Tuesday, June 14, 2005

John Stott on the Distinction Between a Tolerant Mind and a Tolerant Spirit

“We need to distinguish between the tolerant mind and the tolerant spirit. Tolerant in spirit a Christian should always be, loving, understanding, forgiving and forbearing others, making allowances for them, and giving them the benefit of the doubt, for true love ‘bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things’ [1 Cor. 13:7]. But how can we be tolerant in mind of what God has plainly revealed to be either evil or erroneous?”

—John R.W. Stott, Christ the Controversialist (Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press, 1970), 8.