The Bible has nothing to say specifically about smoking, as during biblical times it was unknown. Let us quote briefly (and selectively) from the website healthliteracy.worlded.org which has this to say about the history of tobacco:

“Tobacco has a long history in the Americas. The Mayan Indians of Mexico carved drawings in stone showing tobacco use. These drawings date back to somewhere between 600 to 900 A.D. Tobacco was grown by American Indians before the Europeans came from England, Spain, France, and Italy to North America.

“Tobacco was the first crop grown for money in North America.  In 1612 the settlers of the first American colony in Jamestown, Virginia grew tobacco as a cash crop. It was their main source of money. Other cash crops were corn, cotton, wheat, sugar, and soya beans.  By the 1800’s, many people had begun using small amounts of tobacco. Some chewed it. Others smoked it occasionally in a pipe, or they hand-rolled a cigarette or cigar. On the average, people smoked about 40 cigarettes a year. The first commercial cigarettes were made in 1865 by Washington Duke on his 300-acre farm in Raleigh, North Carolina. His hand-rolled cigarettes were sold to soldiers at the end of the Civil War.

“It was not until James Bonsack invented the cigarette-making machine in 1881 that cigarette smoking became widespread.”

It will be self-evident that this was not a problem that Christians may have faced until the 19th century but it has subsequently become a problem for quite a number of those who have been called to God’s Way of Life. Today, people may smoke cigarettes, pipes or cigars or they may chew tobacco because they have become addicted to it; or because they feel depressed or suffer from anxiety and look for stress relief or a way to calm down. Also, they may smoke because they think this might help them to lose weight, or because their friends and relatives smoke. Whilst the Bible has nothing to say about a habit that would arise about 200 years or so ago, basic biblical principles apply.

Let us look, first of all, at some Scriptural principles.

In 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 we read the following: “Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?  If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.”

True Christians are those who have repented of their sins, believe in Jesus Christ’s Sacrifice and the gospel of the Kingdom of God, have been baptised by full immersion for the remission of their sins and have received the Holy Spirit by the laying on of hands of God’s true ministers (see Acts 2:38).   In such cases, the body is the temple of the Holy Spirit of God which we read about in Romans 12:1: “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.”   These principles are further reinforced in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 where we read: “Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who (better “which”) is in you, whom (better “which”) you have from God, and you are not your own?   For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.”

It seems reasonable to assume that in a literal temple smoking would be prohibited and why should the body be any different when explained in the verses quoted above?   In all that we do, in all of our activities, our emphasis should be on honouring God, rather than ourselves.

As one commentator opined: “Does tobacco smoke coming out of your nostrils glorify God?   Does the smell of tobacco on your body offer a good testimony for Jesus Christ?”   The answer should be obvious.

However, this injunction is not to be limited to converted Christians. Someone who wants to become a Christian should take this principle to heart as well and not begin or continue with a habit which clearly violates God’s instructions of right living.

1 Corinthians 10:30-31 states the following: “But if I partake with thanks, why am I evil spoken of for the food over which I give thanks?   Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”   Can it be to the glory of God to inhale smoke with all of the health problems associated with it (to be covered later) and set a good example of Christian behaviour by breathing smoke over those close by?   In verse 32 we read: “Give no offence, either to the Jews or to the Greeks or to the church of God”, and there is no doubt that many would be offended in the world, let alone Church members.

On the website of the American Heart Association in an article entitled “Why is it so hard to quit?”, the following comments are made: “It’s hard to tackle the physical addiction to nicotine. Cigarettes contain nicotine, a highly addictive substance found naturally in tobacco.  It travels quickly to the brain when it is inhaled and can cause a feeling of temporary relaxation and/or stress relief. Nicotine can also elevate your mood and your heart rate. But this feeling is only temporary. After your body rids itself of the drug, you start to crave another cigarette.  Shortly after you finish smoking a cigarette, your body starts to show signs of withdrawal. You start to crave another cigarette to overcome these symptoms, starting a vicious cycle of dependency.”

Based on the above comments about addiction, Romans 6:16 ought to be taken very seriously: “Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?”   It can be very difficult to give up smoking as many find out when attempting to do so and it can enslave those who have this habit.   It can lead to lust for more of the same and thus it is breaking the 10th Commandment.   In Romans 6:12 we read: “Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts.”

Over the years there have been a few Church of God members who have smoked, even after baptism.   They know that it is wrong but the addictive nature of smoking can cause them great difficulty in giving up the habit.  In Romans 14:23 we read: “But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because he does not eat from faith; for whatever is not from faith is sin.”   By knowing that something is wrong but doing nothing about it, or trying to give up the habit and not succeeding, is sin.

The following quote is from Wikipedia: “A smoking ban in England, making it illegal to smoke in all enclosed work places in England, came into force on 1 July 2007 as a consequence of the Health Act 2006. Similar bans had already been introduced by the rest of the United Kingdom before this — Scotland on 26 March 2006, Wales on 2 April 2007 and Northern Ireland on 30 April 2007.” This all came about because of the serious health risks associated with smoking.

The health risks of smoking are many.   Smoking is one of the biggest causes of death and illness in the UK.   From the nhs.uk website is the following information:

“Every year around 100,000 people in the UK die from smoking, with many more living with debilitating smoking-related illnesses.  Smoking increases your risk of developing more than 50 serious health conditions. Some may be fatal and others can cause irreversible long-term damage to your health.

“Smoking causes about 90% of lung cancers. It also causes cancer in many other parts of the body, including the mouth, lips, throat, voice box (larynx), the oesophagus (the tube between your mouth and stomach), the bladder, kidney, liver, stomach and pancreas.  Smoking damages your heart and your blood circulation, increasing your risk of developing conditions such as coronary heart disease, heart attack, stroke, peripheral vascular disease (damaged blood vessels) and cerebrovascular disease (damaged arteries that supply blood to your brain).

“Smoking also damages your lungs, leading to conditions such as: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which incorporates bronchitis and emphysema and pneumonia.”

Reading all of those health risks, it is a wonder that anyone smokes at all, particularly a few Church members who have had this habit over the years.   But as this same website observes: “You can become ill if you smoke yourself or through other people’s smoke (passive smoking).   Second hand smoke comes from the tip of a lit cigarette and the smoke that the smoker breathes out. Breathing in second hand smoke – also known as passive smoking – increases your risk of getting the same health conditions as smokers. For example, breathing in second hand smoke increases a non-smoker’s risk of developing lung cancer by about a quarter.”

Those comments bring us on to further biblical principles that we should take seriously in all areas of our lives. This would certainly include those who smoke and here are the verses that talk about it:

In Mark 12:28-31 we read Jesus Christ’s reply to a question from a scribe:

“Then one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, perceiving that He had answered them well, asked Him, ‘Which is the first commandment of all?’ Jesus answered him, ‘The first of all the commandments is: “Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is one.  And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.” This is the first commandment.  And the second, like it, is this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” There is no other commandment greater than these.’”

We are told to love our neighbour and that is certainly not accomplished by smoking in the presence of others who may have personal health difficulties with cigarette smoke, whilst others may resent the smell of smoke on their own clothes even though they may be a non-smoker themselves.   Such action by a smoker is not looking to the best interests of others – just satisfying their own addiction to something that is a serious health hazard.   We read in other verses how we should have care and consideration for others as part of our Christian Way of Life.

These comments are directed to those self-centered individuals who smoke and who thereby violate God’s command of love towards themselves and their neighbours. When it comes to passive smoking, those who are potentially affected should try to do the best they can, within reason, to avoid becoming victims of second-hand smoking. We realize, of course, that this is not always entirely possible—for instance, when they are in a work environment where people may smoke or when they find themselves in other unavoidable situations, but they can always pray to God to give them wisdom and protection from physical harm.

In brief summary, there are enough principles to lead us to the conclusion that smoking is a sin and must not be a habit of any Church member and that it is also addictive and has numerous health risks both to the smoker and those who, in their company, become passive smokers.   We should be well aware of the effect that it can have on others both by example and by potential health risks even to non-smokers.   As a side issue, it is a waste of good money which could be spent more usefully elsewhere.

We are to follow the example of Jesus Christ and, based on the evidence of Scripture, He would not have smoked if cigarettes, cigars or pipes had been available in His day; nor would He have chewed tobacco.   That, together with all of the evidence in this Q&A, should be more than good enough to teach us that smoking is wrong and a sin. For further information, please view Norbert Link’s recent sermon, “What Does the Bible Say About Smoking?” 

Lead Writer: Brian Gale (United Kingdom)

In a previous Q&A, the question about whether Satan can influence us when we are asleep was answered.  It was proved that God would not allow His people to be subjected to such a situation.

And so, the next question to ask may be: “Where do our dreams come from?”

On the website: https://www.realsimple.com/health/mind-mood/dreams/facts-about-dreams/what-are-dreams we read about the process of dreaming:

“What Is a Dream, Anyway?

“A dream is a collection of images and ideas that occur involuntarily during certain periods of repose. When you first drift off, your heart rate slows, your temperature drops, and your brain is busy processing the day’s events. During this initial sleep stage, dreams are made up of flashes of thoughts and images from your waking life: what you ate for lunch, a phone call you made during the day, the movie you watched before bed. You rarely remember these dreams unless you wake up during them.

“After about 90 minutes, you fall into the rapid eye movement (REM) stage of sleep, where vivid, often surreal dreams occur. The amygdala, the area of the brain responsible for processing emotions, and the hippocampus, the seat of memory, are both active, which is why REM dreams have a story like quality and are the ones you tend to remember the next day and recount to friends. If you get six to eight hours of sleep, you experience four to five REM periods of various lengths, all of which are dream filled (though you probably won’t remember most of them).”

The article then goes on to say that “they help you understand new experiences, prepare you for change, help you cope with trauma or loss and can facilitate learning.”

Most, if not all of us, can attest to the fact that we do dream, and regularly.  We have learned that God will not allow His people to be tested and tempted when we are asleep – a time when they are not in a position to defend their minds.  But that should not put us in a position where we don’t pray for the protection of our minds whilst we are asleep!

As we read above, our dreams are a combination of what is in our mind following experiences of the day, and of our lives so far. Before we were converted, we may have developed bad habits that have subsequently been difficult to dislodge but we understand that all of these have been recorded by our brain and are part of who and what we are.   Our thoughts, pre-conversion and post conversion, can have a dramatic effect on what happens in our minds when we are in the subconscious state of sleep.

In “Understanding Your Subconscious Mind,” Brian Tracy states: “Your subconscious mind is like a huge memory bank. Its capacity is virtually unlimited. It permanently stores everything that ever happens to you.

“By the time you reach the age of 21, you’ve already permanently stored more than one hundred times the contents of the entire Encyclopedia Britannica.

“Your unconscious memory is virtually perfect. It is your conscious recall that is suspect.

“The function of your subconscious mind is to store and retrieve data. Its job is to ensure that you respond exactly the way you are programmed. Your subconscious mind makes everything you say and do fit a pattern consistent with your self-concept, your ‘master program.’

“Your subconscious mind is subjective. It does not think or reason independently; it merely obeys the commands it receives from your conscious mind. Just as your conscious mind can be thought of as the gardener, planting seeds, your subconscious mind can be thought of as the garden, or fertile soil, in which the seeds germinate and grow.  Your conscious mind commands and your subconscious mind obeys.”

One well-known speaker, Jim Rohn, said: “Our thoughts shape our reality.  Our thoughts shape our beliefs.  Our thoughts decide whether we feel happy or sad, calm or anxious, content or unfulfilled.  So we must exercise caution towards what we allow to enter the door of our minds because it affects our thoughts.  And our thoughts are the engine that starts everything – and we do have a choice.”

We mustn’t become complacent just because Satan can’t attack us when we are asleep.  Put simply, for the purpose of this Q&A, we have to be careful about our thoughts.   Whatever we think about and allow into our minds can surface in dreams at a later time.

We read in 1 Peter 1:13-14 in the NIV translation: “Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming.  As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance.”

We should regularly pray for the protection of our minds whilst we are asleep. Satan may not be able to affect us at this time but the way we live our lives, and what we say and do, can certainly impact on what we dream about. We are warned in Ephesians 4:26-27 that we should not let the sun go down on our wrath and not to go to bed with an angry attitude, nor give place to the devil. Satan cannot directly influence us when we sleep, but evil and bad thoughts, which were recorded by the brain, may lead to unpleasant dreams.

In Isaiah 26:3 we read that: “You (God) will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You.”

In the first two verses of the chapter we read about safety which is the result of faith in God, and it reflects on the mindset of those who are focused on God through trust in Him. One writer, Oswald Chambers, penned these words when speaking about the subject of our minds being stayed on God:

“Your mind is the greatest gift God has given you and it ought to be devoted entirely to Him.  You should seek to be ‘bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ…’ (2 Corinthians 10:5). This will be one of the greatest assets of your faith when a time of trial comes, because then your faith and the Spirit of God will work together.”

One good comparison would be with our computers   There are many versions of different anti-virus protection which can protect our computer and all of our information.   If we didn’t take steps to protect our information, we could be open to hackers who could do serious damage.   Satan and his demons work in a similar way.   They will do everything they can, particularly to members of the true Church of God, to influence and affect us in a way that will dent our chances of making it into the Kingdom of God.   As we need protection for our computers, we need protection for our minds from the evil forces that do anything they can to derail us.   And our protection can only come from God.   He will help us to be careful what we let into our minds which can adversely affect us and it is essential that we don’t just carelessly allow wrong thoughts and ideas into our minds which can then surface in any dreams that we may have.

We have to be fully aware at all times about our carnal mind and nature: “Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be” (Romans 8:7).   Later, in the same letter, we read: “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God” (Romans 12:2).   We must not be part of this society and its ways, and our minds are an integral part of our Godly Way of Life.

In 1 Corinthians 2:6-16 the apostle Paul discusses spiritual wisdom, showing that the “natural man does not receive the things of God.”   Verse 16 should apply to us: “‘For who has known the mind of the LORD that he may instruct Him?’  But we have the mind of Christ.”   With the mind of Christ, we will only let good and wholesome thoughts into our minds and, if and when these are included in our dreams, we can be assured that our dreams will not distress us or cause us any spiritual concerns.   However, probably all of us are still working on our relationship with God and have yet to arrive at the place where we should be and, therefore, any wrong thoughts could easily become part of our dreams; in addition, our brain has stored memories and thoughts which might have happened a long time ago, but which might come to the surface now.  That is why we do need to ask for the protection of our minds when we are asleep.

We are instructed not to be involved with those with a wrong attitude and approach: “If anyone teaches otherwise and does not consent to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which accords with godliness, he is proud, knowing nothing, but is obsessed with disputes and arguments over words, from which come envy, strife, reviling, evil suspicions, useless wranglings of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain. From such withdraw yourself” (1 Timothy 6:3-5).

In 2 Timothy 1:13-14 (New RSV) we read: “Hold to the standard of sound teaching that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. Guard the good treasure entrusted to you, with the help of the Holy Spirit living in us.”  We have to guard the truth given to us with help from the Holy Spirit and have to have the mind of Christ as it states in Philippians 2:5: “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.”   That is the mind that we need, and must have.

In Ephesians 4:17 we read: “This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind.”   We are not to have that approach and a few verses later in the New Living Translation of verses 22-23, we read: “… throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception.  Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes.”

That’s the key – to let the Holy Spirit of God help us in all things and in renewing our thoughts and attitudes. Then, our minds will be protected when we are sleeping. This is the only way to live!

We read in Romans 8:5-6:  “For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.”   This clearly shows the difference of mindset and the direction in which we must go.

How we live, what we think, say and do, and what we allow into our minds will reveal to God how seriously we take our calling.   Keeping our minds on the things of God and not of this world will enable us to live a life pleasing to our great God.

We know that Joel 2:28-29 gives us a view of times to come: “And it shall come to pass afterward That I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your old men shall dream dreams, Your young men shall see visions.  And also on My menservants and, on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days.”   However, that time is yet to come when dreams will mean something.

But for now, as we haven’t yet achieved perfection, there will be some failings along the way, but asking God in prayer to protect our minds while we are asleep will continue to be necessary.   Satan and his demons are not allowed to influence us when we are sleeping. However, let us not cause problems for ourselves by giving way to wrong thoughts and actions that could be reflected in our dreams.

Lead Writer: Brian Gale (United Kingdom)

First of all, it would be helpful to define what “unequally yoked” means.

A yoke was a wooden beam cross the shoulders of two animals, usually oxen or horses, which harnessed them to do some task better together than they could have attempted singly. The success of the operation, however, depended on the compatibility or suitability of the two animals to each other. As it says in Deuteronomy 22:10: “You shall not plow with an ox and a donkey.”

Why? The differences in the internal temperaments and energies of the animals, and their external structures and sizes, as well as the fact that an ox does not tolerate the smell and breath of a donkey, would mean that the work would not be done very well, if it was done at all. The animals could well pull in different ways as well as in different directions. The yoke would become an irritation and a pain, a hindrance to each one instead of a help to both of them. Unnatural combinations lead to confusion and discord as does compromise with the world.  Apply these principles spiritually and we will quite clearly see the problems.

There are many examples in both the Old Testament and the New Testament about this principle.   Let us review some of these.

In Deuteronomy 7:3-6, we read: “Nor shall you make marriages with them. You shall not give your daughter to their son, nor take their daughter for your son.  For they will turn your sons away from following Me, to serve other gods; so the anger of the LORD will be aroused against you and destroy you suddenly. But thus you shall deal with them: you shall destroy their altars, and break down their sacred pillars, and cut down their wooden images, and burn their carved images with fire.  For you are a holy people to the LORD your God; the LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth.”

It is abundantly clear that God didn’t want them to become involved with paganism – they were a holy people.   To intermarry with them was therefore unlawful.   Today, we are holy to God and completely different from the society around us as well as being completely different to the many denominations of mainstream Christianity who have absorbed so many pagan customs.   This is a principle that we must not try and work our way around.

Matthew Henry’s Commentary states the following:

“This very thing – talking about mixed marriages had proved of fatal consequence to the old world and thousands in the world that now is[,] have been undone by irreligious ungodly marriages; for there is more ground of fear in mixed marriages that the good will be perverted than of hope that the bad will be converted.”

Further examples can be reviewed in Joshua 23:13 and 1 Kings 11:1-10 where the wisest man who ever lived, apart from Christ, fell into the same trap.   The marriages could well have been mostly political unions and this meant that Solomon tolerated and provided for the religions of his foreign wives.  Those of us with much less wisdom have to be even more careful.   Also please note Ezra 9:1-2; 10:10; Nehemiah 13:23-27.

Invariably, the bad nearly always superimposes itself over the good – that is just the way that it is.   How many brethren have we known who simply have had a problem attending the Feast because of an unconverted and difficult spouse?   Over the years, there have been so many difficult situations because God’s instructions have either been ignored or circumnavigated.

If we have been called and chosen, we should not let such things stand in the way of serving the living God who has called us.   Either God comes first or He doesn’t.   Of course, many members have been called after they were married, but the issue that we are addressing in this Q&A is about God’s people intending to marry outside the faith.

There are enough Old Testament examples to clearly show the dangers of marriage which do not conform to biblical instruction.   In Proverbs 3:5 we read: “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding” and 1 Corinthians 10:11, the apostle Paul wrote: “Now all of these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition…”

Amos 3:3 gives us sound advice: “Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?”  This applies in any walk of life but surely none more so than in marriage.

2 Corinthians 6:14-18 is very clear:  “Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?  And what accord has Christ with Belial?   Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever?  And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God.  As God has said: ‘I will dwell in them And walk among them. I will be their God, And they shall be My people.’  Therefore ‘Come out from among them And be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you.’  ‘I will be a Father to you, And you shall be My sons and daughters, Says the LORD Almighty.’”

The New Bible Commentary states: “The apostle strongly exhorts Christians not to mix with unbelievers in the sense of sharing their lives.   Marriage is, of course, the supreme way of sharing in the life of another.   God dwells in the hearts and lives of believers, and God has no fellowship with Satan.   Therefore, believers cannot tolerate companionship with unbelievers in their distinctive activities.”

To be separate is to be different and to live in this world’s society means that a true Christian must have different standards of behavior. The reasons for not entering into an unequal yoke has to do with differences which exist between believers and unbelievers.    Note that these differences actually, and already, exist.   Many who have taken on an unequal yoke have eventually and tragically found out how opposite they are.   So many have also found that the wrong end of a yoke had distorted the right end, and whatever compromise had been reached is well below what would have been anticipated at the start.

It is always easier to be dragged down than to pull up!   To be unequally yoked can, for those Christians who are not too strong in the faith, be a real trial particularly when married to a strong-willed non-baptised spouse.   It can lead to spiritual shipwreck if the member is not very careful.   But why would anyone want to put themselves in that position anyway?   Isn’t our calling the most important thing in the world to us? If it isn’t, then it should be and nothing should divert us from the true path to which we have been called.

In 1 Corinthians 7:12-13 we read about an existing marriage: “But to the rest I, not the Lord, say: If any brother has a wife who does not believe, and she is willing to live with him, let him not divorce her.  And a woman who has a husband who does not believe, if he is willing to live with her, let her not divorce him.”

However, what we are addressing in this Q&A is those who are baptised and are contemplating marriage, not those who are already married.

But those who are looking for a loophole can debate the definition of a believer which, biblically, is quite clear cut.   This can be a good opt-out clause.   If the definition of a believer can be re-constituted according to personal requirements, then the Scriptures can be made to fit in with those who may have a vested interest in this matter. We have to live by every Word of God.

A Christian is someone who has repented of their sins, accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Saviour, has been baptized and received the Holy Spirit and who lives an obedient Godly life, growing and overcoming as they strive to make it into God’s Kingdom.   We can surely see that the way of life that true Christians are to follow is a narrow and difficult way that needs faith.  God is only calling a few now and we should only marry those of the faith so that we don’t become unequally yoked. Let us be honest with Scripture about who is and isn’t a believer which must always be based on biblical evidence, irrespective of vested personal interests or circumstances.

What are the fruits of being unequally yoked?    Marriage is something that even two baptised members have to work hard at to make it a success and this is with two people who have committed themselves to true Christianity.   But consider that where there are “two minds” – a converted one and an unconverted one – further problems are bound to ensue.   Problems are things that we should be trying to eliminate, if possible, before they even arise!

In 1 Corinthians 7:39 we read: “A wife is bound by law as long as her husband lives; but if her husband dies, she is at liberty to be married to whom she wishes, only in the Lord.”

A marriage “in the Lord” means a marriage between two believers. This is the universally accepted understanding by virtually all biblical scholars.  The New Bible Commentary observes that “The command to marry only within God’s redeemed community was to be maintained throughout the Old and New Testaments.”

In our Q&A, “Is it a Biblical obligation or merely a Church tradition that God’s ministry officiate during a wedding or burial of Church members?” we stated the following:

“Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 6:14-17 that we are not to be unequally yoked with unbelievers. Therefore, the ministry of the Church of the Eternal God in the USA, the Global Church of God in England, and the Church of God, a Christian Fellowship in Canada, will only officiate over a marriage between a man and woman, if both are baptized in the faith, and have received God’s Spirit.”

Surely this is clear enough that marriage should only be to other believers.  Of course, the lack of availability of a suitable mate in the true Church of God today can be seen as a problem.   Those who are single, male or female, and who may want to get married (not every single does want to marry) must ask themselves if they would make a good husband or wife if the situation arose.   Would they be a good catch?   Or are they too set in their ways to make all the necessary adjustments that are necessary when getting married?

We must be very, very careful that we don’t fall into the trap of trying to say that what Paul said was just an instruction for that time, some 2,000 years ago, and was fine for then but not for today.   That is the way of the world where people can “pick and mix” those bits that seem convenient whilst ignoring the inconvenient bits.   Such an approach allows the culture of the day to become more important than God’s clear instructions!   As we read, ALL Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16).

It has been said that some marriages with a baptised member and someone who is not interested in the Church can be as good, and in some cases better, than a marriage between two baptised members.   In a small number of cases that may be true, but because we can come up with an exception here or there doesn’t negate clear biblical teaching on this matter.   That actually can be faulty reasoning to justify a wrong and inappropriate action.

It’s not what we think that’s important, it’s what God instructs which is always for our benefit and ultimate good.   We are to judge by the fruits and a marriage with a member and a non-member can cause considerable problems, not only for themselves but also for their children who can be pulled in two conflicting directions.   Anyone who wants to marry an unbaptised person cannot expect that God will convert their spouse. Of course, it might happen on occasion, due to God’s unmerited grace and mercy, as the unconverted mate is “sanctified” by God through the believing mate, making it possible for the unbeliever to have access to God, but invariably he or she does not take advantage of the privilege, and there is absolutely no biblical evidence and no biblical promise to say that it will happen.

We must always believe what the Bible instructs.   We can’t agree with everything in the Bible and exclude that one thing that impacts adversely on our lives, that one thing that we wished wasn’t there!  There may be those around who, through personal circumstances, have become unequally yoked but consider their understanding of the verses we have examined in this Q&A to be somewhat at variance with what Scripture clearly reveals. Whatever the Scripture says, let us be obedient to it and not use human reasoning to try and get around that which is clearly revealed.   A baptised member should only marry another baptised member.

This same principle can also apply to business relationships.   One commentator stated the following:

“The ‘unequal yoke’ is often applied to business relationships. For a Christian to enter into a partnership with an unbeliever is to court disaster. Unbelievers have opposite worldviews and morals, and business decisions made daily will reflect the worldview of one partner or the other. For the relationship [better: business partnership] to work, one or the other must abandon his moral centre and move toward that of the other. More often than not, it is the believer who finds himself pressured to leave his Christian principles behind for the sake of profit and the growth of the business.  Of course, the closest alliance one person can have with another is found in marriage, and this is how the passage is usually interpreted.”

There have been some instances where this biblical injunction has been ignored either in marriage (which we have largely covered in this Q&A) or in business by members, but because there have been some exceptions where it might have worked out, does not mean that these rare instances invalidate God’s instruction.

There is another way of understanding God’s prohibition to be unequally yoked. In our Q&A, “Would you please explain how we should apply Romans 16:17-18?” we stated:

“Paul’s message to the Corinthians regarding their affiliations left little room for compromising: ‘Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever?” (2 Corinthians 6:14-15). People who do not continue in the truth of God are in grave danger of falling back into the world—the society whose god is Satan (compare 2 Peter 2). Their light will fade into darkness, and they will become an unbeliever.

“This is why we have such strong warnings against fellowshipping with dissident individuals. In his day, Paul had to contend with those who rejected the leadership of Christ—as we do in our time: ‘Brethren, join in following my example, and note those who so walk, as you have us for a pattern. For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame–who set their mind on earthly things” (Philippians 3:17-19).

“[Those] who are blatantly rebellious and full of resentment and accusations, must be avoided. Understand that these attitudes are often masked by deceptive representations in order to justify themselves.”

In conclusion, we are instructed not to be unequally yoked and that should be good enough for the people of God.

Lead Writer: Brian Gale (United Kingdom)