Quote:
Originally Posted by Praxeas
The context shows it is more than temples and idols
2Co 6:14 Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?
2Co 6:15 What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever?
2Co 6:16 What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, "I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
2Co 6:17 Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you,
2Co 6:18 and I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty."
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This passage is often used to prohibit marriage between a believer and unbeliever. The idea being, that one important purpose of a temple's altar was that vows and oaths of allegiance were sworn there. To this day, marriage vows are often solemnized at the altar of a church/temple.
The Roman Catholic Church views this passage (among others) as forbidding their adherents from joining secret organizations like the Masons due to the secret oaths that are sworn with those foul Protestants. Just about every other denomination has joined suit in one way or another, substituting "foul Protestant" with "foul Catholic" or whatever is appropriate.
HaShaliach has given us some excellent insight on the believer's responsibilities in regard to this passage. Others have remarked on the way it has been used and misused like an overly broad brush. Paul himself seems to have been aware that there might be problems with his counsel - in fact the whole purpose of 2 Corinthians was to address problems that the Corinthians had with
1 Corinthians!
The concept of separation and holiness, Paul assures us, was not the cause of these problems. The problems were with the way in which people treated one another in the name of separation and holiness:
"Ye are not straitened in us, but ye are straitened in your own bowels." 2 Corinthians 6:12
Some of the modern translations use more delicate language here and end up losing the pun hidden in the original's wordplay. Paul basically said,
"You think I'm trying to cramp you - but in reality you've just got the cramps."
Paul's cure for this situation is that the Corinthians are to become the opposite of "cramped" and be "enlarged," or more open as the apostle's own heart is opened up for them (
2 Corinthians 6:11-13). It is then at this point that he offers the thoughts under consideration here.