Good and Bad Tolerance and Intolerance with the Importance of Grace

(by Bill Stevenson, July 4-6, 2005)

One of the main things that has upset me the most in the last 20 years is the common
demand of liberals for tolerance and grace for actions and individuals who according to the Bible
are not-pleasing to God. But I also get very angry about the conservatives who are so intolerant
and wrongly condemn or rebuke others. At times I have rebuked such individuals in the prideful
churches I have been in when I was their victim. Let us look at the old definitions of these
words, appropriate Scripture, and some other concerns that I have in this subject area.

Appropriate definitions from the 1828 Webster’s Dictionary with my bolding:

GRACE, n. [L. gratia, which is formed on the Celtic; Eng. agree, congruous, and ready. The
primary sense of gratus, is free, ready, quick, willing, prompt, from advancing.]
1. Favor; good will; kindness; disposition to oblige another-- as a grant made as an act of
grace.
2. Appropriately, the free unmerited love and favor of God, the spring and source of all
the benefits men receive from Him. “And if by grace, then it is no more of works.”
Romans 11
3. Favorable influence of God; divine influence or the influence of the spirit, in renewing
the heart and restraining from sin. “My grace is sufficient for thee.” 2 Corinthians 12
4. The application of Christ's righteousness to the sinner. “Where sin abounded, grace
did much more abound.” Romans 5
5. A state of reconciliation to God. Romans 5:2
6. Virtuous or religious affection or disposition, as a liberal disposition, faith, meekness,
humility, patience, and proceeding from divine influence.
7. Spiritual instruction, improvement, and edification. Ephesians 4:29
9. Eternal life; final salvation. 1 Peter 1:13
10. Favor; mercy; pardon.
11. Favor conferred.
12. That in manner, deportment, or language which renders it appropriate and agreeable;
suitableness; elegance with appropriate dignity. We say, a speaker delivers his address
with grace; a man performs his part with grace.
13. “Day in grace” in theology, time of probation, when an offer is made to sinners. “Days in
grace” in commerce, the days immediately following the day when a bill or note becomes
due, which days are allowed to the debtor or payer to make payment in. In Great Britain and
the United States the “days of grace” are three, but in other countries more; the usages of
merchants being different.

TOL'ERABLE, a. [L. tolerabilis. See Tolerate.]

1. That may be borne or endured; supportable, either physically or mentally. The cold in
Canada is severe, but tolerable. The insults and indignities of our enemies are not
tolerable.
2. Moderately good or agreeable; not contemptible; not very excellent or pleasing, but
such as can be borne or received without disgust, resentment or opposition-- as a
tolerable translation, a tolerable entertainment, or a tolerable administration.

TOL'ERABLENESS, n. The state of being tolerable.

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TOL'ERABLY, adv. Supportably; in a manner to be endured. Moderately well; passably; not
perfectly-- as a constitution tolerably firm. The advocate speaks tolerably well.

TOL'ERANCE, n. [L. tolerantia, from tolero, to bear.] The power or capacity of enduring;
or the act of enduring. Diogenes one frosty morning came to the market place shaking, to show
his tolerance. [Little used. But intolerance is in common use.]

TOL'ERANT, a. Enduring; indulgent; favoring toleration.

TOL'ERATE, v.t. [L. tolero, from tollo, to lift.]

1. To suffer to be or to be done without prohibition or hindrance
2. To allow or permit negatively, by not preventing; not to restrain-- as, to tolerate
opinions or practices. The Protestant religion is tolerated in France, and the Roman
Catholic in Great Britain. The law of love tolerates no vice, and patronizes every
virtue.

TOL'ERATED, pp. Suffered; allowed; not prohibited or restrained.

TOL'ERATING, ppr. Enduring; suffering to be or to be done; allowing; not restraining.

TOLERA'TION, n. [L. toleratio.] The act of tolerating; the allowance of that which is not
wholly approved; appropriately, the allowance of religious opinions and modes of worship
in a state, when contrary to or different from those of the established church or belief.
Toleration implies a right in the sovereign to control men in their opinions and worship, or
it implies the actual exercise of power in such control.

INTOL'ERABLE, a. [L. intolerabilis; in and tolerabilis, tolero, to bear.]

1. Not to be borne; that cannot be endured-- as intolerable pain; intolerable heat or cold; an
intolerable burden.
2. Insufferable, as intolerable laziness.

INTOL'ERABLENESS, n. The quality of being not tolerable or sufferable.

INTOL'ERABLY, adv. To a degree beyond endurance, as intolerably cold; intolerably abusive.

INTOL'ERANCE, n. [from intolerant.] Want of toleration; the not enduring at all or not
suffering to exist without persecution-- as the intolerance of a prince or a church towards a
religious sect.

INTOL'ERANT, a. [L. in and tolero, to endure.]

1. Not enduring; not able to endure. The powers of the human body being limited and
intolerant of excesses.
2. Not enduring difference of opinion or worship; refusing to tolerate others in the
enjoyment of their opinions, rights and worship.

INTOL'ERANT, n. One who does not favor toleration.

INTOL'ERATED, a. Not endured; not tolerated.

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INTOLERA'TION, n. Intolerance; refusal to tolerate others in their opinions or worship.
To Accept or Reject?

Should true Christians be tolerant of the following? Note: The ones I have italicized are very
common in most churches that I have been in.
1. Matthew 5:17-30-- self-righteousness, selfish motives, spiritual hypocrisy, anger, ridicule,
and character assassination
2. Matthew 11:23 & Romans 1:17-32-- homosexuality, hindering of truth, unthankfulness to
God, futile living, vain imaginings, foolish reasoning, stupid speculating,
boasting, hero and animal worshipping, lusts for sexual impurity, body
dishonoring, unrighteousness, iniquity, covetousness, greed, malice, envy,
jealousy, murder, strife, deceit, treachery, ill will, cruel ways, secret
backbiters and gossipers, slanderers, hate, insolence, arrogance,
boasting, inventors of new forms of evil, disobedience to parents,
unfaithfulness, and those who condone the above behaviors.
3. Galatians 5:15-21-- partisan strife, selfish cravings, immorality, impurity, indecency, idolatry,
sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, anger, selfishness, divisions (dissension),
party spirit (factions, sects with peculiar opinions, heresies), envy,
drunkenness, carousing, and the like.
4. 2 Timothy 3:1-5-- stress, troubles, self-love (self-centerness), loving of money, desiring for
wealth, pride, arrogance, contemptuous boasting, abuse, blasphemy,
scoffing, disobedience of parents, ungratefulness, unholiness, profanity,
unnatural (callous) affection, promise breaking, slander (false accusing
and trouble making), intemperance, uncontrolled brashness, hating of
those who do good, betraying, self-conceit, loving of sensual pleasure
and vain amusements more than and rather than loving God, doing piety
religion, denying the power of God for righteousness.

What God hates in our churches:

R -- ritual
E -- earnestness for superficiality
L -- legalistic
I -- ignorant of a lot of what is God-pleasing
G -- going on with tradition
I -- “I” problem especially in pride and selfishness
O -- obnoxious
N -- nasty, hypocritical, and condemnatory like the Pharisees of old

So what can true Christians tolerate about what is happening in churches, home groups,
marriages, politics, entertainment (TV, movies, sports, jokes, funny stories, etc.), and other
places one goes to? How could living Proverbs 3:5-8, Romans 12:1-3, and Philippians 4:4-8
help you make a good list of criteria to help know what is tolerable?

Grace

In a computer search in King James Version Bible software, 159 verses with “grace” were found.
I did not use any possible controversial or inappropriate verses. Try to determine why each verse
is in the group I put it in. Also, see if any verse justifies tolerance of sin or intolerance.

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Grace from God in the Old Testament:
Genesis 6:8; Exodus 33:12-13 &16-17; Exodus 34:9; Judges 6:17; Ezra 9:4-9; Psalms 84:11;
Proverbs 3:33-34; Jeremiah 31:2; Zechariah 12:10

Grace from God the Father in Jesus Christ:

Luke 2:40; John 1:14-17; Hebrews 2:9

Grace of God in the lives of the Apostles:

Romans 1:5; Galatians 1:15-16; Galatians 2:19-21; 1 Timothy 1:12-17; Acts 14:3 & 26, Acts
15:11; Galatians 2:9; 2 Corinthians 1:12; Ephesians 3:1-2 & 7-8; Acts 15:40; 1 Corinthians 3:10;
Romans 12:3 & 6; 1 Corinthians 10:30; Acts 20:24; 2 Corinthians 12:9; Romans 15:15; 1
Corinthians 15:10; Acts 20:32; Philippians 1:7

Grace for New Testament believers:

Acts 18:27-28; Romans 3:23-24; Romans 4:15-16; Romans 5:1-2 & 15-20; Romans 6:14-15;
Romans 11:5-6; 1 Peter 1:10-13; 2 Corinthians 4:14-15; 2 Corinthians 8:9; 2 Corinthians 9:6-8;
Ephesians 2:4-10; Ephesians 4:7; 2 Thessalonians 2:14-17; 2 Timothy 1:8-9; Titus 2:11-14; Titus
3:4-7; James 4:5-8; 1 Peter 5:5; 1 Peter 5:10-12

Away from divine grace:

2 Corinthians 6:1; Galatians 1:6; Galatians 5:4; Hebrews 10:28-31; Hebrews 12:15-17; James
1:10-11; Jude 1:3-4--

Grace from human beings:

Genesis 32:5; Genesis 33:8- 15; Genesis 34:11; Genesis 39:4; Genesis 47:25-29; Genesis 50:4,
Numbers 32:5; Ruth 2:2 & 10; 1 Samuel 1:18; 1 Samuel 20:3; 1 Samuel 27:5; 2 Samuel 14:22; 2
Samuel 16:4; Esther 2:17

Grace in written Apostle greetings and salutations:

Ephesians 1:1-7; Romans 1:7; Romans 16:20-24; 1 Corinthians 1:3-4; 1 Corinthians 16:23; 2
Corinthians 1:2; 2 Corinthians 8:1; 2 Corinthians 13:14; Galatians 1:3; Galatians 6:18; Ephesians
6:24; Philippians 1:2; Philippians 4:23; Colossians 1:2; Colossians 4:18; 1 Thessalonians 1:1; 1
Thessalonians 5:28; 2 Thessalonians 1:2 & 12; 2 Thessalonians 3:18; 1 Timothy 1:2; 1 Timothy
6:20-21; 2 Timothy 1:2;
2 Timothy 2:1; 2 Timothy 4:22; Titus 1:4; Titus 3:15; Philemon 1:3 & 25; Hebrews 13:25; 1
Peter 1:1-2; 2 Peter 1:1-2; 2 Peter 3:18; 2 John 1:1-3; Revelation 1:4; Revelation 22:21

Grace from learning:

Proverbs 1:8-9; Proverbs 3:21-22; Proverbs 4:7-9; Acts 4:33-35; Colossians 1:5-6

Observed grace of human beings:

Psalms 45:2; Proverbs 22:11; Acts 11:22-23; 2 Corinthians 8:6-7; 2 Corinthians 8:17-19; 2
Corinthians 9:14; Ephesians 4:29; Colossians 4:6 & 3:16

Exhortations related to God’s grace:

Acts 13:43; Hebrews 4:14-16; Hebrews 12:28-29; Hebrews 13:8-9; 1 Peter 3:7-9; 1 Peter 4:10