Questions That Divide: Syntax of Rhetorical Polarization in 2 Corinthians 6:14

In Μὴ γίνεσθε ἑτεροζυγοῦντες ἀπίστοις· τίς γὰρ μετοχὴ δικαιοσύνῃ καὶ ἀνομίᾳ; τίς δὲ κοινωνία φωτὶ πρὸς σκότος; (2 Corinthians 6:14), Paul commands separation — not by shouting, but by asking. The verse begins with a direct prohibition and follows with two rhetorical questions that define the heart of the argument. Greek excels at making polarity sharp, and Paul uses grammar here not only to persuade, but to polarize. These are not queries for information; they are instruments of exclusion. The syntax of question becomes the syntax of holiness.

Morphological Breakdown

1. Μὴ γίνεσθε –
   Root: γίνομαι
   Form: present middle/passive imperative, 2nd person plural + negative particle
   Lexical Meaning: “do not become”
   Contextual Notes: Present imperative with μή expresses a general prohibition; not just a momentary action but an enduring identity to be avoided.
2. ἑτεροζυγοῦντες –
   Root: ἑτεροζυγέω
   Form: present active participle, nominative masculine plural
   Lexical Meaning: “yoked unequally,” “mismatched”
   Contextual Notes: A compound verb from ἕτερος (different) + ζυγός (yoke). Likely an allusion to Deuteronomy 22:10 (ox and donkey). Metaphor for spiritual incompatibility.
3. ἀπίστοις –
   Root: ἄπιστος
   Form: dative masculine plural adjective functioning as noun
   Lexical Meaning: “unbelievers”
   Contextual Notes: Dative of association; refers to non-Christians — the ones with whom believers must not be unequally yoked.
4. τίς –
   Root: τίς
   Form: interrogative pronoun, nominative feminine singular
   Lexical Meaning: “what,” “what sort of”
   Contextual Notes: Introduces rhetorical questions that demand a negative answer — “none.”
5. γὰρ –
   Root: γάρ
   Form: postpositive conjunction
   Lexical Meaning: “for”
   Contextual Notes: Grounds the preceding imperative; Paul explains why unequally yoking is wrong.
6. μετοχὴ δικαιοσύνῃ καὶ ἀνομίᾳ –
   Root: μετοχή, δικαιοσύνη, ἀνομία
   Form: nominative feminine singular noun + two dative singular nouns
   Lexical Meaning: “participation with righteousness and lawlessness”
   Contextual Notes: Μετοχή (sharing, partnership) governs the dative nouns. The pairing is theological: righteousness versus lawlessness.
7. τίς δὲ κοινωνία φωτὶ πρὸς σκότος –
   Root: κοινωνία, φῶς, σκότος
   Form: interrogative pronoun + nominative feminine singular noun + dative neuter singular + preposition + accusative neuter singular
   Lexical Meaning: “what fellowship [is there] between light and darkness?”
   Contextual Notes: Κοινωνία (fellowship, sharing) is even stronger than μετοχή. The contrasting pair φῶς/σκότος is deeply Johannine — used here to illustrate the spiritual chasm.

The Power of Rhetorical Questions in Greek

Greek often asks questions that aren’t meant to be answered — at least not aloud. The form τίς (“what?”) followed by two opposing abstract nouns (δικαιοσύνῃ καὶ ἀνομίᾳ; φωτὶ πρὸς σκότος) is a technique of rhetorical exclusion. The grammar asks for a category that doesn’t exist — “what kind of partnership could there be?” The implied answer is “none.” Paul uses these questions to draw hard boundaries. And Greek’s syntactic balance — pairing nouns in dative and accusative with conjunctions — sharpens the contrast.

From Participation to Fellowship: Escalating the Separation

The two rhetorical clauses ascend in force. Μετοχή implies a share in common activities or benefits. Κοινωνία, however, suggests intimate relationship, deep belonging. Paul is not just forbidding behavior — he’s denying identity. Greek grammar permits this movement through the careful use of dative constructions, parallel syntax, and adversative conjunctions (δὲ) that force the reader to see the incompatibility.

Grammar as a Call to Holiness

The imperative μὴ γίνεσθε sets the stage for separation, but it is the twin rhetorical questions that define what holiness looks like. Paul doesn’t say simply “Avoid unbelievers.” He asks — with Greek clarity and theological fire — whether it is even possible to blend righteousness with lawlessness, light with darkness. And grammar answers him: “οὐδεμία.” None.