@lipsinging_jaron.lyle: I’m tired of hearing biblical APPLICATION preached as though it were biblical TEXT. “Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers.” — 2 Corinthians 6:14 But here’s the problem: Paul never mentions dating in that passage. He never says boyfriend, girlfriend, courtship, engagement, husband, wife, or marriage. Modern dating as we know it wasn’t even the cultural system Paul was addressing. Read what comes next. Paul contrasts righteousness with lawlessness. Light with darkness. Christ with Belial. A believer with an unbeliever. The temple of God with idols. This is fundamentally about spiritual allegiance and becoming bound together in ways that compromise your devotion to Christ. Can that principle be APPLIED to dating and marriage today? Absolutely. Should Christians seriously consider whether the person they marry shares their faith, values, direction, morality, and vision for raising a family? Absolutely. But application is not the same thing as Scripture. And when a pastor says you shouldn’t date someone who isn’t Christian because you’ll be “unequally yoked,” then responds to “but they’re really hot” with, “Yeah, so is hell,” we need to be careful. Because where exactly does Scripture say dating an unbeliever sends someone to hell? It doesn’t. Interestingly, when Paul ACTUALLY discusses a Christian married to an unbeliever in 1 Corinthians 7:12–16, he doesn’t tell them to leave. If the unbelieving spouse is willing to stay, Paul tells the believer not to divorce them. That doesn’t mean Scripture encourages Christians to marry people who reject their faith. It means the biblical conversation is more nuanced than a catchy sermon clip. Pastors can say, “Based on biblical principles, I believe Christians should only date Christians.” That’s pastoral interpretation. But don’t turn an interpretation into a command God never explicitly gave. We need to stop reading our modern culture INTO an ancient text and start reading the ancient text deeply enough to understand what it actually says. Text. Context. Interpretation. Then application. Not opinion first, Scripture second. #BiblicalContext #ReadTheBible

Jaron Lyle

Open In TikTok:

Region: US

Wednesday 07 October 2026 16:27:31 GMT