The Christian Virtue of Intolerance

View PDF | Print View
by: DanielLaLondJr.
Total views: 24
Word Count: 661

Culture in this first part of the twenty-first century might be described as "politically correct" or "tolerant." According to this paradigm a garbage man is a "sanitation engineer," a short person is "vertically challenged," and a thief is "ethically disoriented." Inclusive cultural practices can border on the insane when traffic signs are printed in 5 languages and also marked in Braille!

Politically correct extremes can even creep into the evangelical Christian church under the scriptural banner of "judge not lest ye be judged." That is, it's easy to think that Christian "love" excludes intolerance. Though no Christian should desire to flippantly judge, when we tolerate what God does not we have imbibed the culture we ought to affect.

Many evangelical Christians would never tolerate impure moral behavior in the church (at least ideologically). Under the flag of "grace," however, I'm convinced we allow a host of doctrinal impurities to corrupt the church. "Contend earnestly for the faith," insisted the apostle Jude, but because we've bought into the tolerance of our age I fear many would rather comfort than contend. In harmony with Jude, but discordant with the creedal tolerance of today, however, Paul also contended for the faith:

Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple (Rom 16:17-18).

Regarding Romans 16:17 James Strong explains that the term mark them means "to take aim at." Now, could the gracious and merciful apostle Paul possibly mean that Christians are to "take aim at" leaders inside the Christian church? Such a concept seems offensive and extreme when considered through today's post-modern, "tolerant" mindset. Paul, however, plainly demonstrated the lost virtue of Christian intolerance when he warned Timothy about Hymenaeus and Philetus whose teaching "will spread like gangrene."

Can you imagine the reaction a preacher today might receive if he said that another Christian leader's doctrine "will spread like gangrene?" It's easy to believe that Paul's intolerance was probably always directed at some fringe teacher. Kindly consider, however, another example of Paul openly rebuking the most prominent church leader of early Christianity:

When I saw that they were not acting in line with the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter in front of them all, "You are a Jew, yet you live like a Gentile and not like a Jew. How is it, then, that you force Gentiles to follow Jewish customs (Gal 2:14).

Here, Paul withstood Peter openly because when prominent leaders are teaching what they ought not others are led astray. Open intolerance of doctrinal error is surely not politically correct, but it is scriptural. "So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans," warned Jesus, "which thing I hate" (Rev 2:15). Because of this virtuous act of intolerance the church at Pergamum needed no guesswork to determine whose teaching to avoid.

In Christianity today gracious tolerance in exchange for doctrinal purity is often considered a virtue. In scripture, however, Jesus demands that His church examine her teachers by practicing the virtue of intolerance toward straying teachers and their straying teachings. When the church of Thyatira tolerated aberrant teachers or their mistaken doctrines they merited a reproof that echoed through the ages:

Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols (Rev 2:20).

As Jezebel (and even Peter) were tolerated though they misled many early Christians, teachers who occupy mainstream, popular pulpits today are tolerated though they too lead the children of God astray. And in contrast to the just coexist secular slogans which can seem so "Christian" the only item on the menu is biblical intolerance as our modern pulpits are polluted and our spiritual cisterns are dry.

About the Author

Read Daniel LaLond Jr.'s open letters to Chuck Swindoll and to Dr. Tony Evans. LaLond's book, The Lying Promise, tests celebrated, but mistaken teaching within the modern Christian church. You are welcome to reprint this article - but get your own unique content version here.

---

HTML Code For Copy & Paste

The following code can be copied and pasted into your web page to ensure all links are properly maintained.

<h1>The Christian Virtue of Intolerance</h1> <p> Culture in this first part of the twenty-first century might be described as "politically correct" or "tolerant." According to this paradigm a garbage man is a "sanitation engineer," a short person is "vertically challenged," and a thief is "ethically disoriented." Inclusive cultural practices can border on the insane when traffic signs are printed in 5 languages and also marked in Braille!<br /><br />Politically correct extremes can even creep into the evangelical Christian church under the scriptural banner of "judge not lest ye be judged." That is, it's easy to think that Christian "love" excludes intolerance. Though no Christian should desire to flippantly judge, when we tolerate what God does not we have imbibed the culture we ought to affect.<br /><br />Many evangelical Christians would never tolerate impure <i>moral</i> behavior in the church (at least ideologically). Under the flag of "grace," however, I'm convinced we allow a host of doctrinal impurities to corrupt the church. "Contend earnestly for the faith," insisted the apostle Jude, but because we've bought into the tolerance of our age I fear many would rather <i>comfort</i> than <i>contend</i>. In harmony with Jude, but discordant with the creedal tolerance of today, however, Paul also contended for the faith:<br /><br /><b>Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple</b> (Rom 16:17-18).<br /><br />Regarding Romans 16:17 James Strong explains that the term <i>mark them</i> means "to take aim at." Now, could the gracious and merciful apostle Paul possibly mean that Christians are to "take aim at" leaders <i>inside</i> the Christian church? Such a concept seems offensive and extreme when considered through today's post-modern, "tolerant" mindset. Paul, however, plainly demonstrated the lost virtue of Christian intolerance when he warned Timothy about Hymenaeus and Philetus whose teaching "will spread like gangrene."<br /><br />Can you imagine the reaction a preacher today might receive if he said that another Christian leader's doctrine "will spread like gangrene?" It's easy to believe that Paul's intolerance was probably always directed at some fringe teacher. Kindly consider, however, another example of Paul openly rebuking the most prominent church leader of early Christianity:<br /><br /><b>When I saw that they were not acting in line with the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter in front of them all, "You are a Jew, yet you live like a Gentile and not like a Jew. How is it, then, that you force Gentiles to follow Jewish customs </b> (Gal 2:14).<br /><br />Here, Paul withstood Peter <i>openly</i> because when prominent leaders are teaching what they ought not others are led astray. Open intolerance of doctrinal error is surely not politically correct, but it is scriptural. "So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans," warned Jesus, "which thing I hate" (Rev 2:15). Because of this virtuous act of intolerance the church at Pergamum needed no guesswork to determine whose teaching to avoid.<br /><br />In Christianity today gracious tolerance in exchange for doctrinal purity is often considered a virtue. In scripture, however, Jesus <i>demands</i> that His church examine her teachers by practicing the virtue of intolerance toward straying teachers and their straying teachings. When the church of Thyatira tolerated aberrant teachers or their mistaken doctrines they merited a reproof that echoed through the ages:<br /><br /><b>Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols</b> (Rev 2:20).<br /><br />As Jezebel (and even Peter) were tolerated though they misled many early Christians, teachers who occupy mainstream, popular pulpits today are tolerated though they too lead the children of God astray. And in contrast to the <i>just coexist</i> secular slogans which can seem so "Christian" the only item on the menu is biblical intolerance as our modern pulpits are polluted and our spiritual cisterns are dry. <h2>About the Author</h2> Read Daniel LaLond Jr.'s open letters to <a href="http://www.defendingthegospel.org/letters/swindoll.htm">Chuck Swindoll</a> and to <a href="http://www.defendingthegospel.org/letters/evans.htm">Dr. Tony Evans</a>. LaLond's book, The Lying Promise, tests celebrated, but mistaken teaching within the modern Christian church. You are welcome to reprint this article - but get your own <a href='http://www.uberarticles.com/?id=330707&p=205'>unique content</a> version here. </p>

---

Rating: Not yet rated

--Choose-- 0 1 2 3 4 5

Comments

No comments posted.

Add Comment

You do not have permission to comment. If you log in, you may be able to comment.