Between These Two Even A Platonic Relationship Is Prohibited

2 Corinthians 6:14  Don’t become partners with those who reject God. How can you make a partnership out of right and wrong? That’s not partnership; that’s war. Is light best friends with dark?

2 Corinthians 6:15  Does Christ go strolling with the Devil? Do trust and mistrust hold hands? (Message Bible)

2 Corinthians 6:14 – Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?

2 Corinthians 6:15 – What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever?

2 Corinthians 6:16 – What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.”

2 Corinthians 6:17 – Therefore, “Come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.”

2 Corinthians 6:18 – And, “I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.”

A platonic relationship is one in which people are friends but without sexual involvement. A platonic relationship suggests friendship that is close but not very close. It’s a general kind of friendship that has boundaries.

When people declare that they are in a platonic relationship, they are suggesting that don’t read too much into it. It’s like saying, we look close but we are not that close. We are operating at a safe distance in our relationship, it’s platonic!

A good Christian will hang out with unbelievers and declare something to the effect that it is not platonic. We are just friends and nothing bad can happen. They do their evil things, I don’t participate, I just hang out with them. It is akin to saying, it’s platonic. I am safe, don’t worry about me.

When you see me with drug abusers – don’t worry. When you see me a married person with people who speak negatively about marriage and aren’t married – don’t worry. When you see me with people who do things contrary to faith – don’t worry, they just friends. They are almost saying that it’s platonic, it’s a safe relationship and not deep as you think.

The Bible today tells us that when it comes to matters of right and wrong, even a platonic relationship is prohibited. You can’t be in a platonic relationship with someone whose faith is contrary to yours. If a platonic relationship is not even an option, then marriage should not even be imagined.

The Bible uses a command language – do not be yoked! Do not be partners. Don’t befriend people whose faith is completely different from yours. It is an order that must be obeyed without discussion. This is a command – do not be yoked! No relationship like this is allowed. Not even a platonic relationship – no!

Apostle Paul wasn’t speaking about marriage or love affairs in this passage, he was addressing idolatry. He tells the Corinthians that the best way to fight idolatry is to completely avoid any relationship with those who practice idolatry. He argues that it should be impossible to find anything in common between a believer and an idol worshipper. It should be impossible to even have a platonic relationship.

This is because the entire philosophy of life is opposite and opposed to each other. In fact the Message Bible cited above, tells us that such a partnership is not a partnership, it’s war! If you are a true Christian, you would be at constant war with such a person, that even without being advised, that relationship would not even take off.

If such a partnership would be continuous war, yet some believers are relating with unbelievers without war – what does it mean? It means they are not Christians, they are hypocrites. If they were Christians in the true biblical sense, the relationship they are enjoying and defending would be a place of constant battles, they would find no joy in it.

While Apostle Paul was speaking about idolatry, the principle is true in every relationship including marriage. You cannot be in a partnership with people whose philosophy, faith and principles constantly oppose you. The relationship would be impossible. Not even a platonic relationship.

They want to scheme to destroy someone and your faith in God doesn’t allow, you cant be partners or friends. They want to steal money, and your faith and practice is totally opposed to that, you cant be partners or friends. They want to cheat someone or some organisation so that they make money, and you conscious doesn’t allow that, you cant be friends or even partners. They want to seek witchcraft powers to succeed in a project and you cant stoop that low to go through such rituals or pay for them – you cant be friends. They want sex before marriage and for you that is not even open for discussion, the relationship wouldn’t start. You cannot even be platonic friends!

They are tribalistic and you are not. They are racist and you are not. They believe more in human rights than doing God’s will. They treat worship and religious matters as light issues which you can set aside until its convenient. They believe that there is no harm in extramarital or premarital sex. With such fundamental disagreements, the Bible says, a relationship, even a platonic relationship is impossible. Yet you are in such a relationship and you see nothing wrong?

We can work together as employees of an organisation. We can operate together at many levels. However, we cannot be friends. Friendship requires some degree of shared values and we have none between us. You can be my employee or I can be yours, but we cannot be friends. We can treat each other in a civil manner, but we are not friends. Friends influence each other and open up to each other.

Jesus visited sinners. Jesus ate with sinners. Jesus had dialogue with sinners. They were His clients in evangelism. He treated the, well and with respect. He sought to win them to Himself. However, it was only the disciples that Jesus referred to as friends.

We can have many relationships that facilitate work and life, but friendships have to be carefully chosen. Friends are a big influence. The Bible says that bad company corrupts good morals. You can choose your friends, but you cannot choose how they influence you. You cant control and regulate how you are influenced, therefore choose friends wisely. Some people should not even be platonic friends!

May God make us genuine believers to the extent that friendships will be guided and governed by our faith. May God give us wisdom and courage to choose the good friends and avoid those who are not good. May we be influenced positively and may we influence others positively. In Jesus’ name, Amen!

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