Facing a Divided World - A Deeper Dive
Message Recap
This week’s message, entitled Facing a Divided World, examines how those who follow the teachings of Jesus can navigate a world where we seem more concerned about our differences than about what we have in common. The scripture that serves as the backdrop for this message, Acts 18:5-11, describes Paul’s response to the opposition he faced during his second missionary journey to Corinth.
Paul had set out with Silas to visit the towns where he had preached during his first missionary journey to see how those new believers were doing. It was a difficult journey because they faced opposition and occasional hostility. In Plillipi, they were beaten and jailed for advocating customs that were unlawful or considered unacceptable by the Romans. In Thessalonica, Jews rioted because Paul defied Caesar’s decrees by saying that Jesus was a king.
Now in Corinth, Paul continued his attempt to persuade Jews and Greeks to join the movement of believers. He taught in the synagogue, using the words of the prophets to show how Jesus fulfilled the prophecies describing the coming of the Messiah. But, while Paul convinced some, others remained unpersuaded, and they kicked him out of the synagogue. Frustrated by the rejection and abusive criticism from the Jews, Paul “shook out his clothes in protest.” He told them he was absolved of liability for those who refused to believe (see Acts 18:6).
Under normal circumstances, Paul would have immediately left Corinth. However, in a vision, God tells Paul to stay, assuring him that he will be protected. Paul ends up staying in Corinth for a year and a half.
Why is Paul’s story of his second journey to Corinth important to us? It is an example of Jesus’ prediction the world would reject those who believe in him. Paul’s teaching in Corinth and elsewhere was constantly met with opposition and even hostility. Today there is increasing division and polarization in the United States over hot-button topics. For everyone who engages in debate about issues that divide, there is often pressure to abandon personal truth. For Christians, this can mean pressure to set aside biblical truth in favor of shifts in cultural norms.
Our ideological spectrum - our political, social, and moral belief system - can be thought of as a bell curve. There are extremes to either side of the center, but most people fall somewhere in the middle of that curve. Some will lean a little more left of center, and others a little right, but most of us are quite happy in the middle of the curve. There is a term for those who fall in the middle of the spectrum: the exhausted majority. We’re tired of the fighting, the polarization, and the inability to focus on common ground.
How do we engage with those who hold strong opposing views? In the sermon series we just completed, Resurrecting Hope, we discussed the importance of personal relationships. How do we avoid destroying those relationships just because we disagree? Here are four possible ways to respond to divisive issues without abandoning our truth.
First, we can compromise. This idea might seem counterintuitive when we emphasize not giving up biblical truth. As discussed earlier, Paul faced opposition at every turn, yet by all accounts, he successfully convinced people that the Gospel was the truth. In his first letter to the church in Corinth, Paul describes how he places himself in the service of all people, Jews and Gentiles, to win them over. He compromised his position to demonstrate the love of Jesus (see 1 Corinthians 9:19-23). Don’t misunderstand; Paul never changed the content of his message. He changed his behavior. We can find common ground when we listen, show kindness, and humble ourselves. To compromise is to offer alternative viewpoints without demeaning others or weaponizing our beliefs.
We can respond with silence. Sometimes we’re better off listening rather than responding in haste. The Apostle James writes in his epistle that we should be quick to listen and slow to speak (see James 1:19-20). In an article about how we can respond in faith to a hostile world, one author asserts that there’s rarely much to gain with evangelistic zeal on an issue with a vast gulf between the Christian and secular mindsets. In other words, trying to convince someone using biblical truths is often futile when that person puts no credence in those truths. Sometimes it’s a matter of picking our battles.
There are times we should simply walk away. If someone is unwilling to acknowledge what we have in common and only wants to focus on where we disagree, it may be time to step away, even at the cost of a lost relationship. In today’s scripture, Paul was prepared to walk away from Corinth because he faced so much pushback. He was ready to do as Jesus had instructed and shake the dirt of Corinth from his feet. Jesus often sought solitude. He wasn’t necessarily walking away from opposition - although the religious leaders constantly sought ways to prove him wrong. He needed a break, and his way of finding peace was to spend time with his father in solitude.
Finally, some situations require us to be strong and assertive. We need to stand our ground, which can be seen as confrontational. Jesus confronted the Pharisees and the money changers, but he did not abandon his ability to love everyone. Too often in the current environment, we find ourselves in situations where we’re ready to pounce. We enter divisive situations looking for a fight. But the enemies aren’t the people with opposing views. They are the forces of evil. In Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, he offers a reminder of who is the real target of our confrontation (see Ephesians 6:12).
How we choose to respond to divisive issues is a matter of personal conviction. Each of us knows what we are willing to do in the face of hostility. If nothing else, we must resist responding based on someone else’s expectations. No matter the issue, we can find comfort in our truth, being guided by the Holy Spirit and the hope offered by the resurrected Christ.
Filled with Contempt
One of the scripture passages referenced in this message comes from the Gospel of John:
“18 If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. 19 If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.”
It is a warning that the non-believing world would hate the disciples just as they hated Jesus. This warning was likely not only intended for the disciples of the time but for all believers who were to come. Unfortunately, history has proven Jesus’ prediction to be accurate. Christians have been the target of persecution, hostility, and harm throughout the ages.
In this modern era, biblical faith is often characterized as evil, hateful, fearful, closed-minded, and ignorant. It seems ironic and hypocritical that the non-believing world that insists on tolerance for those who believe differently would levy such contempt toward Christians.
Jesus’ words should reassure us. When we choose to honor God, we shine an uncomfortable light on sin. A broken world responds with hatred and contempt because our sinful nature prefers selfishness and seeks justification for disobedience. Conversely, when we act in truly Christlike ways and suffer for it, we can take comfort in knowing that it’s further proof of the validity of our beliefs.
Responding to hate with our own hatred and disparagement is often tempting. But, as one author cautioned when writing about dealing with divisive issues, don’t let the radicalism of others radicalize you in return.