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Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers 2 Corinthians 6:11–18. His three-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
The apostle proceeds to address himself more particularly to the Corinthians, and cautions them against mingling with unbelievers. Here observe,
I.How the caution is introduced with a profession, in a very pathetic manner, of the most tender affection to them, even like that of a father to his children, Co2 6:11-13. Though the apostle was happy in a great fluency of expressions, yet he seemed to want words to express the warm affections he had for these Corinthians. As if he had said, "O ye Corinthians, to whom I am now writing, I would fain convince you how well I love you: we are desirous to promote the spiritual and eternal welfare of all to whom we preach, yet our mouth is open unto you, and our heart is enlarged unto you, in a special manner." And, because his heart was thus enlarged with love to them, therefore he opened his mouth so freely to them in kind admonitions and exhortations: "You are not," says he, "straitened in us; we would gladly do you all the service we can, and promote your comfort, as helpers of your faith and your joy; and, if it be otherwise, the fault is in yourselves; it is because you are straitened in yourselves, and fail in suitable returns to us, through some misapprehensions concerning us; and all we desire as a recompense is only that you would be proportionably affected towards us, as children should love their father." Note, It is desirable that there should be a mutual good affection between ministers and their people, and this would greatly tend to their mutual comfort and advantage.
II.The caution or exhortation itself, not to mingle with unbelievers, not to be unequally yoked with them, Co2 6:14. Either,
1.In stated relations. It is wrong for good people to join in affinity with the wicked and profane; these will draw different ways, and that will be galling and grievous. Those relations that are our choice must be chosen by rule; and it is good for those who are themselves the children of God to join with those who are so likewise; for there is more danger that the bad will damage the good than hope that the good will benefit the bad.
2.In common conversation. We should not yoke ourselves in friendship and acquaintance with wicked men and unbelievers. Though we cannot wholly avoid seeing, and hearing, and being with such, yet we should never choose them for our bosom-friends.
3.Much less should we join in religious communion with them; we must not join with them in their idolatrous services, nor concur with them in their false worship, nor any abominations; we must not confound together the table of the Lord and the table of devils, the house of God and the house of Rimmon. The apostle gives several good reasons against this corrupt mixture.
(1.)It is a very great absurdity, Co2 6:14, Co2 6:15. It is an unequal yoking of things together that will not agree together; as bad as for the Jews to have ploughed with an ox and an ass or to have sown divers sorts of grain intermixed. What an absurdity is it to think of joining righteousness and unrighteousness, or mingling light and darkness, fire and water, together! Believers are, and should be, righteous; but unbelievers are unrighteous. Believers are made light in the Lord, but unbelievers are in darkness; and what comfortable communion can these have together? Christ and Belial are contrary one to the other; they have opposite interests and designs, so that it is impossible there should be any concord or agreement between them. It is absurd, therefore, to think of enlisting under both; and, if the believer has part with an infidel, he does what in him lies to bring Christ and Belial together.
(2.)It is a dishonour to the Christian's profession (Co2 6:16); for Christians are by profession, and should be in reality, the temples of the living God - dedicated to, and employed for, the service of God, who has promised to reside in them, to dwell and walk in them, to stand in a special relation to them, and take a special care of them, that he will be their God and they shall be his people. Now there can be no agreement between the temple of God and idols. Idols are rivals with God for his honour, and God is a jealous God, and will not give his glory to another.
(3.)There is a great deal of danger in communicating with unbelievers and idolators, danger of being defiled and of being rejected; therefore the exhortation is (Co2 6:17) to come out from among them, and keep at a due distance, to be separate, as one would avoid the society of those who have the leprosy or the plague, for fear of taking infection, and not to touch the unclean thing, lest we be defiled. Who can touch pitch, and not be defiled by it? We must take care not to defile ourselves by converse with those who defile themselves with sin; so is the will of God, as we ever hope to be received, and not rejected, by him.
(4.)It is base ingratitude to God for all the favours he has bestowed upon believers and promised to them, Co2 6:18. God has promised to be a Father to them, and that they shall be his sons and his daughters; and is there a greater honour or happiness than this? How ungrateful a thing then must it be if those who have this dignity and felicity should degrade and debase themselves by mingling with unbelievers! Do we thus requite the Lord, O foolish and unwise?
Historical interpretation
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In like manner, every one that has received from God the power of distinguishing, and yet follows an unskilful shepherd, and receives a false opinion for the truth, shall be punished. "What communion hath light with darkness? or Christ with Belial? Or what portion hath he that believeth with an infidel? or the temple of God with idols?" And in like manner say I, what communion hath truth with falsehood? or righteousness with unrighteousness? or true doctrine with that which is false?
"What is there in common between righteousness and lawlessness? Or what fellowship between light and darkness? Or what harmony between Christ and Belial? What community is there between a believer and an unbeliever? What agreement between the temple of God and idols? Having then these promises let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God."
But, for these purposes, "There is nought of communion between light and darkness," between life and death or else we rescind what is written, "The world shall rejoice, but ye shall grieve.
His Christ, therefore, in order to avoid all such deceits and fallacies, and the imputation, if possible, of belonging to the Creator, was not what he appeared to be, and reigned himself to be what he was not-incarnate without being flesh, human without being man, and likewise a divine Christ without being God! But why should he not have propagated also the phantom of God? Can I believe him on the subject of the internal nature, who was all wrong touching the external substance? How will it be possible to believe him true on a mystery, when he has been found so false on a plain fact? How, moreover, when he confounds the truth of the spirit with the error of the flesh, could he combine within himself that communion of light and darkness, or truth and error, which the apostle says cannot co-exist? Since however, Christ's being flesh is now discovered to be a lie, it follows that all things which were done by the flesh of Christ were done untruly, -every act of intercourse, of contact, of eating or drinking, yea, His very miracles.
What business, then, have their things with their judges? What commerce have they who are to condemn with them who are to be condemned? The same, I take it, as Christ has with Belial. With what consistency do we mount that (future) judgment-seat to pronounce sentence against those whose gifts we (now) seek after? For you too, (women as you are, ) have the self-same angelic nature promised as your reward, the self-same sex as men: the self-same advancement to the dignity of judging, does (the Lord) promise you.
Whence the apostle says: "What part hath he that believeth with an infidel? or what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? "
But if we consider what the apostles thought about heretics, we shall find that they, in all their epistles, execrated and detested the sacrilegious wickedness of heretics. For when they say that "their word creeps as a canker," how is such a word as that able to give remission of sins, which creeps like a canker to the ears of the hearers? And when they say that there can be no fellowship between righteousness and un-righteousness, no communion between light and darkness, how can either darkness illuminate, or unrighteousness justify? And when they say that "they are not of God, but are of the spirit of Antichrist," how can they transact spiritual and divine matters, who are the enemies of God, and whose hearts the spirit of Antichrist has possessed? Wherefore, if, laying aside the errors of human dispute, we return with a sincere and religious faith to the evangelical authority and to the apostolical tradition, we shall perceive that they may do nothing towards conferring the ecclesiastical and saving grace, who, scattering and attacking the Church of Christ, are called adversaries by Christ Himself, but by His apostles, Antichrists.
That marriage is not to be contracted with Gentiles. In Tobias: "Take a wife from the seed of thy parents, and take not a strange woman who is not of the tribe of thy parents." Also in Genesis, Abraham sends his servant to take from his seed Rebecca, for his son Isaac. Also in Esdras, it was not sufficient for God when the Jews were laid waste, unless they forsook their foreign wives, with the children also whom they had begotten of them. Also in the first Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians: "The woman is bound so long as her husband liveth; but if he die, she is freed to marry whom she will, only in the Lord. But she will be happier if she abide thus." And again: "Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? Shall I take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? Far be it from me. Or know ye not that he who is joined together with an harlot is one body? for two shall be in one flesh. But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit." Also in the second to the Corinthians: "Be not joined together with unbelievers. For what participation is there between righteousness and unrighteousness? or what communication hath light with darkness? " Also concerning Solomon in the third book of Kings: "And foreign wives turned away his heart after their gods."
E can the truth itself and God the Word receive? In what respect can the life and the true light be made better? And if this be so, how much more unnatural is it that wisdom should ever be capable of folly; that the power of God should be con-joined with infirmity; that reason should be obscured by unreason; or that darkness should be mixed up with the true light? And the apostle says, on this place, "What communion hath light with darkness? and what concord hath Christ with Belial? ".
But they will not prevail; for the truth prevails, and there is no communion betwixt light and darkness, no concord between Christ and Belial.
These words clearly indicate an act which is absolutely forbidden and is displeasing to God and perilous for the one who would venture to commit it.
Let not one of the godly pray with an heretic, no, not in the house. For "what fellowship hath light with darkness? "
For, says the apostle: “What fellowship has light with darkness?” Since there is a distinct and irreconcilable contradiction between light and darkness, the person partaking of both has a share in neither, because of the opposition of the parts drawn up against each other at the same time in his mixed life. His faith provides the lighted part, but his dark habits put out the lamp of reason. Since it is impossible and inconsistent for light and darkness to exist in fellowship, the person containing each of the opposites becomes an enemy to himself, being divided in two ways between virtue and evil. He sets up an antagonistic battle line within himself. And just as it is not possible, when there are two enemies, for both to be victors over each other (for the victory of the one causes the death of his adversary), so also in this civil war brought about by the confusion in his life, it is not possible for the stronger element to win without the other becoming completely destroyed. For how will the army of reverence be stronger than evil, when the wicked phalanx of the opponents attacks it? If the stronger is going to win, the enemy must be completely slaughtered. And thus virtue will have the victory over evil only when the entire enemy gives way to it through an alliance of the reasonable elements against the unsound ones.… For it is not possible for the good to exist in me, unless it is made to live through the death of my enemy. As long as we keep grasping opposites with each of our hands, it is impossible for there to be participation in both elements in the same being. For, if we are holding evil, we lose the power to take hold of virtue.
"Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers."
He said not, 'Intermix not with unbelievers,' but rather dealing sharply with them, as transgressing what was right, 'Suffer not yourselves to turn aside,' saith he, "For what fellowship have righteousness and iniquity?" Here in what follows he institutes a comparison, not between his own love and theirs who corrupt them, but between their nobleness and the others' dishonor. For thus his discourse became more dignified and more beseeming himself, and would the rather win them. Just as if one should say to a son that despised his parents, and gave himself up to vicious persons, 'What art thou doing, child? Dost thou despise thy father and prefer impure men filled with ten thousand vices? Knowest thou not how much better and more respectable thou art than they?' For so he detaches him more [readily] from their society than if he should express admiration of his father.
But not this only is the point to be admired in him that thus he prosecuted his comparison, but that he imagined another thing also still greater and more astounding; in the first place, prosecuting his speech in the form of interrogation, which is proper to things that are clear and admitted, and then dilating it by the quick succession and multitude of his terms. For he employs not one or two or three only, but several. Add to this that instead of the persons he employs the names of the things, and he delineates here high virtue and there extreme vice; and shows the difference between them to be great and infinite so as not even to need demonstration. "For what fellowship," saith he, "have righteousness and iniquity?"
Shall we stoop to say of mammon who have been reborn in Christ? Formed to God’s eternal image, shall we serve the fleeting world? God forbid that celestial flame should be mingled with earth’s mire.
Shall we stoop to say of mammon who have been reborn in Christ? Formed to God’s eternal image, shall we serve the fleeting world? God forbid that celestial flame should be mingled with earth’s mire.
There cannot be two contradictory loves in one man. Just as there is no harmony between Christ and Belial, between justice and iniquity, so it is impossible for one soul to love both good and evil. You who love the Lord, hate evil, the devil; in every deed, there is love of one and hatred of the other. “He who has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me.” … You who love the things that are good, hate the things that are bad. You cannot love good unless you hate evil.
Now, I speak to the true Christians. If you believe, hope and love otherwise [than the pagans do], then live otherwise and gain approval for your distinctive faith, hope and charity by distinctive actions. Pay attention to the apostle when, in earnest admonition, he says: “Do not bear the yoke with unbelievers. For what has justice in common with iniquity? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?… Or what part has the believer with the unbeliever? And what agreement has the temple of God with idols?”
It is the same now with us who are baptized: neither the wetness of the water in which we are baptized nor the oiliness of the oil with which we are anointed remain with us after our death. But the Holy Spirit, who is mingled in our souls and bodies through the oil and the water, does remain with us, both in this life and after our death.
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Summary
Second Corinthians 6:14 delivers a profound exhortation to believers, urging them to maintain spiritual distinctiveness and avoid entangling alliances with unbelievers. Through a powerful agricultural metaphor and a series of rhetorical questions, the Apostle Paul underscores the fundamental incompatibility between the kingdom of God and the ways of the world, emphasizing that righteousness cannot truly fellowship with unrighteousness, nor can light share communion with darkness. This verse serves as a foundational call to holiness, purity, and unwavering allegiance to Christ in all areas of life.
Context
Literary Context
This verse initiates a crucial exhortation that extends through 2 Corinthians 7:1. It follows Paul's profound discussion of his apostolic ministry and suffering for the sake of the gospel, where he presented himself as an example of faithfulness and endurance (2 Corinthians 6:3-10). The preceding verses emphasize the Corinthians' need to open their hearts to Paul, suggesting there might have been some hesitancy or compromise within the community. The call to "not be unequally yoked" thus serves as a direct, practical application of the principles of separation and holiness that underpin a genuine walk with Christ, preparing the way for Paul's appeal for repentance and sanctification.
Historical & Cultural Context
Corinth was a major Roman port city, a bustling commercial and cultural hub known for its religious pluralism and moral decadence. Its strategic location fostered a diverse population, including many pagan cults and philosophical schools. Christians in Corinth, often converts from pagan backgrounds, would have faced immense pressure to maintain social and economic ties with their non-believing neighbors, which frequently involved participation in idolatrous feasts, immoral practices, or business dealings that compromised their faith. The Old Testament prohibition against yoking an ox and a donkey together (Deuteronomy 22:10) would have been familiar to Jewish converts and served as a powerful metaphor for the dangers of incompatible partnerships. Paul's warning directly addresses the practical challenges of living a holy life amidst such pervasive pagan influence, urging believers to safeguard their spiritual integrity.
Key Themes
The central theme of 2 Corinthians 6:14 and the broader passage is Separation and Holiness. Paul underscores the fundamental incompatibility between the believer's new identity in Christ and the values, practices, and spiritual allegiances of the unbelieving world. This theme is reinforced by the concept of Divine Ownership and Indwelling, as believers are described as the "temple of the living God" (2 Corinthians 6:16). This status demands a distinct lifestyle, free from defilement. The passage also highlights God's Covenant Promises, drawing parallels to Old Testament covenants where God promised to dwell among His people if they remained faithful and separate (Leviticus 26:11-12). Ultimately, these themes converge on the imperative for Spiritual Purity and Integrity, calling believers to live consistently with their calling as God's children, set apart for His purposes.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
From a compound of heteros (different) and zygos (yoke), this verb literally means "to yoke up differently." Figuratively, it denotes "to associate discordantly." This powerful agricultural metaphor, rooted in Old Testament law (e.g., Deuteronomy 22:10), vividly portrays a partnership where fundamental differences in nature, purpose, or strength create disharmony, inefficiency, and potential harm. It implies a joining that is unnatural, unproductive, and ultimately detrimental to the spiritual well-being and progress of the believer.
This noun, derived from metechō (to partake, share), signifies participation or shared involvement. Paul's rhetorical question, "what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness?", challenges the very notion of common ground or shared activity between two fundamentally opposing spiritual realities. It suggests that true participation or partnership is impossible where the core nature and allegiance are antithetical.
This term is a rich theological word, often translated as "fellowship," "partnership," or "sharing." It denotes a deep, intimate bond, a shared life, or a common purpose. While metochḗ can refer to a more general sharing, koinōnía implies a profound, mutual participation, often used in the New Testament for the shared life of believers in Christ (e.g., Philippians 2:1). Here, Paul uses it to emphasize the absolute impossibility of such an intimate spiritual bond between light and darkness, highlighting their inherent and irreconcilable opposition.
Verse Breakdown
"Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers"
This is a direct imperative, a command to the Corinthian believers. The agricultural metaphor of "unequally yoked" vividly warns against forming binding partnerships or alliances with those who do not share the Christian faith. This prohibition extends to any intimate association—whether in marriage, business, or deep personal friendships—where the fundamental spiritual disparity would create disharmony, compromise, or hinder the believer's walk with God.
"for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness?"
Paul introduces the first of several rhetorical questions, designed to highlight the inherent incompatibility between opposing spiritual realities. "Righteousness" here refers to the moral and spiritual uprightness that characterizes those who are in Christ, while "unrighteousness" denotes wickedness, lawlessness, or moral depravity. The question implies that there is no true common ground, no shared participation, between these two antithetical states.
"and what communion hath light with darkness?"
This second rhetorical question continues the theme of irreconcilable opposition, using the powerful biblical imagery of "light" and "darkness." "Light" symbolizes truth, purity, God's presence, and spiritual understanding, characteristic of believers who are "children of light" (Ephesians 5:8). "Darkness" represents sin, ignorance, evil, and the realm of Satan. The question asserts that these two cannot genuinely share intimacy or common purpose, as their very natures are diametrically opposed.
Literary Devices
Paul employs several potent Literary Devices to convey his urgent message in 2 Corinthians 6:14. The most prominent is Metaphor, specifically the agricultural image of being "unequally yoked." This vivid imagery, familiar from Old Testament law, immediately communicates the idea of an unnatural, unproductive, and potentially harmful partnership between disparate entities. Following this, Paul utilizes a series of Rhetorical Questions (which continue into the subsequent verses). These questions are not posed to elicit information but to make an emphatic point, forcing the reader to acknowledge the obvious and undeniable incompatibility between the pairs presented: righteousness and unrighteousness, light and darkness, Christ and Belial, a believer and an infidel, and the temple of God and idols. This technique powerfully reinforces the absolute dichotomy Paul is establishing. Finally, the verse is built upon Antithesis, the juxtaposition of contrasting ideas or terms. By placing "righteousness" against "unrighteousness" and "light" against "darkness," Paul highlights the irreconcilable nature of these spiritual realities, underscoring the impossibility of their true fellowship or communion.
Theological and Thematic Connections
The theological thrust of 2 Corinthians 6:14 is deeply rooted in the biblical understanding of God's holiness and His call for His people to reflect His character. Just as God is utterly separate from sin and darkness, so too are His children called to live lives marked by purity and distinction from the world's systems. This principle of separation is not about isolation from unbelievers, but about maintaining spiritual integrity and avoiding entanglements that compromise one's faith or allegiance to Christ. It underscores the profound transformation that occurs in conversion, where believers are transferred from the dominion of darkness into the kingdom of light, making true spiritual partnership with those still in darkness impossible. This call to holiness is not merely prohibitive but prescriptive, inviting believers into a deeper, exclusive communion with God Himself, as the subsequent verses promise His dwelling among them.
Reflection and Application
The timeless warning of 2 Corinthians 6:14 compels believers to critically examine the nature and depth of their most significant relationships and commitments. While Christians are called to be salt and light in the world, engaging with and influencing non-believers, this verse cautions against forming intimate, binding unions that could compromise one's spiritual walk, dilute one's convictions, or draw one away from God's purposes. This principle applies most acutely to marriage, where a spiritual disparity can create profound disharmony in shared values, child-rearing, and ultimate life goals. However, it also extends to business partnerships, deep friendships, and even affiliations with organizations or movements whose core values or ethical frameworks are antithetical to biblical truth. The challenge is to discern wisely, prioritizing spiritual integrity and God's glory above all else, ensuring that our closest allegiances align with our identity as Christ's own.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Does "unequally yoked" mean Christians should never interact with non-believers?
No, absolutely not. The Bible clearly calls believers to be "salt and light" in the world (Matthew 5:13-16). This requires interaction and engagement with non-believers, sharing the gospel and demonstrating Christ's love. The warning in 2 Corinthians 6:14 is specifically against forming intimate, binding partnerships (like marriage, deep business ventures, or close associations that could lead to spiritual compromise) where fundamental spiritual differences create discord and pull a believer away from God. It's about discerning the nature and depth of relationships, not avoiding all contact.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
The warning in 2 Corinthians 6:14 finds its ultimate fulfillment and deepest meaning in the person and work of Jesus Christ. He is the embodiment of perfect righteousness and the "Light of the world" (John 8:12), who perfectly fulfilled the Father's will and lived a life utterly separated from sin. His very nature is antithetical to unrighteousness and darkness. Through His atoning sacrifice, Christ not only redeems us from the dominion of darkness (Colossians 1:13-14) but also imputes His righteousness to us, making us "the righteousness of God in Him" (2 Corinthians 5:21). Therefore, the call to not be unequally yoked is a call to live out our new identity in Christ, reflecting His holy character and maintaining the distinctiveness of His kingdom. Our union with Christ, the perfect yoke-fellow, empowers us to walk in the light and avoid partnerships that would dishonor Him or obscure the radiant truth of the gospel. He is the one who enables us to be truly separate unto God, for He Himself is the ultimate separation of light from darkness, reconciling us to the Father while setting us apart for His divine purposes.