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Understanding Acts and Galatians
Today's passage continues in a short narrative where Paul gives an accounting of his conversion and apostleship.  We have some information of these things from Acts, but the tricky part if figuring how they fit.  A common break down of it looks like this:

                 Gal 1:16              Conversion
                 Gal 1:16–17      Three-year interval (Arabia, Damascus)
                 Gal 1:18–20      First Jerusalem visit of 15 days
                 Gal 1:21–2:1      Interval of 14 yrs (Syria, Cilicia: preaching to Gentiles)
                 Gal 2:1–10      Second Jerusalem visit for private conference on Gentile mission
                 Gal 2:11–14      Incident at Antioch [1]

Lining this up with Acts can be interesting because there isn't enough detail to know for sure.  Two guesses are this:

"1. Acts 9:26–28 =Galatians 1:18
Acts 11:30; 12:25 = Galatians 2:1–10
Acts 15:1–35 (omitted in Galatians—perhaps because Galatians written before the event)

2. Acts 9:26–28 = Galatians 1:18
Acts 11:30; 12:25 (omitted in Galatians)
Acts 15:1–35 = Galatians 2:1–10" [2]

How you take it hinges on whether you think that the events of Galatians 2 are speaking of the Jerusalem Council in Acts 15 or not.  There are arguments that could work for both sides - I actually haven't done enough reading on the issue to make a solid decision, but I lean more toward option 2 at this point.  This doesn't necessarily effect the point of the passage, but is an important issue nonetheless.

So, what IS the point of the passage?  Let's focus in on the showdown between Paul and Peter - what exactly is going on here?  There is definitely a huge emphasis on the failure of the Law to justify us in Galatians, but I think the point of this showdown is the OUTWORKING of that belief.

Paul calls Peter out because when James comes into town, Peter stops eating with the Gentiles.  I don't believe Peter would suddenly forget the content of the Gospel and think that he could earn salvation through the Law here.  That's a bit of a stretch.  What I think is going on is that Peter is not applying the Gospel to life.  His fear of what other Jews might think of him causes him to start following the Law very closely again (not necessarily bad) at the expense of shunning Gentiles and treating them as second class (VERY bad).  Hence Paul starts in on verse 15 about Jesus and the Law.  He speaks of the relational truth to make sure people both UNDERSTAND it and APPLY it.  He's in essence saying to Peter: "Don't say one thing and do another".

So what about us?  Do we really live like we believe what the Gospel says?  Or do we treat others as worse than us because they are poor or a different race or a different group of people?  This passage is FULL of application for us in the US - the land of the segregated social groups.  I think Paul would have a lot to say to us as well.

Questions?  Comments?

Click here to read today's passage on Bible Gateway.

Introduction to Galatians
In a lot of ways, 1 and 2 Corinthians could be a little intense at times - especially 2 Corinthians.  Galatians is going to take this to a new level.  Whereas the "tone" of 1 Corinthians could be phrased as "patiently corrective" and 2 Corinthians could be "exasperated and frustrated", Galatians is definitely bordering on "angry".  What is at stake here?  As with the end of 2 Corinthians, it is the Gospel itself.  Whereas in 2 Corinthians people are confused and being misled, in Galatians it seems that people have wholehearted forsaken the Gospel.  Check out a few verses that capture some of the tone:

Galatians 1:6-9
 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—  not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.  But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed.  As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed (paraphrase: damned to hell).

Galatians 3:1
O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you?

Galatians 5:7-12
You were running well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth?  This persuasion is not from him who calls you.  A little leaven leavens the whole lump.  I have confidence in the Lord that you will take no other view, and the one who is troubling you will bear the penalty, whoever he is. But if I, brothers, still preach circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been removed.  I wish those who unsettle you would emasculate themselves!

As always, here's some general introductory material:

      "A.      The book of Galatians is one of the clearest expressions of the radically new and free truth of salvation by grace alone, through faith alone. It is often called “The Magna Carta of Christian Liberty.”

      B.      This letter stirred the fires of the Protestant Reformation.
         1.      Martin Luther said “the little book of Galatians is my letter; I have betrothed myself to it; it is my wife.”
         2.      John Wesley found lasting peace from a sermon on Galatians.
         3.      In his Study Guide Commentary , p. 11, Curtis Vaughan wrote “few books have more profoundly influenced the minds of men, have so significantly shaped the course of human history, or continued to speak with such relevance to the deepest needs of modern life.”

      C.     This doctrinally oriented letter, possibly Paul’s first, was a precursor to Romans and its development of the doctrine of justification by faith apart from Judaism’s emphasis on keeping the Law:
         1.      Salvation cannot be found in both Law and grace.
         2.      Salvation must be found in either Law or grace.
         3.      Christlikeness will follow a true conversion.
         4.      Beware of Christian legalism.

      D.      This radically free salvation, by grace alone through faith alone, is desperately needed in our day because of the recurrent, subtle pull of our self-oriented, works-oriented religious consciousness. In every age the simple truth of God’s initiating, self-giving, unconditional love mediated through human repentance and humble faith is challenged! It is not that the false teachers were rejecting Christ’s central place in redemption, but they were adding to Him. It is not what we add, but that we add anything!

PURPOSE OF THE LETTER

      A.      Paul addressed three distinct areas of concern about the message of the false teachers. These heretics have been labeled “Judaizers” because they believed that one had to become a Jew before he could become a Christian (cf. 6:12). His concerns revolved around the charges of the Judaizers:
         1.      Paul was not truly an Apostle like the Twelve (cf. Acts 1:21–22); therefore, he was dependent on their authority or at least the authority of the Mother Church in Jerusalem.
         2.      Paul’s message was different from theirs, and thus, false. This seems directly related to the concept of “justification by faith apart from the Law.” The Apostles in Jerusalem were still very Jewish in their personal lives.
         3.      An element of libertinism was connected in some way with these churches (cf. 5:18–6:8). Exactly how this is to be explained is debated. Some have even seen two target groups in Paul’s letter: Judaizers and gnostics (cf. 4:8–11). However, it seems best to relate these verses to pagan practices. The Jews were concerned about the lifestyle of Gentiles. How did Paul’s radical free grace relate to pagan idolatry and excess?

      B.      Doctrinally, this letter is very similar to Paul’s letter to the Romans. These two books contain Paul’s major doctrines repeated and developed in different settings." [1]

Questions?  Comments?

Click here to read today's passage on Bible Gateway.

Do You Pass the Test?
Today we finish out 2 Corinthians.  At the beginning of today's reading, Paul expresses a lot of frustration about the fact that he needed to defend himself before the Corinthians.  He has "been a fool" to legitimize his ministry, and it really ticks him off.  He's coming to visit again, and it probably won't be a very pleasant visit.  This is a visit to "clean house" in the Corinthian church and deal with many issues that he's already dealt with in his letters.  He makes it clear that there are those that are continuing on in sin despite previous warnings, then writes these lines:

Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!

So - what is "the test"? 

    "In view of Paul’s imminent return to bring God’s judgment to Corinth, his commands in 13:5 again contain a severe warning. In the past, he postponed his return in order to give the Corinthians time to repent, since his primary goal as an apostle of the new covenant is the ingathering of God’s people (cf. 1:23–2:4; 5:18–20; 10:8; 12:19). In his next visit, however, Paul will carry out both aspects of his apostolic calling by being a fragrance of both life and death to those he encounters with the gospel (cf. 1 Cor. 1:18 with 2 Cor. 2:15–16a). Like the prophets of the old covenant, Paul thus announces the coming judgment in advance in order to bring about the repentance of those who are truly God’s people (cf. 10:1–6). He does so by calling the rebellious in Corinth “to examine” or “test themselves” to see if they are truly “in the faith” (13:5). The goal of the test is to make it clear that Christ is indeed in them (cf. 7:11–12; 8:7–8).
    The means by which the test is performed is Paul himself. Allegiance to him as their apostle is the criterion that determines whether Christ is present in their lives, since Paul is confident that he himself has already passed the test (13:6). To accept Paul’s message of reconciliation is to accept God’s message of reconciliation (cf. 5:18–20). For this reason, because they have responded to Paul and his preaching in the past, he gives them the benefit of the doubt that Christ is in fact in them (13:5b).
    In view of their current rebellion, however, the Corinthians must confirm the reality of their conversion by responding once again to Paul’s person and proclamation. His call for repentance is therefore based on the assumption that those in whom God is at work by his Spirit will recognize that Paul’s holiness, sincerity, and way of life all derive from the same grace of God that Paul is now calling them to accept (cf. 1:12 with 6:1–2)." [1]

There something VITAL here that we need to realize, lest we miss the whole point of this letter:  Paul is not just trying to get people on "his side".  This isn't an issue of Paul's ego, but of the Gospel.  Paul urges them to accept his ministry because He preaches Jesus and the Gospel, not prosperity and entertainment.  This is not ultimately about Paul, but about the Gospel.  That is why acceptance of Paul's ministry is so essential:  it is the acceptance of the Gospel.  It is acceptance not of a person, but of THE TRUTH.

So how about us?  What is the "test" for us?  I think it is twofold:

1. Do we believe Paul?  In this case, that refers to whether or not we believe and trust the Bible in what it tells us and the Gospel that it contains.

2. Do we believe the Gospel?  Believing the Bible is one thing, but what about truly believing the Gospel?  How many of us are drawn to church simply for entertainment or community? 

When you're down, wondering whether or not you are accepted by God, what is the Truth?  The entertainment and community that comes with church can never sustain you. But you CAN know that you believe in the truth of the Gospel.  You can cling to the love, sacrifice, and resurrection of Jesus.  If that is what you believe, you pass the test.  Jesus is in you even if it doesn't FEEL like it.  Trust God.  Believe the Gospel.  Do that and you pass the test.

Click here to read today's passage on Bible Gateway.

Boasting in Weakness
Paul continues in our reading today with his apostolic "qualifications".  The super-apostles have money, a popular message, and good speaking skills on their resume, but what does Paul have?

• Went to prison
• Received lashes
• Beaten with rods
• Stoned
• Shipwrecked
• Hated by all sorts of people
• Weighed down by concern for all of the churches

These aren't even all of them!  Paul feels very uncomfortable even talking about "qualifications" (see verse 21 - "I am speaking like a fool" or NLT "I must be out of my mind to be speaking this way") because it's not even the point.  By putting qualifications forward, the super-apostles prove that they don't get it at all.  It's about receiving a call from God and doing the work God has for you, no matter what.  BUT - if he must talk about boasting, these are the kind of things that Paul is willing to boast about - suffering and weakness. 

When we reach chapter 12, things shift a little bit and get a little difficult to understand.  A little background information goes a long way in helping to understand what Paul is saying:

    "I know a person in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven.  In this sentence, Paul switched to the third person, speaking of the event as if another person had told him about it. It is obvious, however, that Paul is, in fact, the person in Christ who was caught up to the third heaven. In 12:7, Paul would explain that God had given him a “thorn in the flesh” in order to keep him from becoming arrogant about this revelation.
    So why did Paul recount the revelation as if he were an observer and not a participant in these revelations? There are two common explanations:
(1) Some have asserted that Paul was trying to express the way he felt during the vision, as an observer of what was happening.
(2) Others understand this as a technique Paul used to distance himself from the boasting he felt he had to do. This is the most likely reason Paul did this, for he seems to be expressing that sentiment in 12:5: “I will boast about a man like that, but I will not boast about myself, except about my weaknesses” (2 Corinthians 12:5 NIV). Although he felt compelled to tell the Corinthians about this revelation in order to prove his apostolic authority, Paul used the technique of speaking in the third person to avoid bragging directly about this revelation. Paul was willing to risk obscurity in his writing in order to guard against pride." [1]

I would also definitely go with (2) on this one as well, as it fits the context a lot better than the other option.  So what is this "third heaven" stuff?  Understanding how people made classifications during that time helps a lot:

"Although Paul didn’t give many details about this ecstatic experience, he did write that he was “caught up to the third heaven.” What does this mean? In Paul’s day, the notion of multiple heavens—from three to seven heavens—was common. Scholars who have systematically analyzed the use of the words “heaven” and “heavens” in the Old and New Testament believe that the Scriptures use the word “heaven” to refer to three separate places. The first heaven is the earth’s atmosphere (see Acts 1:9–10); the second heaven is the entire universe, which contains all the stars (see Genesis 1:14). The third heaven, beyond these two heavens, is where God himself lives (1 Peter 3:22). This is the “heaven of heavens” (Nehemiah 9:6; Psalm 68:33 NKJV). Whether or not Paul had this three-fold division of the heavens in mind, it is clear that he considered the third heaven as the highest heaven. Paul saw his revelation as an extraordinary and unique revelation (12:7). Nothing less than going to the heaven above all heavens would silence those who boasted in their own revelations." [2] (emphasis mine)

The point?  Paul's "qualifications are the ones that matter:  service to God and a personal knowledge and relationship to Jesus, not good speaking ability and entertainment value.

From here he goes on to a VERY important passage though:  his "thorn in the flesh".  We can't know for sure what the "thorn" was, because Paul doesn't tell us.  Some of the options put forward have been:

1. False Teachers
2. Sexual temptation (popular medieval view)
3. Spiritual temptation (popular reformation view)
4. Physical ailment such as headaches (very early view)
5. A metaphor for physical weakness, probably in the eyes

I personally take the last view, but as I said, it's impossible to know for sure.  But again, what's the point?  The point is that Paul's greatest weakness is what he holds out as his greatest reason to boast?  Why?

Because weakness shows us who we really are.  When we can depend on nothing but God's grace to get us through, we truly understand who has the power and "qualifications": God alone.

Paul boasts in his weakness because it constantly shows him the the only thing that we can boast of is God.  Not our own power.  Not our own qualifications.  Not our own experiences.  God alone is worthy of such praise.  If weakness constantly shows us that, may we all boast in our weaknesses. 

Questions?  Comments?

Click here to read today's passage on Bible Gateway.

Not only were these false "super-apostles" (either a name they had for themselves or an ironic one that Paul gives them here) bent on making money from the Gospel, they were also false teachers.  Here's what we know from this passage:
1. They preached a different Jesus:  Many think that from the context of the passage they were probably minimizing the cross (which Paul emphasized earlier in the letter) and putting the spotlight on the awesome speaking abilities of Jesus as the most important thing.

2. They preached another spirit:  It's harder to know what this means exactly.  Maybe they emphasized miraculous works and power as proof of God's blessing.

3.  They preached a different Gospel:  Whatever it was, it probably had to do with money since they were expecting good pay.  Also it probably had a lot to do with self-righteousness as a way to salvation (see verse 15: "disguise themselves as servants of righteousness").  In short, it sounds a LOT like prosperity preachers today:  God wants to to be rich, give me money, be the best person you can be.

So what does Paul say in response?  Here are his credentials:
-He humbled himself
-He exalted the Corinthians
-He preached the Gospel free of charge (as it should be)
-He "robbed" other churches by taking support from them so he could work in Corinth
-He loves them

Paul will go a lot more into his "apostolic credentials" tomorrow, but he finishes out with a warning against following the "super apostles" and calls them out for what they are.

So what about us?  How does this apply today?  As I said above, these kinds of people are alive and well today.  Many were deceived in Corinth, and many are deceived today.  How can we protect ourselves?

"Satan and his servants can deceive people by appearing to be attractive, good, and moral. Many unsuspecting people follow smooth-talking, Bible-quoting leaders into cults. Don’t be fooled by external appearances. Impressions alone are not an accurate indicator of who is or isn’t a true follower of Christ, so it helps to ask these questions:
  •      Do the teachings confirm Scripture (Acts 17:11)?
  •      Does the teacher affirm and proclaim that Jesus Christ is God who came into the world as a man to save people from their sins (1 John 4:1–3)?
  •      Is the teacher’s lifestyle consistent with biblical morality (Matthew 12:33–37)?" [1]

We'll continue on with the true signs of an apostle tomorrow, but take this passage as a warning - test people to see if what they say is true, lest we be deceived like the Corinthians.

Click here to read today's passage on Bible Gateway.

Taking Every Thought Captive  
I want to use the post again today to deal with another commonly misunderstood passage in the Bible.  This one isn't as well-known as some of the others we've dealt with, but it's important to understand within the context of this letter:

2 Corinthians 10:5
We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ... (emphasis mine)

Usually "taking every thought captive" is treated as a verse dealing with our personal thought lives, but the context of this passage definitely informs us otherwise.  What is Paul talking about here if not an individual's thought life? 

    "Paul's fight to “take captive every thought … to Christ” (10:5), which epitomizes this chapter, is often misapplied in our contemporary context. The issue in view is not Paul’s private struggle with his own “thought life,” as important as it is to make sure that we are thinking in ways that honor Christ. Paul is not striving to control his worry or lust or arrogance or tempting thoughts. Nor is it a criticism of philosophy or of intellectual pursuits as such, though it does contain an implied warning that all truth-claims must be subjected to the constraints of the gospel and its worldview.
    Rather, Paul’s concern in 10:1–18 is with a public dispute over the content of the gospel and the true nature of God’s commendation of those who preach it. His self-defense is not the expression of a hurt ego, but the necessary response against those who deny the gospel by their lifestyles and teaching. To take captive every thought to Christ is to evaluate every teaching concerning who Jesus is and what it means to follow him in order to ensure that whatever is said and thought conforms to the character and purposes of Christ himself." [1] (emphasis mine)

Hafemann goes on to suggest several ways in which this happens or should happen in the church today:

1. Apologetics:  We need to be ready to "defend the faith".  We take every thought captive by equipping ourselves to know our faith well and defend it against attack from the outside.

2. Church Discipline: This is protecting ourselves from within.  Not every attack comes from outside the faith.  We need to be ready to spot and deal with thought that denies God, even from within our churches. We must always be on guard.

3. Spiritual Substance Over Style:  It is very popular now to seek out "good speakers" or "good music" in a church.  This is not new - Paul speaks in this chapter about the situation in Corinth, which was basically the same.  Taking every thought captive means not seeking entertainment from church, but spiritual nourishment.

4. Proclaiming the Gospel:  The most obvious way to take every thought captive, but do we do it?  Do we truly seek to make Jesus' name known to the world?

Getting control of your private thought life is important, but not really what this passage has in mind.  Paul isn't speaking of a defensive fight against sin within ourselves, but an offensive move brought to the world to bring the Truth the the world.  Can you think of any other important ways are we are or can do this?

Click here to read today's passage on Bible Gateway.

More on Giving  
Today is a continuation of yesterday's thought on giving.  The Bible often doesn't work as a handbook for various issues, but this passage is actually a really good example of the main parts of responsible fundraising.  Here's a good breakdown of it:

"The topic of fund-raising is not one to be avoided or one that should embarrass us, but all fund-raising efforts should be planned and conducted responsibly.

Information
8:4
Definite purpose
8:4
Readiness and willingness
9:7
Dedication
8:5
Leadership
8:7
Enthusiasm
8:7–8, 11
Persistence
8:2–12
Honesty and integrity
8:21
Accountability
9:3" [1]

Obviously this is a simplification of the passage, but good and helpful thoughts nonetheless. 

Questions?  Comments?

Click here to read today's passage on Bible Gateway.

Rich and Poor
A short post today - a great commentary on a great verse:

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.  -2 Corinthians 8:9

    "The Corinthian church—a wealthy church—had pledged a great deal of money, but they had not yet given any of it. Paul was concerned that they might never get around to giving what they had promised, so he gave them two models of generous giving. In the previous verse and first part of this chapter (8:1–5, 8), Paul had given them the first model: the poor Macedonian Christians who had enthusiastically given beyond what they could afford. Then in this verse, Paul gave the Corinthians another model: Jesus himself. Although the Macedonians had shown a great amount of generosity in past, their sacrifice couldn’t compare with Jesus’ giving of himself. Jesus’ action was the ultimate model for the Corinthians.
    Jesus became poor for the Corinthians’ sakes by generously giving up his rights as God and becoming human. Although he was God and possessed all the privileges, power, and wisdom of God (John 1:1–14), the Son of God relinquished all that. He voluntarily became a man named Jesus of Nazareth. The Lord became poor when he became human because he set aside so much. He was a heavenly King, and he humbled himself to become a servant of lowly human beings. He even voluntarily surrendered himself to death on a cross—the most cruel and humiliating death known at that time. Yet by doing so, he made all who believe in him rich. Christians have not only been saved through his self-sacrificial actions, they have also been accepted into God’s family (5:8, 18). That means that they have a glorious, eternal inheritance in heaven (4:18; 5:1)." [1]

Click here to read today's passage on Bible Gateway.

Unequally Yoked
Today's post has the possibility of being somewhat controversial because the first verse is almost always quoted out of context.  To command to not be "unequally yoked" with unbelievers is almost always used in the context of marriage, but if you've been reading along with us, you know that nowhere before this passage, in it, or after it is there ANY mention of marriage.  Let's get this straight from the beginning:  not marrying unbelievers IS a legitimate application of this passage, but let's understand how to get there, because the application of this passage goes far beyond simply partnering in marriage.

First, an important issue:  Who are the "unbelievers" in this passage?  From NIVAC 2 Corinthians:
"...This section opens up with a command, just as the last section closed with one. As “believers,” the Corinthians are not to be “yoked together,” in the sense of being hitched up with someone whose yoke does not fit (cf. NRSV: “mismatched”), or be “allied” with “unbelievers” (6:14a). But who are these “unbelievers”? Many take them to be non-Christians in general (as in 1 Cor. 5:10; cf. 6:6, 12–20; 7:12–15; 14:22–24). Others see them more specifically to be those Gentile pagans in Corinth with whom the “strong” had earlier participated in idol feasts (as in 1 Cor. 8:1–11:1; see 10:27).
    Both of these interpretations can succeed, however, only if 6:14–7:1 is distanced from its current context, in which Paul has been fighting for the legitimacy of his apostolic ministry and in which there has been no previous mention of the earlier problems facing the Corinthians. In 2 Corinthians the issue is not the relationship between Christians and the unbelieving world, nor is Paul concerned here, as he was in 1 Corinthians, with the Corinthians’ participation in the temple cults and idolatry of Corinth. Rather, if read from the perspective of its own immediate context, Paul’s command in 6:14 is the specific application of his more general command in 6:13. “Not to be yoked together with unbelievers” (6:14) is one way in which the Corinthians are to “open wide [their] hearts” to Paul.
    Given the situation in which Paul finds himself, “opening up” to him will necessarily entail closing themselves off from those who oppose him, whom the apostle now labels “unbelievers.” This statement is shocking because “unbelievers” is not a word Paul ever uses to describe erring but still genuine Christians (e.g., those dealt with in 1 Cor. 3:10–15). Rather, “unbelievers” refers to those who are manifestly outside the sphere of God’s people, even if they profess otherwise (cf. 1 Cor. 6:6; 7:12–15; 10:27; 14:22–24; 2 Cor. 4:4; 1 Tim. 5:8; Titus 1:15–16).
Thus, to make clear, in no uncertain terms, precisely what is at stake in supporting his opponents, Paul employs much of the same terminology in 6:14–16 and 7:1 that he used earlier to describe the necessity of breaking free from demon-dominated idolatry (cf. 1 Cor. 10:16–21 with 2 Cor. 6:14; 1 Cor. 8:7 with 2 Cor. 7:1). But now it describes the absolute incompatibility between those who believe (and hence support Paul’s ministry) and those who are calling Paul’s apostleship into question. Paul’s point is stark. In the final analysis, the believers in Corinth must recognize his opponents as “unbelievers” and separate from them." [1]

First of all, it's important to note that Paul isn't just being a jerk here.  There are definitely instances in which people disagree with Paul but he doesn't call them unbelievers.  Whatever is going on with his opponents here is really serious.  Second, I post this quote to make sure that we understand the PRIMARY meaning of this passage.  I think more than anything this passage is probably about how to deal with divisive people.  This has support from other parts of the NT such as Titus 3:10: "As for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him."  The context of this passage is most likely in this sense:  those who are divisive (particularly Paul's opponents in this case) should be avoided at all costs - they are not from God.  This is the "focused" meaning of this passage:  don't partner up with those that have things other than the kingdom of God in mind or they will drag you down.  It's important to understand this first because it opens up a huge area of application that would otherwise be missed:  watch out for this in the church.  There are many who would claim to be from God but their deeds show otherwise.  Have nothing to do with them.

That being said and understood FIRST, there is a broader sense of application:  the way we usually think of unbelievers.  This passage says to look out for them in the church, but Paul's statements are broad and therefore have a broader meaning and application.

From LABC 2 Corinthians:
    "After passionately appealing to the Corinthians to open their hearts to him, Paul exhorted them to not be yoked together with unbelievers. He urged them not to form binding relationships with nonbelievers because this might weaken their Christian commitment, integrity, or standards...
    Earlier, Paul had explained that not associating with unbelievers did not mean isolation from nonbelievers (see 1 Corinthians 5:9–10). The Corinthians were even to remain with their unbelieving spouses (1 Corinthians 7:12–13). In order to witness to their neighbors, believers were to adopt some of the customs of the people to whom they were witnessing: “I try to find common ground with everyone so that I might bring them to Christ” (1 Corinthians 9:22 NLT).
    So what did it mean to avoid being “yoked together with unbelievers”? The Greek for “yoked together” was used in the first century for the act of harnessing animals together. It was against God’s law to yoke together animals with different degrees of strength, such as an ox and a mule, because the plow would be pulled unevenly or the weight being carried would be spilled (see Deuteronomy 22:10). In the same way, a believer and an unbeliever are categorically different. Partnering with unbelievers would lead to disaster.
    In 1 Corinthians, Paul had forbidden the Corinthians from submitting their disputes to a secular judge (6:1–6). He had admonished them to refrain from sexual immorality, especially the prostitution of the Greek temples (see 6:12–20). He had even expressed astonishment that they hadn’t expelled a member of the church who had persisted in having an affair with his stepmother (5:1–13). Moreover, he had told them to refrain from participating in feasts that honored local gods (see 10:6–22). Any of these specific issues, especially the feasts to local gods, could be considered as being yoked together with unbelievers. Apparently the Corinthian church was having a difficult time separating themselves from the immoral practices of their unbelieving neighbors.        
    Paul was telling the Corinthians to avoid any situation that would compromise their faith or their Christian morals. While this verse applies to all partnerships and alliances, marriage certainly comes under this teaching." [2] (emphasis mine)

And some further application on the marriage issue specifically:
    "Paul said, “Do not be yoked together with unbelievers.” This certainly applies to marriage. While Paul didn’t want the new believers to divorce their unbelieving spouses (see 1 Corinthians 7:12–13), he certainly did not encourage single believers to enter into marriage with unbelievers. Such marriages cannot have unity in the most important issue in life—commitment and obedience to God. Because marriage involves two people becoming one, faith may become an issue, and one spouse may have to compromise beliefs for the sake of unity. Many people discount this problem only to regret it later. Don’t allow emotion or passion to blind you to the ultimate importance of marrying someone with whom you can be united spiritually." [3] (emphasis mine)

So - that's it.  This passage is nearly always used in the context of not marrying an unbeliever.  That is definitely right and true, has much wisdom to it, and is a valid application of this passage.  But we must also understand the first and primary application of it within the  church and also within the broader scope of our lives.  If your first and greatest commitment is to the glory of God, how will that affect your partnerships in friendship, business, and marriage? 

Questions?  Comments?

Click here to read today's passage on Bible Gateway.

New Creation
Just a short one today about new life and what it means:

"Paul proclaimed a whole new creation in Christ. Too often this verse has been individualized so that the main point is blurred. Many preach, “If anyone is in Christ, that person is a new creation.” While this is true, Paul is saying much more. Not only are believers changed from within (mysterious new creations in Christ), but a whole new order of creative energy began with Christ. There is a new covenant, a new perspective, a new body, a new church. All of creation is being renewed.
    So sit up. Take notice. The old, worn-out ways are being replaced with new. This is not a superficial change that will be quickly superseded by another novelty. This is an entirely new order of all creation under Christ’s authority. It requires a new way of looking at all people and all of creation. Does your life reflect this new perspective?" [1]

Remember as you're reading to understand how this connects to the rest of the letter in its context.  Paul is writing for a purpose and it's easy when we're studying in chunks and having lots of memorable verses to lose Paul's train of thought.  Make sure you spend some time seeing how it connects to what comes before and after.

Questions?  Comments?