Not missionary dating. That is no where in Scripture -- that I can recall. In fact, He tells us to not be unequally yoked. Or was that Paul? Ugh. I forget.
That being said, of course we must engage the world if we are to make disciples. That is not in dispute. But, witnessing can be seriously damaged by dating, and Mel could be in for a lot of heartache in the process.
Personally, I would date an unsaved person IF I had the right mindset (and I believe that I do), BUT that doesn't mean that I would marry one because I wouldn't.
Here are a couple of things for you to hopefully consider...
First of all, Christ was the one dealing with the children of Israel in both Egypt and the wilderness.
In relation to the same, we read:
I Corinthians chapter 10
[
1] Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea;
[
2] And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea;
[
3] And did all eat the same spiritual meat;
[
4] And did all drink the same spiritual drink:
for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.
[
5] But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness.
[
6] Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.
[
7] Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.
[
8] Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand.
[
9]
Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents.
Christ was the Rock that followed the children of Israel, and they tempted Christ in their wilderness journeys.
Furthermore, Christ is the Bridegroom throughout scripture, and he is the one who entered into a covenant with the children of Israel at Mt. Sinai that he likened to a marriage covenant.
In relation to the same, we read:
Jeremiah chapter 31
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31] Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:
[
32] Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake,
although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD:
[
33] But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.
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34] And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD; for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.
Prior to entering into this marital covenant, spiritually speaking, with the children of Israel, was Christ "courting", spiritually speaking, believers or unbelievers?
I'd heavily suggest to you that Christ was "courting" mostly unbelievers.
For example, he thought about wiping out the children of Israel WHILE THEY WERE STILL IN EGYPT or before they ever entered into the marital covenant with him at Mt. Sinai after their exodus.
We read:
Ezekiel chapter 20
[
5] And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; In the day when I chose Israel, and lifted up mine hand unto the seed of the house of Jacob, and made myself known unto them in the land of Egypt, when I lifted up mine hand unto them, saying, I am the LORD your God;
[
6] In the day that I lifted up mine hand unto them, to bring them forth of the land of Egypt into a land that I had espied for them, flowing with milk and honey, which is the glory of all lands:
[
7] Then said I unto them, Cast ye away every man the abominations of his eyes, and defile not yourselves with the idols of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.
[
8] But they rebelled against me, and would not hearken unto me: they did not every man cast away the abominations of their eyes, neither did they forsake the idols of Egypt:
then I said, I will pour out my fury upon them to accomplish my anger against them in the midst of the land of Egypt.
[
9] But I wrought for my name's sake, that it should not be polluted before the heathen, among whom they were, in whose sight I made myself known unto them, in bringing them forth out of the land of Egypt.
In Christ's case, he still went forward with the marriage, but I wouldn't suggest the same for any of us today because that marriage was certainly full of trouble and strife. That said, my point is that Christ himself seemingly sought to woo unbelievers unto himself, even to the point of marriage, and that seems like a sort of "missionary dating" to me. You're free to disagree, of course.
There's also this to consider:
I Corinthians chapter 7
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12]
But to the rest speak I, not the Lord: If any brother hath a wife that believeth not, and she be pleased to dwell with him, let him not put her away.
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13]
And the woman which hath an husband that believeth not, and if he be pleased to dwell with her, let her not leave him.
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14]
For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy.
[
15] But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart. A brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases: but God hath called us to peace.
[
16] For what knowest thou, O wife, whether thou shalt save thy husband? or how knowest thou, O man, whether thou shalt save thy wife?
[
17] But as God hath distributed to every man, as the Lord hath called every one, so let him walk. And so ordain I in all churches.
Apparently, there were Christians at Corinth (and elsewhere?) who had unbelieving spouses, and Paul said that the same were sanctified to some degree by being married to believers.
My point?
Well, unlike the comments of one contributor on this thread who talks condescendingly of these wicked unbelievers, Paul didn't speak of them in that manner. In other words, I don't know about you, but I've personally met MANY unbelievers who were totally turned off by professing "Christians" and their self-righteous and condescending attitudes, and not by Christ himself.
Is it possible that an unbeliever might be won to Christ by actually being shown love from a Christian?
Personally, I believe that it is possible, and, again, I'm not adverse to dating an unbeliever and showing her that type of love that she might be saved. Of course, if she rejects such love or shows contempt for Christ, then I'm not going to even consider marrying her, but I don't look upon unbelievers with the same disdain as some other professing "Christians" apparently do.
Anyhow, I'll stop here.
