In the second letter to the Corinthians the apostle Paul uses the symbol of the yoke to remind him that the union between human beings must be between equals to be fruitful. In this biblical passage it is indicated that it is not advisable for two people of different religious beliefs to be united in marriage, since the mentality of both is hardly complementary.
Paul's message did not refer exclusively to marriage but to any bond between people of different religions.
In this way, the advice not to be unequally yoked in the Bible is a reminder that Christians (at that time Jews) should not allow themselves to be contaminated or influenced by non-Christians or infidels.
It should be remembered that the letter in which the statement "do not be unequally yoked" was addressed to the Corinthians and this community was characterized by mixed unions between Jews and Gentiles and this mixture of religious beliefs usually led to false doctrines and idolatrous practices.
A reference to effort and mutual work in unison
Technically, a yoke is an elongated piece of wood in which two oxen are joined so that both can pull a plow and till the land. In traditional agricultural activity, the yoke requires two animals with similar strength and working in unison, otherwise the plowing of the land would be uneven.
In the Catholic tradition the reference to the unequal yoke has generally been used to suggest that Catholics should not associate or marry those who profess other Christian beliefs, such as Evangelical or Protestant.
A teaching that goes beyond the religious question
If two people come together in a business project, they create a work team and both have to act in a coordinated and complementary way. If the relationship between the two is unequal in some sense, for example a cheater associated with a righteous man, it is more than likely that problems will occur between the two.
Paul's words addressed to the Corinthians incorporate a teaching that can be useful in any context, since it is not advisable to establish ties between people with conflicting interests and values.
Commonly used biblical expressions
In everyday language we continue to use concepts and expressions that originate in the Bible. If someone cries bitterly we say that they are crying like a Magdalene, if we refer to a traitor we consider him a Judas and when someone is going through a bad time in his life we affirm that he is going through a Way of the Cross.
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