OK @bdavidc,
I hear you.
You say you feel judged, falsely accused, and you feel I have “misquoted your words” and “portrayed you as unloving”.
You say I “go on and on about love, and humility” but what I am actually doing by directly confronting you is “not love, but hypocrisy”.
You say I am “quoting gentleness while I judge and belittle you”, but you are one who is “simply standing on Scripture”.
You suggest that what I am doing is “not Spirit of Christ”, but is actually “self-righteousness.”
You believe the Bible instructs you to be “harsh” when necessary:
And:
Your understanding of my position is that I am suggesting that you should “remain silent” but your view is that “There is a time to be silent, and a time to crush pride”.
You suggest my position is “defined by the absence of conflict”, but your view is “Love tells the truth even if it hurts.”
You suggest my position would have you “stroke the Pharisees egos”, but your position is that Jesus did not do this, “because He loved truth and souls more than He loved appearances.”
How am I doing? Is there anything above you disagree with? Have I said anything above that misrepresents you or your position or misrepresents your understanding of my position? I sure don’t want to do that, in any way.
For the record:
I am not suggesting you, or any disciple of Christ “remain silent” in any way. I have told you before how I appreciate your personal dedication to the truth, and your boldness in proclaiming it. I appreciate your dedication to the truth when you are preaching, evangelizing, or correcting the body of Christ.
I do not think love is defined by the “absence of conflict”, but love is defined by a person, our savior, who was not unfamiliar with conflict, but demonstrated Godly Love through gentleness in the presence of dire conflict as an example of righteousness.
I do not think the disciple of Christ is called to stroke anyone’s ego.
I have no intention or desire to accuse you of anything, we have an accuser of the brethren” (Rev 12:10), and he does not need my help. My purpose in writing was not to accuse, but to point out how The Scriptures teach us to be bold, unafraid, outspoken, and stand for the truth while also demonstrating the temperament of our savior. It is in this gentle and lowly expression of Truth, even truth that is hard to receive, that the Glory of God is most accurately represented.
When Paul tells the Galatian believers to “stand fast in the liberty by which Christ had made them free”, he reminds them of the unfruitful works of the flesh before he shows them the kind of Godly Fruit the Spirit of God is actively producing in them; “love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control”. Galatians 5:22-23. You may notice the absence of some characteristics in that fruit. This same fruit producing Spirit radically changed the temperament of one of history’s most harsh and zealous activists. Look how The Apostle Paul speaks of himself to the Thessalonians; how he was both bold AND gentle at the same time.
For you yourselves know, brethren, that our coming to you was not in vain. But even after we had suffered before and were spitefully treated at Philippi, as you know, we were bold in our God to speak to you the gospel of God in much conflict. For our exhortation did not come from error or uncleanness, nor was it in deceit. But as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, even so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who tests our hearts. For neither at any time did we use flattering words, as you know, nor a cloak for covetousness–God is witness. Nor did we seek glory from men, either from you or from others, when we might have made demands as apostles of Christ. But we were gentle among you, just as a nursing mother cherishes her own children. So, affectionately longing for you, we were well pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God, but also our own lives, because you had become dear to us. For you remember, brethren, our labor and toil; for laboring night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, we preached to you the gospel of God.
1 Thessalonians 2:1-9
I am of the opinion that demonstrating gentleness and demonstrating truth are not opposed to one another; that one does not need to be vacated in order to present the other. In Jesus, “Mercy and truth have met together; Righteousness and peace have kissed. (Psalm 85:10) I do not think we sometimes have to be harsh and sometimes gentle. I think we can always bear the character of Christ in every circumstance, a character that He defines for Himself.
I am not making any assumptions about you, or any accusations. I am simply pointing out portions of scripture that demonstrates how The Spirit of God transforms a man like Paul (and men like us) from reliance on might to being humble and gentle in every circumstance. Paul’s gentleness and humility demonstrated that he relied on the power of God alone “…that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.” (2 Corinthians 4:7)
KP