Acceptance vs. Tolerance

I've just finished the book ChurchNEXT by Eddie Gibbs (IVP, 2000). In the scope of the whole emergent/missional church movement, it was published in the beginning stages and was groundbreaking in addressing some of the ecclesial models that were in transition at the time. What was of main interest to me was his treatment of the need for apostolic leaders. Being an apostolic leaders means being missionally-minded by living and keeping in step with the Spirit (Gal 5:25), who reminds believers of Jesus' teachings (John 14:26) and leads them into all truth (John 16:13) while empowering believers (2 Tim 1:7) to continue the ongoing mission that Jesus began 2000 years ago.

"Apostolic leaders must have a profound understanding of the nature of their mission and be concerned to pursue that mission using all their God-given faculties. Yet at the same time they must remain open to the leading of the Holy Spirit, responding to course corrections and to unexpected, seemingly insurmountable obstacles - which are not always sent by Satan to frustrate progress but may be part of God's overall scheme, the complexity of which we humans cannot hope to fully understand, much less resolve (111)."

Now this mission that all believers are on needs to be confrontational, yet filled with grace and truth while focused on transformation. Living in a postmodern, even post-Christian world where truth is viewed as relative, where personal values supersede objective truth and where tolerance has seized the day, the reality of the matter is that conflict is inevitable. Now, while in the midst of this conflict, we are commanded to be lovingly accepting (Rom 14:9-13), but "The goal of acceptance is to work towards transformation, not that people should feel more comfortable about their sins (200)." This includes not only persons, but whole cultures becuase "The gospel judges each culture according to its compatibility with the focus, values and goals of the kingdom of God....There will be unfulfilled cultural aspirations that the gospel will bring to fruition. There will be demonic elements in every culture on which the gospel passes judgment (221)."