The word "tolerate" is used 4 times in the New American Standard Bible and all four times it is used in a negative light:
2 Corinthians 11:19 For you, being so wise, tolerate the foolish gladly. (This is said sarcastically)
2 Corinthians 11:20 For you tolerate it if anyone enslaves you, anyone devours you, anyone takes advantage of you, anyone exalts himself, anyone hits you in the face.
Revelation 2:2 ‘I know your deeds and your toil and perseverance, and that you cannot tolerate evil men, and you put to the test those who call themselves apostles, and they are not, and you found them to be false;
Revelation 2:20 But I have this against you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, and she teaches and leads My bond-servants astray so that they commit acts of immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols.
God in his word condemns those who think they are being wise, kind, and evening loving by accepting sinful and false teaching in their midst. He commends those who do not tolerate evil. Many in our culture talk all the time about tolerance but what they mean is exactly the thing that God condemns. But there is one time in scripture that the word "tolerance" is used in a positive light:
Ephesians 4:1-3 Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
The KJV does not use the word "tolerance" but instead uses the word "forbearing." Matthew Henry says this about this passage:
Forbearing one another in love signifies bearing their infirmities out of a principle of love, and so as not to cease to love them on the account of these. The best Christians have need to bear one with another, and to make the best one of another, to provoke one another's graces and not their passions. We find much in ourselves which it is hard to forgive ourselves; and therefore we must not think it much if we find that in others which we think hard to forgive them, and yet we must forgive them as we forgive ourselves.
We might call this forbearance true Christian tolerance. This is a love that is displayed in humility and gentleness and patience. This love overlooks the ways we can be tempted to take offense. We live in a world where everyone is looking to be offended at all times. To be offended is to be made a victim and to be a victim is to be powerful. We are especially offended if someone disagrees with us. True Christian love for our brothers and sisters however will not stop loving them even when they dare to disagree with us. Now as was shown in the beginning, this is not a tolerating of evil. Christians rightfully stand opposed to evil. We rightfully correct and even rebuke each other when we fall into sin. But Christian tolerance between brothers will overlook quirks of personalities or things that may cause offense. Christian tolerance won’t nitpick each other to death but realize that every one of us is on a path of sanctification.
True Christian tolerance will involve brothers being able to disagree and disagree vehemently. It means being able to argue even passionately with a brother over truth and at the end of the day still maintain love. The example of this is two young boys getting in a fist fight and then after getting up off the ground and dusting themselves off, they go fishing together.
Our world doesn’t know this Christian tolerance. For them tolerance means we must accept all beliefs as valid. We must ignore the fact that there is truth and accept all truths as valid. Worldly tolerance is not about love in the face of real disagreement. It won’t tolerate real disagreement. Worldly tolerance will tolerate evil but not a battle for truth. That’s why some of the most intolerant people are constantly talking about tolerance.
Christian forbearance though is between brothers and sisters in Christ. It doesn’t sugarcoat real disagreement. It doesn’t make truth relative. It doesn’t affirm that all positions are equally valid. Nor does it tolerate evil. Instead it is love, the kind of love where two brothers can fight it out and still consider each other family. It will not nitpick to death but allow love to cover a multitude of sins. But it also won't stand by idly and let a brother go down a path of destruction. It will correct, reprove, and rebuke with the word of God.
Will you tolerate your brothers enough to fight for the truth with love in humility, gentleness and patience? Will you tolerate your brothers enough to patiently bear with things that you could take offense at? Or will you be like the world and when the going gets tough, quit and take your ball home. The Apostle Paul says this is work to be done with diligence so that the unity of the church will be preserved.
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Any relation to Charles?
I find your perspective on this to be a bit short-sighted. Did not Christ “tolerate” the woman taken in adultery? Did He not dine with publicans and sinners?
There is only one truth and that truth is Jesus of Nazareth is the Christ. The only begotten of the Father. Slain for my sins. Risen from the grave. Seated on His throne. Alive for evermore.
That does not mean that our love is to be restricted to only our brethren. “ The harvest is great but the workers few”
We must never tolerate sin but we must always be tolerant towards the sinner. After all brother, were it not for the blood of Christ you and I would be as lost as them.
Boardwine
Level 8
Apr 9, 2019
0
Christ told that woman to go and sin no more. So there was no tolerance. Her response to being saved from the death that the law dictated was to be that she should turn away from her sinful former life and live a life of obedience instead.
Since there is no sin apart from the sinner that means the two are inextricably intertwined.
Charles is a distant relative.
I think you misinterpreted my post. I did not mean to imply that we are unkind to sinners or that we do not share the gospel with the lost. I believe we must do both. But this is different than what the world thinks about tolerance. The world thinks tolerance means acceptance of sin and not speaking to sin. As Chicago stated above Christ was told the woman to go and sin no more. Furthermore, he was not overturning the law against adultery but was upholding it. A civil magistrate should have officiated over the judgment of that woman and there should have been witnesses who were not implicit in the crime, and there should have been a man who was also accused being tried. The Pharisees were attempting to trip up Jesus. They were trying to get him to either pass judgment even though he was no civil magistrate or to dismiss the law out of hand. Either way, he would have been guilty of breaking God's law and they would have entrapped him. Instead, Christ turned the tables back on them and they left. Then Jesus told the woman to go and sin no more.
The kindness we share for the world is to point them to Christ. We preach the law and gospel of God.
@JosephSpurgeon I am not under the Law.
I understood that you were speaking of the world interpretation of “tolerance”. My response was a reminder that we must remember that we have to find people as they are and accept them with love and grace. And by doing so we point them to Christ.
As for preaching the Law.
“ The Law is subservient to Christ. The coming of Christ represents the fulfillment of God’s deepest intention reflected already in the promise to Abraham to bless Israel and the nations. For Paul, this means that Christ is the full authority for the church. The authority of the Law is now conditioned by the greater authority of Christ. The Law is neither superior to Christ nor is it equal to him.” [anabaptistwiki.org] (really good dissertation if you care to read the whole thing)
Does this mean I am free to sin? God forbid!! The Lord will not be mocked. However, how can we preach the Law when we ourselves do not follow it? Nor could we if we wanted. Unless the Temple has been rebuilt without my knowledge I can not keep the Law.
@Chicago
@Boardwine You're view of the law seems to be antinomian. Christians are not saved by law keeping but we who are saved and walk by the spirit will uphold the law. Having read the article you shared, I don't see how your comments are in line with it. The article does not argue against the preaching of the law and gospel. The Westminster Confession of Faith accurately represents the biblical teaching on the law of God.
I. God gave to Adam a law, as a covenant of works, by which he bound him and all his posterity, to personal, entire, exact, and perpetual obedience, promised life upon the fulfilling, and threatened death upon the breach of it, and endued him with power and ability to keep it.
II. This law, after his fall, continued to be a perfect rule of righteousness; and, as such, was delivered by God upon Mount Sinai, in ten commandments, and written in two tables: the first four commandments containing our duty towards God; and the other six, our duty to man.
III. Besides this law, commonly called moral, God was pleased to give to the people of Israel, as a church under age, ceremonial laws, containing several typical ordinances, partly of worship, prefiguring Christ, his graces, actions, sufferings, and benefits; and partly, holding forth divers instructions of moral duties. All which ceremonial laws are now abrogated, under the New Testament.
IV. To them also, as a body politic, he gave sundry judicial laws, which expired together with the State of that people; not obliging under any now, further than the general equity thereof may require.
V. The moral law does forever bind all, as well justified persons as others, to the obedience thereof; and that, not only in regard of the matter contained in it, but also in respect of the authority of God the Creator, who gave it. Neither does Christ, in the Gospel, any way dissolve, but much strengthen this obligation
VI. Although true believers be not under the law, as a covenant of works, to be thereby justified, or condemned; yet is it of great use to them, as well as to others; in that, as a rule of life informing them of the will of God, and their duty, it directs and binds them to walk accordingly; discovering also the sinful pollutions of their nature, hearts and lives; so as, examining themselves thereby, they may come to further conviction of, humiliation for, and hatred against sin, together with a clearer sight of the need they have of Christ, and the perfection of his obedience. It is likewise of use to the regenerate, to restrain their corruptions, in that it forbids sin: and the threatenings of it serve to show what even their sins deserve; and what afflictions, in this life, they may expect for them, although freed from the curse thereof threatened in the law. The promises of it, in like manner, show them God's approbation of obedience,and what blessings they may expect upon the performance thereof: although not as due to them by the law as a covenant of works. So as, a man's doing good, and refraining from evil, because the law encourages to the one and deters from the other, is no evidence of his being under the law: and not under grace.
VII. Neither are the forementioned uses of the law contrary to the grace of the Gospel, but do sweetly comply with it; the Spirit of Christ subduing and enabling the will of man to do that freely, and cheerfully, which the will of God, revealed in the law, requires to be done.
When I say preach the law and gospel. I am talking about the preaching of God's moral law which is like a mirror that shows our sins. We are left under the just condemnation our sin deserves and then the only hope for that is the gospel of Jesus Christ.
@JosephSpurgeon so how many of the 633 “mitzfas”(spelling may be incorrect) or laws do you keep? All ? Some? Had a ham sandwich lately? The law isn’t the 10 commandments. It’s 633 different regulations.
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