personal pimp and God didn’t like what King David did on his own!

2 Samuel 12:11-12 (NIV) This is what the LORD says: “Out of your own household I am going to bring calamity upon you. Before your very eyes I WILL TAKE YOUR WIVES AND GIVE THEM to one who is close to you, and HE WILL LIE WITH YOUR WIVES in broad daylight. You did it in secret, but I will do this thing in broad daylight before all Israel.” (Done! 2 Samuel 16:21-22)

God loves a DAY CLUB setting in full public view without any age restrictions! Private NIGHT CLUBS for adults only are of the Devil! God will never force anybody to sin… so ladies, enjoy all you can IT IS ALL ON GOD…! JUST DON’T BE SHY!!! In the case of King David’s wives God changed their husbands at least 3 times! Isn’t God so wonderful? I know that some of you have a successful marriage, but please be nice with the wives of crappy husbands. Some of these Christian ladies wouldn’t stop praising the LORD! Amen?

BTW… You should know that King David was already married to Michal the daughter of King Saul (1 Sam 18-19). So when God passed all the wives of King Saul to King David he became automatically married to Michal’s mother, too! Isn’t God so wonderful!!! God is not a “respecter of persons” and he “never changes” so a man of God can be married to the mother and her daughter at the same time! The clergy is hiding all this facts from the general public. What Jimmy Swaggart did with that hooker was nothing unusual. The Bible flip flops a lot on moral issues! Most people writing the Bible were not different from people on any of these chat rooms in the Internet except that they lived back then when practically everybody was illiterate!
Because it says "do not be unequally Yoked together with UNBELIEVERS"
It not only applies to marriage, but also to business partnerships and close friendships. Non-Christians can surely be very moral and kind people, but their perspective on life is not the same. They are living for this world only. They do not think in terms of eternity. There is bound to be strife over many issues.
got o the Scripture itself.

2 Cor 6:14-16

14 Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?

15 What harmony is there between Christ and Belial[b]? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever?

16 What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God.

What would I have in common with a democrat liberal man? No much. Why would I marry him? What would I have in common with a conservative Christian man? ALOT!
It's based on bitter experiece. Historically, such 'mixed marriages' engender a lot of arguments and unnecessary battles. Yes, there can be exceptions. but you can't base the lifestyles of multitudes on exceptions.
2 Corinthians 6:14

Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?

That is just a commentary however it is not the real interpretation of the word "unequally yoked" with unbelievers.

The bible is clear with regards to rules in marrying a different faith.

Being unequally yoked however is being a friend of this world,denying the works of the Holy spirit and living apart from God's revealed will that is found in His Holy scriptures.

1 Corinthians 7

v 12But to the rest speak I, not the Lord: If any brother hath a wife that believeth not, and she be pleased to dwell with him, let him not put her away.

v 13And the woman which hath an husband that believeth not, and if he be pleased to dwell with her, let her not leave him.

v 14For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy.

un·e·qual [un kwəl]

adj

1. not measurably the same: not measurably the same, for example, in size or number

2. not of same social position: not of the same status, rank, or position in society

3. not evenly matched: not evenly matched in competition

4. variable: uneven or variable in quality or character

5. asymmetrical: not evenly balanced

6. unable to do something: having less than the required ability to do something

unequal to the task

7. unfair: not fair or just (archaic)

NIV USED THIS WORD( Please take note of the difference, we have to apply grammar and logic here).

e·qual·ly [kwəlee]

adv

1. in same way: in an identical or uniform way

treat people equally

2. to same extent: to the same degree or extent

This issue is equally important.

3. in same sized amounts: in parts or amounts of the same size

Divide it equally between four people.

4. at the same time: used to introduce a second statement that is of equal importance to the first but may contrast or balance it

I want the business to succeed, but equally, I don’t want to be working all the time.
I beg to differ about the unyolking.

My aunt who is a born again, married my uncle as a greek orthodox, he wasn't at all interested in her beliefs. Apparently she didn't force it upon him, but now i have TWO nutter born agains in the family.

Who says mixed marriages don't work, as long as one converts over *sighs* it's a sad world
A yoke in biblical times was the manner in which they "paired"animals together for a common cause. In the same way married people are "paired" to each other for a lifetime. II Corinthian 6:14,15,16 clearly defines the "yoke" comment in that "do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship with has light with darkness? Or what harmony has Christ with Belia l" (Satan) , or what has a believer in common with an 'unbeliever?" this yoking might also include business partnerships, families, etc. ' Nuff said!
That's not all it means, but it certainly helps if you marry someone with the same religion as you. It's not the be all and end all of a marriage, but it would help to have someone with the same eternal ideals and goals. But I think you need to be equally yoked in all things or at least be striving together for the same things.
if you are looking for a loophole, you will find many, as you can see from this answers, how they twist and turn the Scripture to justify a wrong.

Paul is clearly saying that a believer must marry a believer. When he says, a believer with an unbelieving partner, he is referring to people who were unbelievers at the time they got married and after their marriage, one of them got converted.

As Jesus said:

Matthew 11:15 He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.