Friday, March 15, 2024

Circles and Lines

Each year I teach an overview of the book of Philippians to my beginning Greek students. We start with a few words about the background of the letter in Acts 16. Three people are mentioned by Luke. Lydia was a wealthy seller of purple. The jailer was a Roman citizen and a mid-level government employee. The slave girl was used by her masters to tell fortunes. Legally she wasn't even considered a person. 

Don't miss the lesson. All are represented in the body of Christ. Ours is an all-embracing faith. The shut door is the door of unchristian isolationism. The open door is the door of welcome.

That said, please let's not draw circles where God draws lines. Please let's not confuse an open door with condoning what God condemns. I have no idea why people think that speaking the truth in love is an unloving act. Love and truth are two sides of the same coin. And only the truth can set us free from whatever unbiblical practices we engage in. The idea that biblical teaching on same-sex marriage can be dismissed as "not loving" will hardly stop with same-sex marriage. 

Again, Christ drew both circles and lines. It's not a good idea to confuse the two.