Jean Email Supporter Believer

In my personal experience dealing with Christian and non Christian business partners, I've been treated more honorably by non Christians. One Christian business partner I confronted when she crooked me actually had the nerve to quote from Isaiah and said to me angrily, "no weapon formed against me shall prosper". She then proceeded to go around proclaiming the miraculous blessings from God that she had received for free, yet she never paid me.. 

The bottom line is I believe having business partners who are non Christian is not a bad idea as long as terms are outlined and understood in advance. Joseph ran Pharoah's grain stores and traded on behalf of Egypt, making that nation very wealthy at the time. King David did business with the Philistines in 1 Samuel 27 and both parties got what they wanted. This did not affect David's faith in God. Solomon also did business with King Hiram in 1 Kings 9 and the temple and palaces were build with Lebanese cedar and gold from the east obtained during business dealings with unbelievers. The only time Solomon's faith was affected was when he married unbelievers, not when he did business with them. 

To this day we are all buying oil from the Middle East yet this has not resulted in us changing our faith to another. Our goods are made in China, our cars in Japan and our clothes in India. Being unequally yoked likely refers more specifically to marriage because that is the context of that scripture. Because if we only could do business with Christians then we would all have to quit our jobs since our bosses and co-workers are unbelievers. We would also have to dispose of these Apple and Microsoft products from companies run by atheists like Steve Job and co., since buying them is effectively doing business with unbelievers. 

Ultimately I think this is a personal decision because sometimes Christians can be manipulative, using their relationship with God as a way to obtain favour from you. Whatever one decides, keep your eyes wide open.

March 21 2015 • 1 response • Vote Up • Share • Report

S. Michael Houdmann Supporter Got Questions Ministries

The question of whether a Christian should go into business with an unbeliever is a common one. The most often-quoted Scripture is "Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousn...

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July 01 2013 • 5 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Carol Karam Supporter

I feel that because Jesus loved all people and came to save the unrighteous, we should follow his example and it would not be a bad thing to go into a business agreement with a nonbeliever. The hope would be that the example that the Christian displays would be a catalyst in converting the other. I do believe, however, that if the Christian feels he is being brought down by the unbeliever he should dissolve the relationship. In our working world, business owners or not, we are often surrounded by unbelievers and part of our job on earth is to let the Lords light shine through us. With prayer, God and the holy spirit will make things right one way or another.

April 05 2015 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Jeffrey Johnson Supporter

Should a Christian go into business with an unbeliever?

"Can two walk together, except they be agreed?" (Amos 3:3 KJV). We must remember that if a Christian truly seeks to honour the Lord through his business, then conflict with an unbelieving business partner is sadly unavoidable and can cause problems.

Scripture gives clear principles that guide decisions about partnerships, especially when those partnerships require shared purpose, shared responsibility, and shared direction. The Bible does not forbid ordinary interaction, trade, or employment between believers and unbelievers. Still, it strongly warns against forming binding alliances that shape a person's conduct, values, and long‑term commitments.

The most direct instruction appears in Paul's teaching about unequal partnerships. He explains that believers and unbelievers operate under different spiritual authorities, pursue different aims, and follow different standards. When two people join together in a venture that demands unity of purpose, differences in spiritual foundation create tension that affects decisions, ethics, and direction. Paul uses the image of a yoke to show that two people who walk under different influences cannot move in harmony. This principle applies to any partnership that requires shared judgment and shared accountability.

Scripture also shows that alliances with those who do not follow God often lead to compromise. Throughout the Old Testament, God warns His people not to form covenants with those who serve other gods, because such covenants shape behaviour and weaken devotion. These examples are not limited to marriage or political agreements. They include any relationship that binds two parties together in a way that affects conduct, loyalty, and decision‑making. Business partnerships fall into this category when they require shared authority and shared responsibility.

The Bible teaches that a believer must conduct work with honesty, fairness, and reverence toward God. When a business partner does not share these commitments, the believer may face pressure to accept practices that conflict with Scripture. Decisions about money, contracts, staff, and public conduct can become points of strain. A partnership built on different moral foundations can place the believer in situations where faithfulness becomes difficult. Scripture calls believers to guard their integrity and avoid arrangements that place them under influences that oppose God's standards.

At the same time, Scripture does not teach isolation. Believers may work with unbelievers, trade with them, serve them, and show them kindness. The issue is not contact but partnership. The Bible distinguishes between ordinary interaction and binding alliances. Ordinary work does not require shared spiritual commitment. A business partnership, however, joins two people in a shared purpose that shapes decisions and direction. Scripture warns against such unity when the foundations are divided.

In essence, the Bible teaches that a Christian should avoid entering a business partnership that requires shared authority with an unbeliever. This guidance protects the believer's integrity, guards against compromise, and preserves devotion to God. Scripture encourages believers to work faithfully in the world, but it also calls them to avoid alliances that strain their spiritual commitment.

A Christian should avoid binding partnerships that unite purpose with an unbeliever, because Scripture warns that such alliances create spiritual conflict.

"Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers." — 2 Corinthians 6:14

13 days ago • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report