I’ve just had sort of a disturbing Bible Study and I want to share it with you in the hopes that some of you will use the comment section to tell me what you think. I mean it -- I’m really interested in other people’s opinion of what I have to say because I’m a little ambivalent about my conclusions.

Since I’m thinking about asking people around the country for their definitions of tolerance, I’ve been thinking maybe I should do a word study and see what the Bible has to say. I know, brainiac I am not. ;) This morning seemed like as good a time as any since it’s pouring down rain and I was snug as a bug with heater going and hot cup of coffee. And yes, I did finally get my stove going, so it was a nice HOT cup of coffee.

Ok, so I pulled out my NIV Exhaustive and found 8 references to tolerance/tolerate/tolerated. Five OT, three NT. If you want to read the references and some brief comments that brought me to my current line of thinking, click here.

Assuming you’ve now read or skimmed that page, I’ll get right down to it. Granted, there weren’t a lot of references, but there was more than one. And it seemed to me that only two of them were kind of positive -- first, God tolerating us as a kindness; second, the church at Ephesus not tolerating evil. The other six seem to me to be negative references along the line of something evil is happening, do something. Either God or King Xerxes or whomever shouldn’t stand for something that is going on.

For years I have complained about the way the common definition of tolerance has been perverted -- that it no longer means I disagree with you strongly but I will treat you with respect as I try my best to persuade you to my side. Now it means well done you, do whatever you feel like doing and far be it from me to say anything negative. And, in fact, why don’t you take my child and teach him about what you’re doing and that I’m an old fuddy-duddy stuck in the dark ages.

After this study I’m wondering if the definition even matters. Yes, it matters in the sense that we need to speak the same language to effectively communicate. But does it truly matter? If we’re not supposed to be tolerating evil and wicked men who lead God’s servants astray -- does it really matter what tolerate means? And if that’s true, what in the world does that mean for us who have to live as lights in this depraved society (which we are in no way innocent of helping to create)? I know it doesn’t mean we go around bashing people over the head because there are also a kazillion references to acting with love and kindness toward our neighbor… But what does it really mean?