Unequally Yoked With Unbelievers?

We read in Nehemiah 13 of how he finds Jews married to non-jews. This is after the reforms, rebuiding of the wall and consecration of themselves to God. Nehemiah, in fine pastoral form "confronted them and cursed them and beat some of them and pulled out their hair."

Exodus 34:12-16 makes it clear that this law from God is because of religious reasons, not racial. Examples such as Rahab & Ruth also show us that foreigners converted to the worship of God were accepted by God.

The New Testament re-affirms that we Christians ought not to marry non Christians on Christ-centered grounds! Paul's words in 2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1 are passionate and strong:

Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said,
“I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them,
and I will be their God,
and they shall be my people.
Therefore go out from their midst,
and be separate from them, says the Lord,
and touch no unclean thing;
then I will welcome you,
and I will be a father to you,
and you shall be sons and daughters to me,
says the Lord Almighty.”
Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God.
(2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1 ESV)


I hear of more and more people who were once passionate about Jesus, the Bible and Christian living; who were once living testimonies of grace, yet who have forsaken this Biblical principal of being sanctified or holy in their relationships. Giving up, or deceived in their thinking that it's ok!
Our Pastors & Ministers may not follow Nehemiah's example, but perhaps the zeal & wrath of Christ in cleansing the temple (John 2:14-17) is a worrying example of His zeal & wrath over the temple of the Holy Spirit - You!