Abstract
The exhortation found in 2 Corinthians 6:14 “not to be yoked together with unbelievers” has been interpreted and applied differently by Christians. Some Christians try to hide from the realities of everyday life in a kind of escapism and religious isolation, while others compromise by trying to accommodate the societies’ demands and current trends in all kinds of worldly religious practices. These extreme positions cause Christians to be without any influence in the world. The primary aim of the article is to show how believers in New Testament times handled the situation when they were yoked together with un- believers. In order to propose Scriptural guidelines for contem- porary believers, the focus will be on the example of the apostles while the teaching of Paul to the slaves and of Peter to the aliens in this world will also be discussed. Some other New Testament perspectives are touched upon, inter alia the kind of authority to be obeyed and teaching on the responsibilities and attitude of believers. After the discussion of each part, pointers will be suggested. In conclusion, guidelines towards a Christian lifestyle within a secular context will be proposed.
Highlights
Contemporary Christians find themselves living in a postmodern context where they are increasingly confronted with people holding different views
Some scientists and even Nobel prize-winning physicists openly state that they prefer to restrict their field of view to that which can be observed and verified, subsequently excluding most matters of faith (Yancey, 2003:2-3)
As the purpose of this article is to propose guidelines from the New Testament on how Christians should act and live within a contemporary context of unbelief, it is important to clarify the concepts of believer and unbeliever in New Testament terms
Summary
Contemporary Christians find themselves living in a postmodern context where they are increasingly confronted with people holding different views. In addition to the pressure Christians experience to live out their faith in the postmodern environment, they are confronted with the Biblical teaching in the passage of 2 Corinthians 6:14 – “do not be yoked together with unbelievers” – which can give the impression that they should avoid contact with unbelievers. As this passage clearly sheds light on the relationship between believers and unbelievers, it is imperative that believers, in order to obey God, should understand what kind of conduct is forbidden (Jordaan, 1999:469). New Testament teachings on the responsibility of Christians in the world and the desired attitudes and responses of believers in an environment of mostly unbelievers will be investigated
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