2 Corinthians 6

Interacting With Unbelievers

Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? – 2 Corinthians 6:14

It's very easy to mis-read this as "don't have anything to do with unbelievers". But that would conflict with the great commission to go out and make disciplies of all nations in Matthew 28.

The key phrase is in "unequally yoked". We can think of a yoke as a balance or a scale. If the unbeliever is tipping the balance of the believer away from faith, then that's bad.

In order to avoid that type of situation, it's important that the believer's faith is strong before exposing themselves to hardened unbelievers. Little by little as a new believer gains experience and confidence in God, they'll carry faith of greater weight and can then challenge the conviction of strong unbelievers.

Paul is telling the Corinthians to be strengthened in their faith so they can withstand such unbelievers. He doesn't want the Corinthians to turn away from their faith by being unequally yoked with unbelievers.

If a unbeliever is causing your faith to waver, run. Avoid that like the plague.