Christian Basics Bible - Flipbook - Page 39
page 1329 • 2 Corinthians 7
we are still alive. We have been beaten, but
we have not been killed. 10 Our hearts ache,
but we always have joy. We are poor, but
we give spiritual riches to others. We own
nothing, and yet we have everything.
11
Oh, dear Corinthian friends! We have
spoken honestly with you, and our hearts are
open to you. 12 There is no lack of love on our
part, but you have withheld your love from
us. 13I am asking you to respond as if you were
my own children. Open your hearts to us!
The Temple of the Living God
14
Don’t team up with those who are unbelievers. How can righteousness be a
partner with wickedness? How can light
live with darkness? 15 What harmony can
there be between Christ and the devil*?
How can a believer be a partner with an
unbeliever? 16 And what union can there be
between God’s temple and idols? For we are
the temple of the living God. As God said:
17
“I will live in them
and walk among them.
I will be their God,
and they will be my people.*
Therefore, come out from among
unbelievers,
and separate yourselves from them,
says the Lord.
18
Don’t touch their filthy things,
and I will welcome you.*
And I will be your Father,
and you will be my sons and
daughters,
says the Lord Almighty.*”
7
Because we have these promises, dear
friends, let us cleanse ourselves from
everything that can defile our body or spirit.
And let us work toward complete holiness
because we fear God.
2
Please open your hearts to us. We have
not done wrong to anyone, nor led anyone
astray, nor taken advantage of anyone. 3 I’m
not saying this to condemn you. I said before
that you are in our hearts, and we live or die
together with you. 4 I have the highest confidence in you, and I take great pride in you.
You have greatly encouraged me and made
me happy despite all our troubles.
Paul’s Joy at the Church’s Repentance
When we arrived in Macedonia, there was
no rest for us. We faced conflict from every
direction, with battles on the outside and
5
5:14a Or urges us on.
5:14b Greek Since one died for all, then all
died.
5:21 Or to become sin itself.
6:1 Or As we work together.
6:2 Isa 49:8 (Greek version). 6:6 Or by our holiness of spirit.
6:15 Greek Beliar; various other manuscripts render this proper
name of the devil as Belian, Beliab, or Belial.
6:16 Lev 26:12; Ezek
37:27.
6:17 Isa 52:11; Ezek 20:34 (Greek version). 6:18 2 Sam 7:14.
Can a Christian marry a non-Christian?
Finding a spouse is one of life’s biggest issues. But alongside natural longings,
Christians can often experience pressure from friends or family members who
steer them toward marriage with a non-Christian. The Bible, however, forbids
this. If you are a committed Christian, your relationship with Jesus is the most
fundamental aspect of life; marrying a non-Christian excludes this from the
marriage—hardly a good basis for a happy life. While Paul said that someone who
became a Christian should not divorce their unbelieving spouse but pray for them
to be saved (1 Corinthians 7:12-16), this is wholly different from choosing to marry
an unbeliever. To do this—even with evangelistic intentions—is to disobey God.
The one criterion governing a Christian’s choice of spouse is that he or she must
love the Lord (1 Corinthians 7:39), and we are commanded, “Don’t team up with
those who are unbelievers” (2 Corinthians 6:14). Just before the Israelites entered
the Promised Land, where they would encounter peoples of many beliefs, Moses
said, “Do not let your daughters and sons marry their sons and daughters, for
they will lead your children away from me to worship other gods” (Deuteronomy
7:3-4). The wise Christian therefore resolves that marrying a non-Christian is not
an option and trusts God to provide the right partner.
See also Does marriage still matter to God?, page 976.
