Tolerance

“Whatever you want men to do to you do you also to them, “ Matt. 7:12. These words of Jesus are known as the Golden Rule of Christianity. “Blessed are the peacemakers,” Matt. 5:9 is another statement of Jesus from the Sermon on the Mount. Paul instructed Christians, in Rom. 12:17-19, “Repay no one evil for evil . . . If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath.” Christians are to control themselves in times of anger, to stifle behavior that springs from anger, and to work toward peace with all men.

From misunderstanding, and misapplication of these verses, and many like them found in the Bible, a “sweet, kind, sugar-coated” version of Christianity has arisen that seems to have above all other tenets, the goal of not being offensive to anyone. It seems some promote a version of Christianity in which adherents sit cross-legged in a circle and chant mantras of peace and brotherhood, and hope to do away with all the evil in the world by ignoring its existence. While that statement may contain a bit of hyperbole, I would maintain that there are definitely some “Christians” on that side of a "tolerance" divide.

There are two problems that tag along with such an approach to Christianity. The first is that those who practice Christianity in this way, are “virtue signaling” to each other, and the world, about what good, loving, kind people they are, desirous of the world’s and each other’s adoration because of their righteousness, which is not at all what Christianity is about. The second is that those who practice Christianity in this way are not abiding in the teaching of Christ and the Holy Spirit and are not submitting themselves to God’s will, which is, indeed, what Christianity is all about.

Is tolerance a goal for which all Christians should strive? Tolerance is defined as "the practice of recognizing and respecting the beliefs or practices of others," and "leeway for variation from a standard." To answer the question it is first necessary to agree that any belief or practice is either the same as a Christian belief or practice, or it is different. It is also necessary to agree that granting leeway to vary from a standard of Christianity would be to nullify that particular standard. In other words, to ask if tolerance is a goal for which Christians should strive, is to ask (1) should Christians respect beliefs or practices which are not part of Christian teaching, and (2) should Christians nullify the standards of Christianity?

The Bible weighs in on this topic. “Whosoever goeth onward and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ hath not God. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him unto your house or give him any greeting, for whoever greets him takes part in his wicked works," 2 John 1:9-11. So if someone brings with them a different teaching than what is espoused in the Bible, they are wicked, and if you give them a greeting, you are taking part in their wickedness. There is not a lot of tolerance expressed here, or here, "I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler -- not even to eat with such a one," 1 Cor. 5:11.

Tolerance for that which is different from Christianity is not at all a characteristic that should be found in a Christian. Jesus gives us a great example of this. In Matthew 21:12 -13, Jesus deals with the money changers operating in the temple.  ^"And Jesus entered into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the money-changers, and the seats of them that sold the doves;  and he saith unto them, It is written, My house shall be called a house of prayer: but ye make it a den of robbers." We could say Jesus applied zero tolerance in this case.

Paul asks a rhetorical question in 1 Corinthians 6:14-16, "What fellowship have righteousness and iniquity, or what communion has light with darkness? What concord has Christ with [Satan,] or what portion has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has a temple of God with idols, for we are a temple of God." Paul is making the point that, religiously, opposites not only do not attract, but they should repel each other. The Christian tolerates iniquity, and darkness, and Satan (or wickedness), and unbelief, and idols in the same way Christ tolerated the money changers in the temple. From the definition of tolerance, this means that Christians do not recognize nor do we respect practices (or teachings) that are different from those of Christ and the inspired writers found in the Bible. Christians do not grant leeway for varying from the standards of the Bible.

The Old Testament is replete with examples of the intolerance of God. For eating of the forbidden fruit, Adam and Eve were thrown out of the Garden of Eden, Genesis 3:23-24. Nadab and Abihu, sons of Aaron, were killed by God because they chose to use fire that God had not commanded them in an offering, Leviticus 10. (Their father, Aaron, and his other sons were not even allowed to show sorrow or grief over the event.) King Saul had the kingdom stripped from him and was dethroned because he did not totally destroy the Amalekites as he had been instructed to do, 1 Samuel 15:17-23. Uzzah was struck dead for taking hold of the Ark of the Covenenant to steady it , because it was not allowed for people to touch it, 2 Samuel 6:6-7. The young prophet was killed by a lion because he accepted a dinner invitation when God had told him to return home without eating or drinking, 1 Kings 13. These are not the only such instances recorded to help us understand the concept of intolerance to disobeying God's commands.

Lest one should write these off as Old Testament stories with the idea that the God of the New Testament is different, I would remind you, first, of Jesus' behavior in regard to the money changers at the temple. Second, consider the fate of Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5. They were struck dead by God because they told Peter a lie. Third, it is instructive to note the harsh voice of Jesus in referencing hypocrites in Matthew 6:1-16. He warned his listeners not to be like hypocrites. Everything the hypocrites did was wrong. While the hypocrites of Matthew 6 are spoken of in the general sense, in Matthew 23 Jesus made it plain that he intends to include scribes and Pharisees in that designation. Only 3 of the 39 verses of Matthew 23 do not involve Jesus pronouncing woes upon the "scribes, Pharisees, hypocrites." He reviled them directly with highly-charged invective. One thing he didn't do was display tolerance.

The verses we have considered are God's message to us. By example and by instruction they charge us with the responsibility of being intolerant to any who would abuse, misuse, or ignore the word of God. Being intolerant does not mean we should assault anyone physically, but by definition it does mean we can neither accept nor allow any variance in God's teaching. If we don't allow it, we must speak out forcibly against it. It also means by definition that we can neither recognize nor respect anything that differs from God's word. If we are going to with hold our recognition and our respect for false teaching (it is not the truth of God) we must make our disrespect noticeable. Otherwise we are offering tacit respect. We are allowing people to assume we respect false doctrine. That is the very opposite of our responsibility.

Paul put it this way, "I charge thee in the sight of God, and of Christ Jesus, who shall judge the living and the dead, . . . preach the word. Be urgent in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long-suffering and teaching." Do what Paul said. Don't be tolerant of error.