No Neutrality
Acts 17:4
"And some of them believed, and consorted with Paul and Silas; and of the devout Greeks a great multitude, and of the chief women not a few."
In our "modern" age (and I do not use modern to suggest maturity or advancement in sophistication, instead I do so to connote the present day only) there is an idea that an individual can neither be for our against something and this "third place" is a logically legitimate posture. In considering this, it seems that this is the outgrowth of consumerism. Preference, or lack of preference for a service or product, suggests that all choices are defined self-preferentially according to that consumers' wants and desires.
Does the Gospel permit such neutrality? No. This verse in Acts 17:4 shows that both some Jews and a good number of Greeks in Thessaloniki believed the message. In the verses that follow, it is clear that a lot of Jews and Greeks did not, and acted quite violently in their opposition. Any zone of neutrality essentially disappeared in the dispute; the message of Paul about Christ was either 'Yes" or "No"......"neutrality" was just another way of saying "No" (presuming that the message had been presented).
"And some of them believed, and consorted with Paul and Silas; and of the devout Greeks a great multitude, and of the chief women not a few."
In our "modern" age (and I do not use modern to suggest maturity or advancement in sophistication, instead I do so to connote the present day only) there is an idea that an individual can neither be for our against something and this "third place" is a logically legitimate posture. In considering this, it seems that this is the outgrowth of consumerism. Preference, or lack of preference for a service or product, suggests that all choices are defined self-preferentially according to that consumers' wants and desires.
Does the Gospel permit such neutrality? No. This verse in Acts 17:4 shows that both some Jews and a good number of Greeks in Thessaloniki believed the message. In the verses that follow, it is clear that a lot of Jews and Greeks did not, and acted quite violently in their opposition. Any zone of neutrality essentially disappeared in the dispute; the message of Paul about Christ was either 'Yes" or "No"......"neutrality" was just another way of saying "No" (presuming that the message had been presented).
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