This discussion is about the October 2007 issue of SBC Life today. Just inside the front page an article with large letters stands out: A Call for Christian Civility. This is not an open attack on that article, but is simply to say that there is a gaping hole in it that does not deal with the reality of the Christian life in many ways. It is the God-centeredness part that is not really brought into play. Being civil is not the same thing as love and one can be civil as a way of covering up our cowardly hearts that need to be standing for the glory of God when others personally attack God by their sin and their theology. We are to love God above all and as the primary thing. True love for God will never be opposed to true love for another though it may be opposed to the appearance of civility.
Believers must love God and His glory by seeking growth of His kingdom in the hearts of others. That means it is good to be corrected if it makes us more like God. It is a good thing when a brother corrects something in our life or theology. It is true love if the heart is right with God to be corrected and to correct. Ephesians tells us that the church grows when believers grow in love. It is not love to be outwardly kind and civil without telling a person about a dangerous growth on him or her if that person does not see it. Neither is it love to be so given to outward kindness and civility that one ignores the much greater dangers of sin and bad theology. Even more, it is not love for God.
If we chafe at being corrected it demonstrates pride in us. Pride is that exaltation of self over God. The only thing that a correction that is true does to us is hurt self and the feelings of self which is pride. If it is pointing out a truth about God and His glory, it is good for us in reality. Imagine being Paul who was sort of the new kid on the block. “But we did not yield in subjection to them for even an hour, so that the truth of the gospel would remain with you” (Gal 2:5). Paul saw that the Gospel was at stake. What would he do at this point? It is easier within a social or religious context to remain quiet and conform to the rules of niceness, but the Gospel itself was at stake. Some of the Jews had come in and had brought some teachings that were contrary to the Gospel. True love means that we stand for the Gospel no matter the cost and sometimes that includes the cost of being outwardly nice.
Not only that, “but when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned” (Gal 2:11). Peter was one of the inner circle that was taught by Jesus Himself. Peter was a big gun and leader in the Church. But when he began to be led astray, Paul opposed him to his face in front of them all (Gal 2:14). Was Paul being civil? Not by modern day standards. Was Paul being nice and polite? Not by modern day standards. But Paul was a man who loved God and the Gospel. What he did was moved by love for God and for the souls of the people in that time and is good for the souls of people now. Love for God and the good of the souls of others must always take precedence over civility. Does that mean we are to be rude and run roughshod over people? No, it means that we are to love God and others at all times. Most of the time that means we will be what people think of as civil. But there are times when what is thought of as civil would require us to be idolaters and to be quiet when the character of God is being attacked. At those times love for God must take precedence over civility.
We have other examples of Paul speaking out against religious leaders: “Paul, looking intently at the Council, said, “Brethren, I have lived my life with a perfectly good conscience before God up to this day.” 2 The high priest Ananias commanded those standing beside him to strike him on the mouth. 3 Then Paul said to him, “God is going to strike you, you whitewashed wall! Do you sit to try me according to the Law, and in violation of the Law order me to be struck?” 4 But the bystanders said, “Do you revile God’s high priest?” 5 And Paul said, “I was not aware, brethren, that he was high priest; for it is written, ‘YOU SHALL NOT SPEAK EVIL OF A RULER OF YOUR PEOPLE.'” (Acts 23:1-5). Paul only said he was wrong because of the Scripture that says one should not speak evil of a ruler of the people. Was Paul speaking in love when he said what he said here? We must be careful about setting up standards of civility for all people in all cases that would not allow us to be like Paul and Jesus.
What did Paul mean when he called Ananias a “whitewashed wall” in this context? He was being like Jesus when he did so. “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness” (Matthew 23:27). The same Greek word for “whitewash” is used in both instances. Paul was speaking to the same type of religious people that Jesus was. He told the man that he was covering his wicked heart with a washing of external religion. Being like Jesus and Paul in this case is not lacking in love, but it is not being civil. At times we have to choose between love and civility. Jesus and Paul chose true love even though it would not be considered civil today.
God Loves... Himself 
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