Saturday, 5 September 2015
And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? 2 Corinthians 6:15
In this verse, Paul will continue with his five rhetorical questions which are based on the statement, “Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers.” The first question here contains the argument he is making by asking, “And what accord has Christ with Belial?” The second will support the conclusion by asking, “Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever?”
In the first, he uses the term “Belial” and asks what accord Christ has with Belial. The answer is obviously, “None.” There can be no true accord when one in Christ is yoked to one in Belial. The word for “accord” is sumphónésis. It is a word unique to the New Testament and by simply speaking it one can determine that it implies “harmony.” It is the noun form of a verb which is found six times in the New Testament, and it is the root of where our word “symphony” comes from. There can be no harmony between the two. Rather, there can only be discord.
This proper name, Belial (in Greek, Beliar), is not found anywhere else in Scripture. However, Belial is used in the Old Testament as a combination of two words which together mean “without profit” and thus “worthless.” There are several possible reasons for the name being given as Beliar. The first is that the change from an l to an r is based on the Syriac pronunciation of the word where the “l” sounded more like an “r.” Another reason is that the word is derived from Belyar, Lord of the forest. It would then be a synonym for Satan.
The second option seems more likely because the premise of the Bible is that we are either “in Christ” or we belong to the devil. There is no other position that we can be in as human beings. Either way, there can be no harmony between Christ and such a foe.
Paul’s second question is, “Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever?” The answer is that one has no part with the other. The word “part” indicates the division of a country or an estate. But what belongs to Christ will not be apportioned out to those who don’t believe in Him. The unregenerate have their part in this world and then eternal doom. Those who have called on Christ have a heavenly inheritance. Therefore, the two have no part with one another.
Life application: Paul’s questions continue to put the spotlight on our associations. He is asking us to consider our position in Christ and then to evaluate those associations based on that state. If we are to become yoked to someone who has a different set of priorities and allegiances, then there can be no true harmony with them. They will be working towards one goal while we should be working towards another.
Gracious God, You sent Christ the Lord to purchase Your redeemed back from the power of the devil. Why would we want to align ourselves again with others who have not yet called on Christ and who still serve that wicked god of this world? Help Your people to make wise choices concerning their associations and to not become unequally yoked to non-believers in matters of great importance. Instead, help us to keep our allegiance to Christ pure and undefiled. Amen.