This is part 16 of a sermon series through 2 Corinthians. With this section, Paul closes a long defense of his ministry that began with 2 Cor. 2:14ff—Christians are the aroma of Christ to those being saved, and the stench of death to those who are perishing. Throughout these chapters Paul has spoken about the tension between the two kingdoms—the godless kingdom that looks real but is fading away, and the kingdom of God that looks like an illusion but is becoming more real all the time.
Paul described his ministry (our ministry) as being ambassadors of reconciliation (2 Cor. 5:16-21). Last week he spoke removing all stumbling blocks in his life (our life) in order that, although non-believers might reject the content of the message, they might not reject the agent through which the message comes.
2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1
Commentary
This passage has five parts: (a) a command, v14a; (b) five antithetical rhetorical questions, v14b-16a; (c) a declaration, v16b; (d) a second command supported by two promises, v17-18; and (e) an exhortation towards holiness, 7:1.
the command, v14a: do not be yoked together with unbelievers. In many conservative churches, this command is cited as an injunction against marrying non-Christians. However, this is a very narrow interpretation which is at odds with Paul’s teachings elsewhere (e.g. 1 Cor 7:12-24, where marriage with a non-Christian at least is tolerated, and at best is a venue where the sovereignty of God is trusted). In the Bible, the yoke is a symbol of burdens, bondage, and slavery; the rhetorical questions that follow expound on Paul’s vision of the unequal yoke.
five questions, v14b-16a: Each of the five questions is of the form, "What relationship is there between godliness and ungodliness?" The relationship, the venue where a yoke is manifest, includes commonality, fellowship, harmony, and agreement. Two particular items of note:
fellowship: In 1 Cor 10:14-21, Paul admonished the Corinthians not to participate (i.e. fellowship) in eating meat sacrificed to idols. The problem is not the relationship with the non-Christian, but rather the context of the relationship.
Belial: Although Jewish & Christian folklore refer to Belial as a demon prince of Hell, within the Bible, the word never refers unambiguously to a demon, but rather a wicked, or worthless, person (Deut 13:13; Judges 19:22; 1 Sam 2:12; 25:17; 2 Sam 20:1). It can also be a Hebrew pun, meaning "yokeless" (which certainly seems appropriate here).
the declaration: A casual Christian interpretation of "living God" might assume that Paul is referring to the risen Christ, but by quoting Lev 26:11-12 Paul is saying much more; to wit: God’s plan is to live in and among you, to be domiciled with you, and you therefore are to be his holy place.
a second command, v17-18: "Come out ...," links the Corinthian church to the Jews returning from Babylon in Isaiah 52:11. The Jews were returning to Jerusalem as ones bearing the sacred vessels of the Lord; in doing so they were not to touch anything that would make them unclean. Specifically, they are not to be like other nations and cults (Ezek 20:32-44).
an exhortation, 7:1: purify ... perfecting. Cleansing & maturing is probably a better choice of words. In either case, The standard is high; settling for the status quo, the ways of the world, is not an option.
Application
You say, "We want to be like the nations, like the peoples of the world, who serve wood and stone." But what you have in mind will never happen. (Ezekiel 20:32)Thus spoke God through Ezekiel in one of the passages quoted by Paul. Ezekiel was speaking to Jews returning from Babylon to the Promised Land after 70 years of captivity. He warned them not to bring idols and idolatrous practices from Babylon with them, reminding them of the earlier captivity in Egypt and the warning God gave through Moses to leave the idols and idolatrous practices of the Egyptians behind. Ezekiel reminded them of the 40 years the Israelites spent in the desert—God’s way of purifying them when they refused to follow his ways.
The Corinthians (and we) are no different. We claim that we have this great faith, and yet we want to have it both ways. We want to claim the blessings that come from following God, but at the same time we want to claim the ostensible blessings that the prince of this world offers if we will just follow him. The problem is this: in order to claim the blessings of either kingdom, we must take on the yoke, the burden, of that kingdom—we must be willing to be loyal subjects to that king.
Jesus told the disciples, "No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money." (Matt. 6:24). If money is not your thing, insert your favorite idol in its place. Sometimes idols come in easy-to-recognize packages: sex, money, work, fame, power, victory. Sometimes idols come in more deceptive packages: family, Christmas, happiness, security. Either way, when we exalt that thing which is not God and make it the focus of our time and energy and the source of our happiness and security, we have taken on the burden of serving that other god. We have said, "We want to be like everyone else, chasing after those things which promise to satisfy our cravings now."
Fortunately for us, God says, "What you have in mind will never happen." On one hand, it will not happen, because those other gods will eventually fail to deliver. On the other hand, it will not happen, because God will not permit those who have called to him for help to be lost forever. "Afterward you will surely listen to me and no longer profane my holy name with your gifts and idols" (Ezekiel 20:39). We have been called to lay down our burdens and take on only the yoke of Christ—this is our act of cleansing, our maturing in holiness—and Christ’s promise is:
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. (Matthew 11:29-30)Points to Ponder
How did Christmas become an idol for you this year? Where did you try to celebrate Christmas as the world celebrates? Did you lose the Spirit of Christ somewhere along the way?
The paradox of burdens: where does the way of the world look easy & fun, and yet somehow become hard; and where does the way of Christ look hard & oppressing, and yet somehow become rewarding?
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