Articles
A Disconcerting Truth
Our pluralistic society pushes the idea of 'tolerance' in just about every aspect of life, to the point that it is no longer acceptable to point out what is wrong with beliefs that happen to differ from one's own. The result of this growing 'tolerance' has brought us to a point where adultery is laughed off, divorce has no stigma, drunkenness is a rite of passage, pre-marital sex is merely to be accepted, and homosexuality can no longer be spoken of in negative terms, resulting in the social — and now legal — approval of same-sex marriage.
Religious debate has been absent, for the most part, because churches and their leaders have been influenced by society and, whether they admit or not, have become just as tolerant of varied views on most of what used to be accepted as core beliefs. While it may not be preached from the pulpits of some churches, it is taught by their actions, accepting anyone who wants to be a member, no questions asked and certainly no condemnation of certain behaviors, lest the attendance [and, accordingly, monetary contributions] decline. Not a few churches preach salvation without repentance, and many more have ceased preaching on sin altogether, choosing rather to focus on messages that draw, and keep, the masses.
The strange part about this trend is that those who seem to cry loudest for 'tolerance' and plead with those with differing religious beliefs to "agree to disagree" are not so tolerant of those who believe and teach that there is such thing as absolute truth, that there is such thing as 'right' and 'wrong,' and that there is only one plan of salvation and only one church. Those of the world cry out for tolerance in speech — until someone comes along and starts speaking of things they don't like or believe. Those religious ones who preach a message of inclusion don't ever seem to include those who teach one faith, one plan of salvation, and one church. All of a sudden, the 'tolerant' ones are not so tolerant! Why is that?
Well, this is nothing new, really. Ever since the preaching of the gospel began, some were 'uncomfortable' with its message, and many have sought to silence it and those who proclaim it, using some rather unusual tactics and arguments in their efforts to silence it. Let us consider these tactics and arguments so we won't be surprised when used against us today. Let us consider one particular occasion where some opposed the truth being taught: when Paul met with opposition because the gospel was gaining ground [as found in Acts 19].
Complaint: If People Follow the Gospel, It Will Cost Jobs! (Acts 19:25-27) When Paul and his companions preached the gospel in and around Ephesus, it was said “that all who dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks” (Acts 19:10) within a two-year period. Many people believed, and the gospel's impact was felt by those who did not believe.
A man named Demetrius, a silversmith who made his living off of making silver shrines of the false god Diana, called together those of similar occupation and complained, “Paul has persuaded and turned away many people, saying that they are not gods which are made with hands. So not only is this trade of ours in danger of falling into disrepute.” In short, Demetrius was complaining that the result of the gospel convicting hearts was that they were giving up the idol worship for the true God, and it was going to cost the livelihood of those who made those false gods and their shrines!
The same complaint is often heard today: Following the moral teaching of Jesus Christ would mean people would have to stop drinking alcohol, stop smoking, stop going to movies that are profane and promote ungodliness, stop buying clothing that is indecent, stop gambling away their income, and stop doing many other things that are sinful. If people stop doing all those things, whole industries would disappear!
As with those of Paul's day, note the absence of discussion about the truthfulness of Paul's message. There was no discussion then, and there won't be any today, because truth cannot be refuted.
Complaint: The Gospel Condemns False Religions. (Acts 19:27) Demetrius also told his fellow craftsmen, “So not only is this trade of ours in danger of falling into disrepute, but also the temple of the great goddess Diana may be despised and her magnificence destroyed, whom all Asia and the world worship.” His complaint [disingenuous as it was] was that the false religion of Diana was going to be despised and her reputation ruined by the message of the gospel.
Again, the argument is not really a refutation of the truth, but merely a complaint that a false religion will be exposed for what it is: false. As with many adherents of the false religions today, they are demanding, "Keep your faith to yourself!" Many who are pointed to God's word to see that what they believe is not true really don't want to hear that, and take it as a personal insult that the truth means they believe a lie. No argument is made to defend what they have believed, but just a complaint that they have been exposed!
Response: Get Loud and Shout It Down. (Acts 19:28-34) After Demetrius finished his harangue, it is said that the crowd became extremely angry and began crying out, “Great is Diana of the Ephesians!” When a Jew named Alexander was drawn out of the crowd, they continued this cry for about two more hours. There was no order to the gathering, and many people were confused about what, exactly, it was all about.
As is far too often the case when one proclaims the truth and others don't want to hear it, the response is to start yelling and shouting down the one who speaks truth, and continue shouting and speaking loudly so no one has a chance to respond or say anything further that would cause anyone to use reason or consider the message of the truth. In such conditions, the truth cannot be heard at all, and reason has gone out the window.
Response: Threaten the Speakers of Truth. (Acts 19:13) In the midst of this confusion, some from the city “rushed into the theater with one accord, having seized Gaius and Aristarchus, Macedonians, Paul’s travel companions.” Though it is not stated, we can be sure their intentions were not for good! In such a crowd, and under such conditions, harm was intended — motivated by their anger at those who had been spreading the gospel in the region.
We like to think that we may never face such situations, but this world is changing rapidly for the worse, and those who stand firm with the gospel message and the demand for godly living is being more and more despised; that being true, we should not be surprised when some start responding as did these from Ephesus, threatening us who stand with Christ simply because the message and its results are unwelcome.
These are merely a few of the reactions we may get when we preach and teach the unchanging message of God's word, but we need to be aware of these things so we will be better prepared to go out into an increasingly hostile world, and so we may have the courage to continue speaking the truth if persecutions do come.
This one occasion did not deter Paul from preaching and teaching God's word, and the brethren in that city continued serving Christ for many years afterwards. Let us likewise stand firm in the faith.
—— Steven Harper
