The different sides of Paul

As I read 2 Corinthians 6 today, I was struck by how much Paul and his friends had to endure for the sake of following Christ. Poor, shipwrecked, humiliated, alone, discouraged- all emotions that come with the territory of trying to follow Jesus (and more so in a church setting!) and yet Paul perseveres and clings onto his relationship with Jesus. Chapters 5 and 6 are tough to reconcile, at least for me and looking at a surface level. In chapter 5, Paul talks about his plea for all to be reconciled what Jesus did on the cross. He talks about the possibility of the newness of life that is offered- the 180 degree turn of living life your way to living life God’s way. In fact, again at a surface level and without any real study, Paul appears very inclusive with his language- using ‘all’ four times (one to refer to judgment, and 3 times to refer to Christ’s work on the cross), ‘they’ or ‘their’ three times (with one reference to not having their trespasses counted against them- does the they refer to the ‘all’ or some other sub-group?), and also mentions ‘the world’ one time (again in context of reconciliation and in connection with their, raising the previous question)? At a minimum (and again, without any study), Paul’s language appears to be at least inclusive, open, and welcoming. Christ died for and all are to be welcomed.

The tenor of chapter 6 is very different though as Paul instructs the letter’s readers on maintaining their separation from unbelievers. Verse 14 is the infamous “do not be bound together”- we typically translate this yoke and it is often used in relationships and pre-marital contexts to counsel people (most often students) from marrying or dating someone that is not a follower of Christ (most certainly good advice but, again on the surface, Paul appears to be talking about something more or different then just marital relationships). Perhaps Paul has in mind the idea of a yoke as a teaching- a rabbinical yoke similar to the way Jesus would have used the imagery. In that case, the teaching may make more sense. We are following Jesus, who yoke is this, and there are others yokes who teach something completely different. Again, Paul’s openness in chapter 5 seems not compromise the way that we are to live (and/or the yoke that we are to follow) that he advances in chapter 6. What that yoke exactly is, though, continues to be lived out and debated in all kinds of circles.