(remember, these are unedited/draft show notes, not a transcript — listening is always better…and if you listen AND follow along below, you’ll see how)
Focus Question:
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Intro:
One of the things that most people today don’t realize is how many phrases and idioms come from the Bible, and even among Christians there are phrases which you may have heard that come from the old King James language. One of those is the words, “unequally yoked.”
Today you’ll hear the passage where that comes from, and after we’ll answer the question that comes from this, “Why is marrying an unbeliever stooopid (with three Os) ?” And at the very end of today I’ll share with you something my mom used to say that sounded reeeeeally stupid when I was young and, well, I’m not so young anymore, and mom’s magically gotten a lot wiser.
New Testament segment:
Passage: 2 Corinthians 6
Translation: CSB (Christian Standard Bible)
Verses: 18
Words: ~424
So why not marry an unbeliever? Three reasons.
One, God knows what’s good for you, and says it’s a bad idea. Remember that multiple times in the OT God warned the Israelites not to intermarry. Why? The unbelieving spouse will draw you into bad stuff. (Check out Dt 7:3-4, Ju 3:5-6). We may not be under the OT law now, but this is the same God and same warning through Paul.
Two, mix some dirty water with some clean water and what do you get? That’s what you heard Paul argue today. You’re now the temple of the Holy Spirit, AND when you marry, two become one (unless you listen to culture instead of Ge 2:24 and Mk 10:8).
Finally, you want to get married to know and be known, right? Intimacy the way God made it? I hope so. Except that spiritual intimacy — arguably the foundation of the whole kaboodle — isn’t possible if the other person isn’t a believer.
Interestingly this sets up where we’re at in Jeremiah. Jeremiah’s not the only place in the Bible uses the language of marriage to talk about faithfulness or faithlessness, and that was the charge against Israel that kicked off Jeremiah. Today? A call to them to repent and a warning of what happens if they don’t.
Passage: Jeremiah 3:6-4:31
Translation: CSB (Christian Standard Bible)
Verses: 51
Words: ~1522
Wisdom segment:
Passage: Proverbs 15:10-
Translation: CSB (Christian Standard Bible)
Verses:
Words: ~
The bottom line:
Can I just put an exclamation point on this whole faithful/faithless thing? My mom used to say, “You shouldn’t even date someone you wouldn’t marry.” How draconian, right? Well…for whatever my mom doesn’t get right, that’s dead-on wise. Because once your heart’s wrapped up in something or someone, well… your wisdom quotient sometimes takes a hit.
You’ve heard me talk here about how more than half of people inside the church don’t have a Biblical worldview. So just because someone goes to church and calls them a Jesus-follower, well… I’ll just say you should be praying for discernment. And I’ll love you with this — you want someone who loves Jesus more than they love you.
Love you!
Roger
ForTheHope is a daily audio Bible + apologetics podcast and blog. We’ve got a passion for just keepin’ it real, having conversations like normal people, and living out the love of Jesus better every single day.
Roger Courville, CSP is a globally-recognized expert in digitally-extended communication and connection, an award-winning speaker, award-winning author, and a passionately bad guitarist. Follow him on Twitter -- @RogerCourville and @JoinForTheHope – or his blog: www.forthehope.org.
Sources and resources:
(1) Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 1366.
(2) Christian Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2020), Je 31:31–34.