[George]

Originally Posted by biblereader

"Don't you agree that God was filled with wrath, when his people intermarried with non-Hebrews? God said NOT to marry anyone outside the faith.
It's all through the Old Testament. All through it. And, the penalties for disobeying God, by marrying someone NOT of their faith.
Same holds true today.
A Christian has very little in common with a non-Christian."

Aloha biblereader,

You must remember "context" - you said: "Same holds true today." But the New Testament doesn't say that.

From 2 Corinthians Chapter 1:1 to 2 Corinthians 11:1 you can NOT find the words "husband", "husbands", "wife", "wives", "marry", "married", or "marriage". In other words the teaching (in context) of 2 Corinthians 6: 1-18 is NOT about marriage - although that is how most pastors "apply" it!

Read the verses:

2 Corinthians 6:1 We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain.
2 (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)
3 Giving no offence in any thing, that the ministry be not blamed:
4 But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses,
5 In stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labours, in watchings, in fastings;
6 By pureness, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned,
7 By the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left,
8 By honour and dishonour, by evil report and good report: as deceivers, and yet true;
9 As unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and, behold, we live; as chastened, and not killed;
10 As sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.
11 O ye Corinthians, our mouth is open unto you, our heart is enlarged.
12 Ye are not straitened in us, but ye are straitened in your own bowels.
13 Now for a recompence in the same, (I speak as unto my children,) be ye also enlarged.
14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?
15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?
16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,
18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

These verses are NOT talking about "marriage". In the context they are talking about doing THE WORK OF GOD! Verse 1 talks about WORKERS; Verse 3 is talking about the "MINISTRY"; verse 4 talks about MINISTERS OF GOD; Verses 4-10 are talking about the "MINISTRY"; and Verse 14 is speaking about being "UNEQUALLY YOKED" - as in hooking up a Horse and a Ox together (for "WORK") or harnessing a Horse and a Jackass together (for "WORK"). {My wife and I have been married for 48 years, we aren't "YOKED" TOGETHER - we are "JOINED" TOGETHER - Matthew 19:6 & Mark 10:9}

The verses are simply saying - when you go out to do the "WORK" OF GOD, do NOT get hooked up ("yoked") with UNBELIEVERS! The words husband, husbands, wife, wives, marry, married, or marriage, cannot be found for at least four Chapters of either side of Chapter 6. {You couldn't find a reference to "marriage" or a "husband" or "wife" if you had a 300,000 thousand candle power spotlight!}

Now, am I recommending that a Christian marry a lost person? Of course NOT! I always recommend that a Christian marry "in the Lord"; but if they have married "outside of the faith", there is NO "penalty" - it's NOT the "same" as in the Old Testament. And although I DO NOT RECOMMEND marrying a lost person, there is NO CONDEMNATION if you have. 2 Corinthians Chapter 6 does NOT "apply" to "marriage". In the "context" it is speaking about doing the "WORK" of God with UNBELIEVERS. (as Billy Graham has done for years!)

When I first became a Christian 50 years ago the divorce rate (in the U.S.A.) between "Christians" was about 20% lower than non-Christians. Today the divorce rate (in the U.S.A.) between "Christians" is ONLY ABOUT 5% LOWER than non-Christians; so marrying a "Christian" today is NOT a "guarantee" that everything is going to "work out fine".

We have to be careful about what we say about this issue. There are many Christian men and women who are married to a spouse that is "lost". And although they may have problems because of this disparity between them, there are NO "penalties", and there is NO CONDEMNATION!