“MOENIE MET ONGELOWIGES IN DIESELFDE JUK TREK NIE” - RESPONS: J A Loubser, NG Kerk Tamboerskloof, Kaapstad

• B C Lategan Stellenbosch University

DOI: https://doi.org/10.7833/12-0-2021

Keywords: 2 Cor 6, 14-7, 1, Paul, Unbelievers, Christian faith

Abstract

DO NOT BE YOKED TOGETHER WITH UNBELIEVERS …An exegetical analysis of 2 Cor 6:14-7:1 reveals that in this periscope Paul is writing about relations within the community of faith.  He is not talking about the believer’s position with regard to the state or his participation in the processes of government, as is sometimes implied.  But this still does not solve the problem of the believer’s relationship with the (unbelieving) world.  This problem always becomes acute in a situation of rapid social and political change.  The transition of the Christian faith from a Palestinian to a Graeco-Roman setting in the first few decades of the church’s history provides us with some revealing insights.  In this process Paul is a key figure.  On the one hand he has a very clear concept of the basic content of the gospel.  On the other hand he reveals a remarkable suppleness when interpreting the meaning of faith in unfamiliar situations.  Instead of merely preserving tradition or avoiding contact with the world, Paul uses tradition creatively and with imagination to explain the essence of the gospel to a different audience in a new setting.  Some of the implications of this approach for the church in a South African context are discussed in a concluding section.