Question: How do you reconcile the teachings of Paul in 1 Cor 7:12-13 and 2 Cor 6:14-18? In his first letter he tells the believer not to leave or put away the unbeliever. In his second letter he tells us not to be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. Please explain. (Mo.)

Answer: In the first passage Paul deals with a marriage consisting of a believer and an unbeliever. We are not told how this marriage originated. Some have assumed that after the marriage was contracted one party became a Christian. This may be the case, but the scriptures do not confirm it. Regardless of how the marriage originated, Paul says that if the unbelieving wife "is content to dwell with" the believing husband, he should not leave her. The teaching here is that the marriage of a believer and a non-believer is not a sinful relationship in and of itself. 'Therefore the believer no scriptural grounds for leaving or divorcing his mate merely because she is an unbeliever. The second passage reads as follows: "Be not unequally yoked with unbelievers: for what fellowship have righteousness and iniquity? Or what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? Or what portion hath a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement hath a temple of God with idols? For we are a temple of the living God; even as God said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come ye out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be to you a Father, and ye shall be to me sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty." The unequal relationship to which the writer refers must be broken. Note: "come ye out from among them and be ye separate." If this refers indiscriminately to marriage, then every believer married to an unbeliever would be required to "come out from" the unbeliever. Since Paul has already instructed the believer not to leave the unbeliever in I Cor 7:12-14, we can only conclude that to apply the phrase "be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers" indiscriminately to marriage is incorrect and a mis-application of the passage. I believe Christians should marry Christians. In fact I so firmly believe it that I refuse to say the ceremony joining a believer with an unbeliever. However, in my opinion, this passage is not dealing with Christians marrying people who are not members of the church, and to so conclude or teach, is unjustified. What then is the meaning of the verse? It is my belief that this passage cuts across the fabric of our life, prohibiting any relationship that hinders a Christian in his duty to God. I should terminate any relationship that would cause me to compromise my convictions as a child of God. The passage does not forbid all relationships with unbelievers, or even evil and ungodly men for that matter, if we do not participate in their idolatrous and evil acts. (1 Cor 5:9,10; 10:13-33) Were we to generalize and conclude that this passage prohibits any and all compacts, agreements, business dealings, or associations with unbelievers, we would be left with the conclusion that we could only deal and associate with Christians in this world. A conclusion which is neither logical nor scriptural. Contextually, Paul seems to be addressing the problem of idolatry and the idolatrous practices characteristic of the situation he describes. However to limit what he says solely to such a situation would, in the opinion of this writer, be unjustified. Could the prohibition apply to a mixed marriage? Yes, of course. In the event an unbeliever forbids the believer to carry out her duties to the Lord, even though the believer is obligated to submit to her husband, she has an even higher/greater obligation to obey the Lord. If because the believer obeys the Lord the unbeliever chooses to depart, Paul teaches that the Christian should "let him depart." The relationship has become unequal in that the unbeliever is trying to force the believer to sin or disregard the law of God. In all such situations the duty of the believer is clear: he cannot forsake or disobey the law of God for anyone.

(Send all questions to Ronny F. Wade, P.O. Box 10811, Springfield, Mo. 65808)