Divine Appointments

“And what agreement does a temple of God have with idols? For you are the temple of the living God, as God has said, "I will dwell in them and walk among them; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people." (2Corinthians 6:16)

Paul is referring to what he wrote in verse 14. “Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers; for what fellowship does righteousness have with lawlessness? And what partnership does light have with darkness?” (2Corinthians 6:14) This Scripture is either ignored, given great latitude or interpreted extremely strictly. Can we ignore it as antiquated? Should our interpretation be broad with many exceptions?  Or should our interpretation be rigidly followed? We see all these interpretations in the church. And I have personally in fifty years of Christianity never heard a teaching on this in any of the eight churches I have been a member of in the seven cities I have lived in or in any of the preachers on TV or from which I receive teachings through social media. The result which is a dilution of Christianity in families caused by the notion that this very important principle is a minor thing.

Our Scripture of study, 2 Corinthians 6:16 gives us the reason for verse 14. In the various translations the initial question of verse 16 is interpreted as “Who would think of setting up pagan idols in God's holy Temple?” “And what union can there be between God’s temple and idols?” “How can God's temple come to terms with pagan idols?” “Can God's temple contain false gods?” “The temple of God cannot have any agreement with idols, and we are the temple of the living God.” “How can the temple of the true God and the statues of other gods agree?” The original Tyndale translation is “how agreeth the temple of god wt ymages?” And the Wycliffe translation is “and what consent to the temple of God with maumets?” A maumet is an idol or whatever if preferred over God. We get a good understanding from these different translations what the Holy Spirit’s intent was.

In verse 14, the command “Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers...” gives us the impression of being in union with. The original Greek word means to be associated with, connected to, identified with, equated with or thought of together with. In many instances this is used for the union of two people marrying. Marriage between a believer and a nonbeliever is discouraged. But this is a commandment and should be taken seriously. This doesn’t apply to marriages in which one, after the marriage comes to Jesus. Paul is very clear about this. “But to the rest I speak, not the Lord, If any brother has a wife who does not believe, and she is pleased to dwell with him, do not let him put her away. And the woman who has a husband who does not believe, if he is pleased to dwell with her, do not let her leave him. For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband; else your children would be unclean, but now they are holy. But if the unbelieving one separates, let him be separated. A brother or a sister is not in bondage in such cases, but God has called us in peace. For what do you know, O wife, whether you shall save your husband? Or what do you know, O man, whether you shall save your wife?” (1Corinthians 7:12-16) A man or a woman who comes to Christ after he or she has been married is to stay with the unbelieving spouse unless the unbelieving spouse wants to leave. The last two questions in verse 16 tell us the mission of the believing spouse in the unyoked marriage. The change in nature by the born-again experience, the blessings poured out and the love and peace of Christ are a testimony of God’s goodness which will bring the unbelieving spouse to repentance. “... Or do you despise the riches of His kindness, and the forbearance and long-suffering, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?” (Romans 2:4)

When we repent and receive Jesus as our Lord and Savior, there is a supernatural change because we become new creations (2Corinthians 5:17). We are taken out of the kingdom of sin and darkness, translated to the kingdom of God and the Holy Spirit (Colossians 1:13). The third person of the Holy Trinity, the Godhead, indwells us (Romans 8:9) and seals us as belonging to God (Ephesians 1:13,14). Therefore, to enter into a union with an unbeliever who lives in the kingdom of sin and darkness, whose god, even if he doesn’t confess it, is satan. The unbeliever may seem good, but his heart is controlled by satan. Conceding and concurring with an unbeliever is conceding and concurring with the leading of their god. Nothing can compare with the wisdom and knowledge of the True God. The wisdom and knowledge of satan are contrary to God’s wisdom and knowledge. Satan’s wisdom corrupts and destroys. His knowledge is limited. He is not omniscient. God is omniscient, all knowing, knowing the end from the beginning. “Remember former things from forever; for I am God, and no other is God, even none like Me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from the past things which were not done, saying, My purpose shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure;” (Isaiah 46:9-10).

In summary then, a marriage or a business union of a believer and an unbeliever will surely fail. Or what will happen is that one or the other will concede after much trouble. Some have taken the extreme interpretation and don’t even associate with unbelievers. This is also an erroneous interpretation. Jesus showed us throughout His ministry how to associate with unbelievers. We are to love them enough to lead them to Jesus. And just as every association Jesus had with unbelievers was a divine appointment intentionally meant to bring them to God, so should our association with unbelievers be a divine appointment. intentionally meant to bring them to Jesus.