Intermarriage Part III

Part 3

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Now that we’ve gone through some of the passages and demonstrated that the thing in focus not blood, skin color or race but rather unbelief and wickedness that would have lead the children of God astray, we will briefly look at two New Testament passages that talk directly about this issue.

2 Corinthians 6:14-15

KJV	ESV
14Be 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?	14 Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? 15 What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever?

Take a look at the Apostle’s statement. It must be demonstrated that he is speaking to believers as is evident by the fact that he is writing to the Corinthian Church and he addresses them directly in verse 11. 



He says directly to these believers, “Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers.” To properly understand this passage in its context, it’s important to understand a yoke. As the reader may know, a yoke is a wooden brace that fits over the heads of two or more cattle that binds them together so that they share in some burden, like pulling a plow or cart. Paul says that when a believer is yoked to a nonbeliever, the relationship is unequal. It would be like putting the necks of a South facing Ox and a North facing Hippopotamus next to each other and after yoking them together, slapping them on the rear and letting them take off in their opposite directions. Not only are Christians and Non-Christians entirely different from each other, but also they are spending their lives facing and walking toward two entirely different directions! The Christian has his mind and heart set on Christ and his kingdom, and is living his life in service to him. Every thought, word and deed that the Christian produces is to glorify God. It is entirely opposite with the non-believer.

Romans 3:18 says of the natural unbelieving man, “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

Likewise Romans 8:7-8 says, “7 For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. 8 Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.”

Since believers and unbelievers are running down opposite facing roads, they cannot be fused together without disastrous consequences. It will produce sin in the life of the child of God just like he said it would all those years ago when he gave the commands to the Israelites. “Do not take the pagan people to be your wives and husbands because they will lead you to sin against me.” What Paul says here in 1 Corinthians 6:14-15 is the exact same thing, and he makes it painfully obvious. He says the yoking cannot take place because light does not have fellowship with darkness. He asks this last part in a rhetorical question but the answer is clear, “Certainly Paul, light has no fellowship with darkness, and Christ has no accord with Belial and the believer shares no portion with an unbeliever.” Since there is no portion shared, and the light in us takes no fellowship with the light in them, it would only be damaging to bind our souls to them in marriage. There is to be no marriage or joining together of believers and unbelievers. He does not mean whites and blacks or Egyptians and Hawaiians, the issue is heart not skin, the issue is spirit not blood.

Now to one last passage. Rather one last set of passages.

Galatians 3:7

“7 Know that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham.”

The argument Going on in Galatians 3 is that salvation is by faith, and not by works of the law and that the law was instituted as a guardian until Christ came to fulfill the older promise given to Abraham which was always to be received by faith. In verse 7, Paul says that it is not blood that unites Abraham to his sons, but faith. It is those who have a faith like Abrahams faith that are considered his descendants.

Paul says the thing in Romans 9:6-8.[1]

Understanding this point is important for what comes next in Galatians 3.

Galatians 3:26-29

KJV	ESV
26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.	“26 For in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. 27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you are Christ’s then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.”

After reaffirming that believers become sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, and that they who have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ, that is have been clothed in him and his righteousness, and are identified by him. He says that in Christ, “There is neither Jew nor Greek.” Stop right there. So we know that since the true sons of Abraham are those who have faith like him, not just those have blood like him, then blood is not what is in view within the Christian church. In other words, it doesn’t matter whether you are a Jew, or a Moabite or black or white or red, if you are clothed in the righteousness of Christ by faith, they you are a spiritual son of Abraham. This gives us the context of Paul saying that in Christ, “There is neither Jew nor Greek. Skin color and blood have never been the issue, the issue has always been the heart. The hearts of the nations were against God and so he told them not to take their daughters and sons as wives “For they will lead you to sin against me.” Guess what. The hearts of the nations are STILL against God. Look again at Romans 3 and 8 as well as Romans 1. However, if someone renounces their former godless ways and in faith and repentance turns to Christ, it doesn’t matter what their skin color is or who their great grandfather was. They are now a son or daughter of Abraham. And that is all that matters. If you say that blood and skin color matter than you are in direct contradiction to Galatians 3:28.

Marriage is the union of a man and a woman together under God. The two individuals cease to be separate and become one flesh. Believers should not be physically married when they can never be spiritually married as long as the unbelieving partner remains an unbeliever. Does that mean that if a believer has married an unbeliever that they should get a divorce? Absolutely not! Was it sin for the two to be married? Yes it was, but that gives the couple no right to commit another by separating themselves by divorce, and the Scriptures give direct commands to those who have sinned and joined in unequally yoked marriages or who were married and then one became a believer, as in 1 Corinthians 7:12-16.

This last verse, verse 16 has been used to say that believers and unbelievers can be married for missional purposes. Because it says, “How do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife?” It is however foolish to use the verse this way because such a view disregards all that the apostle has just said, as well as the commands elsewhere, as we have seen, which are to the contrary. Verse 16 is said in light of someone already having been married before conversion. And if marriage to unbelievers were a common or accepted practice within the apostolic church, Paul would not need to tell a believer not to divorce his unbelieving wife, because the unequally yoked believer would feel no need to. This is given in the case of someone who is married and then becomes a believer and his or her spouse remains an unbeliever. Paul says stay married for it may be the will of God to save your spouse through you. In the same vein if a believer marries an unbeliever and then at a later time comes to the conviction that it us unbiblical to marry a nonbeliever, Paul says stay married. Unless it is the unbeliever who presses for divorce, in which case the Apostle allows it on the grounds of peace (cf. v15).

With regards to intermarriage the issue has always been the heart. In Christ the nations come and shed all their earthly ties, skin color and nationality and blood fall away before the cross and throne of Christ. In Matthew we are told that,

“Stretching out his hand toward his desciples, he said, ‘Here are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”’ (Matthew 12:49-50)

Also,

“And they sang a new song, saying, ‘Worthy are you to take the scroll and open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation.” (Revelation 5:9)

Paul teaches us that marriage is a picture of Christ and the Church (Ephesians 5:25-32[2]. Esp. v32) Since this is so, are we to say that Christ’s bride than cannot contain people of mixed race and blood? Certainly not, especially in light of all we’ve just studied. Shall we say that the bride of Christ cannot be someone who is a different race than him? Again, certainly not! If we were to say so, that would certainly mean that anyone who was not a Palestinian Jew could not be a part of the Church or ever be saved. I need not go any further; the point has been made, and clearly so.

Why will some who profess to study the Bible continually teach and behave as though God cares about the color of our flesh or the type of our blood? The issue was the heart, is the heart and until the destruction of the earth and consummation of the Lamb’s marriage to his beloved bride the church, it will always be the heart.

To God be the glory for ever and ever, Amen.

Sola Scriptura

Sola Gratia

Sola Fide

Solus Christus

Soli Deo Gloria

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[1] 6 But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel, 7 and not all are children of Abraham because they are his offspring, but “Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.”  8 This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as offspring” (Romans 9:6-8)

[2] 25 Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, 26 that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27 so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.28 In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, 30 because we are members of his body. 31 “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” 32 This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church.” (Ephesians 5:25-32)