John Calvin Commentary 2 Corinthians 6:14

"Be not unequally yoked with unbelievers: for what fellowship have righteousness and iniquity? or what communion hath light with darkness?" — 2 Corinthians 6:14 (ASV)

Be not yoked. As if regaining his authority, he now reproves them more freely because they associated with unbelievers, as partakers with them in outward idolatry. For he has exhorted them to show themselves docile to him as to a father; he now, in accordance with the rights that belong to him, reproves the fault into which they had fallen.

Now, we mentioned in the previous letter what this fault was. For, as they imagined that nothing was unlawful for them in outward things, they defiled themselves with wicked superstitions without any reserve. In frequenting the banquets of unbelievers, they participated with them in profane and impure rites; and while they sinned grievously, they nevertheless thought themselves innocent.

For this reason, Paul denounces outward idolatry here and exhorts Christians to keep separate from it and have no connection with it. He begins, however, with a general statement, intending to move from that to a particular instance. For to be yoked with unbelievers means nothing less than to have fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness (Ephesians 5:11) and to extend the hand to them as a sign of agreement.

Many believe that he speaks of marriage, but the context clearly shows that they are mistaken. The word Paul uses means to be connected together in drawing the same yoke. It is a metaphor taken from oxen or horses, which must walk at the same pace and work together on the same task when fastened under one yoke.

Therefore, when he prohibits us from partnering with unbelievers in drawing the same yoke, he simply means this: we should have no fellowship with them in their pollutions.

For one sun shines on us, we eat the same bread, we breathe the same air, and we cannot altogether refrain from interaction with them; but Paul speaks of the yoke of impiety, that is, of participation in works in which Christians cannot lawfully have fellowship.

On this principle, marriage will also be prohibited, since it is a snare by which both men and women are entangled in an agreement with impiety. But what I mean is simply this: Paul’s doctrine is too general in nature to be restricted to marriage exclusively, for he is speaking here about shunning idolatry, which is also why we are prohibited from contracting marriages with the wicked.

For what fellowship. He confirms his exhortation on the basis that it is an absurd and, so to speak, monstrous joining together of things that are in themselves very different, for these things can no more coalesce than fire and water.

In short, it comes to this: unless they want everything thrown into confusion, they must refrain from the pollutions of the wicked.

From this, we also infer that even those who do not in their hearts approve of superstitions are, nevertheless, polluted by dissimulation if they do not openly and ingenuously keep separate from them.