“This cannot be called legalism. It is a fundamental aspect of Christian life.”

[G. N. Barkman]

Reading my Bible recently, I couldn’t help wonder if God’s prohibition to OT Israel about intermarrying with Gentiles was guilt by association?

Read in context—with Rahab and Ruth appearing in the genealogy of Christ—I think that’s got to be interpreted as “do not marry pagan women”, not “do not ever marry Gentile women”. Another point of reference is how Israelites were allowed to marry captive women after they’d mourned a month.

So it wasn’t guilt by association at all, but rather in context, guilt by guilt of being pagan. But I think you meant to post it on another thread.