Living Set Apart as God’s Covenant People

Please turn in your Bibles to 2 Corinthains 6. We’ll be looking at verses 14 through chapter 7, verse 1. You can find that on page 1148.

In the first half of chapter 6, the apostle Paul called the church in Corinth to return to him and Christ. He pleaded with them to open their hearts - to turn their affections back to the true Gospel – salvation in Jesus Christ.

The question that remains is “what does that mean?” What needed to happen in the church for them to be restored?

And that question is answered in our verses this morning.

Reading of 2 Corinthians 6:14 to 7:1

Prayer

#1: Be not unequally yoked (6:14)

Do not be unequally yoked. You’ve likely heard that phrase in verse 14 before. But what does it actually mean? And how does it apply? Those are the two critical questions in this text.

Being yoked is not used much in our common vernacular today. And that’s because the term is a farming term used back when animals powered the farm equipment.

If you go to a modern farm today, you will likely find massive tractors. They have air conditioning. They are driven by GPS. The farmer can be working on other business in the cab while his combine is harvesting the crop.

But of course, that is not how it used to be. No, before the tractor, animals like oxen, or horses, or mules would be hitched together. A wood harness was carved with neck shaped holes that would fit over two animals. That wood harness was called a yoke. The yoke would have ropes or cables that would attach to other devices, which would either pull a wagon or a plow or some other farming implement.

The whole purpose of the yoke was to balance the load so both animals would equally pull the load behind them.

However, if a farmer tried to put a horse and an ox together, or a horse and donkey or a mule and ox, those animals would be unequally yoked. That’s where the phrase comes from. And it didn’t work well. The farmer would have a big problem. Even if a horse and an ox had similar strength, they have different gates, different heights, different temperaments, and different speeds. It would be difficult to plow in a straight line.

The yoke itself would dig into the necks of both animals. It often caused them to be restless and could result in chaos, especially if one of the animals started bucking or kicking or biting.

So to be unequally yoked is to be mismatched in a way that is untenable. It’s unworkable. It ought not be done.

In verse 14, the apostle writes, “Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers.”

Now, I’m guessing that many of you have heard this verse before. And likely you’ve heard it applied to marriage. Right?

However, there’s nothing in the entire book of 2 Corinthians about marriage. There’s only one reference to a husband and that is in chapter 11. But that reference is explicitly about Christ as our husband, betrothed to us, his bride, the church.

In other words, when Paul wrote verse 14, he was not explicitly writing about marriage. Now, to be sure, a second or third layer of application could be about marriage. After all, marriage is the most intimate partnership between a man and a woman. So, verse 14 would certainly have relevance. And we do learn elsewhere in the Bible that we should only marry “in the Lord.”

My point is that the context of verse 14 is not about marriage.

You ask, then, what was the apostle Paul referring to in verse 14?

Well, think about this. We’ve been studying 2 Corinthians now for 4 full months. What has been the big issue in the church in Corinth? The big issue has been false teachers. There was a group who claimed to be apostles, but who were teaching “a different gospel” (as Paul put it) and whose lives did not display godliness.

So, with whom should the church in Corinth not be yoked? They should not be yoked with this group. And in verse 14, how does Paul refer to them? He calls them “unbelievers.” They had been received into the church… at least by some… but they should not have been. And Paul calls on the church to separate themselves from partnering with them.

Let me make one more contextual comment.

In our 2 Corinthians study, we’ve also considered the city of Corinth. Corinth, if you remember, was very religious in a pagan sort of way, and also culturally diverse. The temple of Aphrodite overlooked the city – she was the so-called goddess of love. Corinth had a big prostitution problem and had many idols. In Paul’s first letter to the church there, he addresses many of these sins. In fact, the language in our text this morning shares many parallels to 1 Corinthians chapter 10 … especially in regard to idols and partnering with demons.

The Corinthian church was not be unequally yoked with either the false teachers or the broader secular and pagan community.

Furthermore, we’re not just told “to be not unequally yoked,” but we’re also given some explanation. Look again at verses 14-16, again. You’ll notice 5 questions. The next 5 sentences are 5 rhetorical questions. These are very helpful..

They not only answer why, but they also explain what being “unequally yoked” involves.

Look at the 5 questions. Every single one begins with the word “what?” And immediately following the word “what” is a description of the kind of relationship to which Paul refers. He says, “what partnership.” Then next, “what fellowship” and then third “what accord” and then “what portion” and finally “what agreement.”

That’s very helpful, isn’t it? Each of those words implies an intentional alignment between two parties. It insinuates a purposeful agreement.

The word “partnership” and “fellowship” are particularly helpful words. The Greek word partnership involves a shared purpose. And the word fellowship is even deeper. It’s the word koinonia. It’s a purpose-driven alignment when working together.

In other words, the emphasis is on the ministry of the church in coordination and partnership with others. The emphasis is not relationships that we have with our friends and neighbors and co-workers.

The Holy Spirit is not saying through Paul that Christians should separate themselves from the world. Not at all. Christians are called to love their neighbors. In our communities, we should seek to be friends with those whom God places in our lives. We are to be a light in the world. We are called to serve and show mercy and also to receive help from others in our times of need, no matter who is seeking to help.

Even in our worship, we welcome anyone and everyone to worship with us. As you know, we do have membership vows that confirm what we believe, but the invitation to join us for our public worship is for all.

Do you see the difference? These verses are about a purposeful partnership with others in matters of belief and ministry.

Several years ago, there were a few churches in our denomination who learned this the hard way. They partnered with a weight loss ministry called Weigh Down. Their intention was good – the church wanted to help its members be healthy. It appeared on the outside that this partner ministry was an orthodox ministry. However, over time, it was revealed that the ministry founders did not believe in the Trinity! They didn’t believe in what the Bible teaches about God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. These churches didn’t initially realize that, but to their credit, they quickly put an end to the ministry partnership.

What was happening in Corinth was worse. The church had in part received people that were explicitly teaching things contrary to God’s revealed Word. We also learned these people cared more about outward appearances and worldly standards than godliness.

So, they shunned God’s standards and they taught false doctrine, which basically meant they were not true believers in Christ.

That helps to explain the contrasts in these rhetorical questions. Look at them one more time.

· First, righteousness compared with lawlessness. That’s in the first question. The difference is pursuing what God reveals in his word as good and right and pure and rejecting those things which go against his word. Lawlessness is essentially coming up with and living out your own standard contrary to God’s revealed law. The two cannot be yoked together.

· The second contrast is light with darkness. This is about truth verses error. A couple of chapters ago, remember “God who said, ‘let light shine out of darkness, has shone in our hearts to give us the light (of what?)… the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” Light is knowledge about what is true. What is true cannot be partnered with what is false.

· Next, I think the most striking comparison is there in verse 15 – Christ is contrasted with Belial. Beliel, by the way, is another name for Satan. It specifically refers to the personification of the antichrist – of Satan. For God’s people who have been united to Christ, there is no place to have an earthly partnership with those whose doctrine and practice are diametrically opposed to the ministry and mission that God gives for his church.

The last rhetorical question is there in the beginning of verse 16. “What agreement has the temple of God with idols?” Idolatry is replacing the worship of God with something else. Or in this case, worshiping something that is not God alongside of the true God.

Idols were everywhere in Corinth. That was the way of the Roman and Greek culture of the time. They believed in little gods. They would make physical idols of wood and stone. They would ask these false gods to bring rain or fertility or to defeat their enemies.

I remember someone telling me about a small village in southeast Asia. This community had a lake and at one point the lake needed to be drained. One of the side berms needed repair. Well, when the engineers drained the lake, they found hundreds of idols. People had thrown their small idols into the lake. When these little “g” gods did not fulfill their desires, they wanted to get rid of them in protest. Sadly, their idolatry either blinded them from seeing and believing in the true God, or it took their heart away from worshiping the true God in Christ.

For us, our idols look very different. They’re not usually made of wood and stone, but rather we fashion them in our hearts. For example, idols of materialism or money or success or pleasure… or sports …or politics …or technology. There are others.

When the people of God unequally yoke themselves with idols or idol worshipers, they pollute the very temple of God. They pollute the church.

Let me summarize: lawlessness undermines the righteousness of God, darkness supplants the truth of God, and idolatry pollutes the worship of God. All of that is introduced into the church through the yoke of unholy partnerships.

I don’t know if you’ve been following along with the sermon outline. If so, that wraps up point #1, Be not unequally yoked.

2. Live as temples of the living God

That now brings us to #2: Live as temples of the living God

You can think about it this way. Verses 14 up to the beginning of 16 are like the negative argument. They answer the question what should we avoid in order to not be unequally yoked. We should avoid partnering with lawlessness and darkness and idolatry. All of those are signs of unbelief and need to be avoided.

And when we get to the second half of verse 16, there’s a switch to the positive argument. Why should the church seek to be pure?

And the answer is because we are temples of the living God!

That statement was a radical and transformational teaching for first century Christians. For the Corinthians, this was not the first time they heard it. Three times in Paul’s first letter to them, he tells them that they are temples of God. God’s Holy Spirit dwells in them. God’s very presence is in them.

You see, until Jesus Christ came, the presence of God was centered in the tabernacle and then the temple. A big portion of the Old Testament ceremonies happened there. It emphasized two things: (1) the holiness of God and (2) the presence of God.

· First, sacrifices were performed to symbolically cleanse the people – to make them holy. Ultimately that was fulfilled in Christ.

· Second, the temple contained the holy of holies. It was behind a vary large and very thick curtain. Only the high priest could enter the holy of holies once a year. That’s where God’s presence and glory was found.

But when Jesus died on the cross, the temple curtain was torn in two. The temple of God was no longer relevant. That’s because believers in Christ are now temples of the living God.

So, if you are a believer in Christ, God has made you holy and has given you his presence. You are united to him through the Holy Spirit by faith.

To be sure, that does not mean you do not sin. Rather it means that God sees you as holy because of the holiness of Christ in you. Through the union that you have with Christ, you are holy and have the very presence of God in you. In that way, you are temples of the living God.

And because of the status you have as being holy, you are called to live out that holiness by pursuing the righteousness in God.

I want you to jump down to chapter 7 verse 1. Notice how it concludes this section, “Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God”

Again, “bringing holiness to completion.” It means that Christians should pursue holiness in our lives because God now sees us as holy.

This directly relates to chapter 6:14 – “do not be unequally yoked.” 7:1 is the positive statement. Instead of being unequally yoked, cleanse yourselves from every defilement of body and spirit. In other words, since you are a holy people called by God, pursue holiness.

God’s will and desire for his church is that we be pure. Why? Well, that was point 1 – there’s no place for lawlessness, darkness, or idolatry in those who are temples of the living Lord.

Ok, let’s go back up to the long quote. Do you see that there in verses 16-18?

This is a very interesting Old Testament quote. That’s because it doesn’t just come from one place. It’s a compilation of quotes from Exodus, Leviticus, Ezekiel, Isaiah, 2 Samuel, Jeremiah, and others. It displays an amazing cross section of God’s redemptive plan and promises in the Old Testament.

These 2 and 1/2 verses take us from God’s law to his prophecies to the history of redemption… and to God’s covenant promises.

In fact, that’s the thing that ties it all together. God’s covenant with his people. You can see that in every phrase here.

Let’s look at them.

· In the middle of 16, it begins with the covenant promise found in Exodus and Leviticus. The promise is that God would dwell with his people. That certainly ties to being temples of the living God… does it not?

· And then next, another covenant promise that God would be our God and we would be his people. Do you see that there at the end of 16? That quote is actually found in multiple places... Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Ezekiel, and Jeremiah, as we read earlier in the service.

· Then verse 17 is from the prophet Isaiah. The covenant people of God should separate themselves from uncleanness. That’s the outworking of being a people called out by God for his glory and honor.

· And finally verse 18 comes from 2 Samuel chapter 7. That’s when the prophet Nathan gave King David God’s covenant promise. Part of the promise is that God would be the Father of one of his sons in his line. Also included there is that many will be called sons and daughters through this promised son. And of course, those promises are ultimately fulfilled in Christ.

I know that is a lot to take in. But the point is that God has called a covenant people to himself. And part of that calling is to be a set apart and holy people.

So, to tie this all together… the command to be not unequally yoked (verse 14) and instead to bring holiness to completion (chapter 7 verse 1) HAS BEEN God’s plan and purpose from the very beginning.

God wants his church to be pure. He wants us to pursue righteousness and to faithfully teach and believe in the truths found in his Word. Any diversions from that corrupts the temple of the living Lord.

About 100 years ago, a crisis was happening in the church here in the United States. This affected multiple denominations. Ministers were no longer required to believe in basic truths about the Christian faith. There were 5 fundamental beliefs that a pastor did not have to believe: (1) they didn’t have to believe in Jesus’s divine nature. (2) or the virgin birth of Christ (3) or Jesus physical resurrection. (4) or the substitutionary atonement of Christ – meaning that Jeus died to pay the penalty for sinners. Or (5) the inspiration and inerrancy of the Bible – that one really leads to all the rest. In several denominations, you could be ordained as a pastor without believing in one or more of those things.

But each of those things is core to the Christian faith. To not believe in them is to violate the truths found in 2 Corinthians 6:14 to 7:1.

You see, sadly, a cancer had infiltrated the church. That cancer began to spread. It slowly multiplied until it metastasized… it reached the very heart of the true Gospel of Jesus Christ. Now, not all denominations were affected. And to be sure, some true believers remained in those churches and sought to steer them back to faith in Christ. But it was an uphill battle. To use the language of the book of Revelation chapters 2 and 3… If a church abandons its first love, that is Christ, God will snuff out their lampstand.

It has been 100 years, but the broader church in the United States is still suffering from the unbelief. And it all started by being unequally yoked with unbelievers.

There are, of course, many examples recent times that violate these verses in 2 Corinthians. And we should not believe that we are immune from this. We should always be evaluating whether we are being faithful to teach what God has spoken. And we should always be evaluating whether we are living as temples of the living… God seeking to bring holiness to fulfillment.

May we, here at Tucker Pres, seek to honor God in our words and actions…both individually and as a church. May we be not unequally yoked, but rather may we seek to be temples of the living Lord… bringing holiness to completion in the fear and worship of our God.