Q1. Tolerance

[JoanG]

I feel that the Corinthians were proud of their tolerance of immortality because they might have felt that they were being inclusive of all people. They might have felt that it was more important to have larger numbers than worry about the activities that they were involved with. They felt that they were reaching out to people instead of trying to teach they about the bible or the teachings of Jesus and God. I believe that the Corinthian church had a very liberal value system. they were a very worldly oriented church of  the time.

[Irmela]

1 Corinthians 5:1-2a) Why do you think the Corinthians were so proud of their tolerance of immorality?

Paul knew that compulsory goodness has no value. The church had to make a decision. Based on this they had as yet not come to the place where they did not tolerate immoral behaviour as this was part and parcel of the culture they grew up in. 

In Philippians 2:14, Paul encouraged the converts to do all things without grumbling or faultfinding and in v16 it reads "hold out and offer to all men, the Word of Life". 

Now this man who was living with his step mother was not tolerated by society as such, but the church had embraced them and this is what they were proud of. 

What does this say about their value system?

Anything was allowed. They had not yet come to the place where immorality was defined as sin. They needed to seriously redefine or put into place a "value system" which was according to the Scripture/Torah. 

[Krissi]

There’s a reason why gays call their social movement “Pride” – this deflects any residual shame previously associated with such behavior. Tolerance is the premier public virtue today, which means, essentially, that Christians keep their morality to themselves, never critiquing the values and goals of secularists.

The head of the EU, Ursala von der Leyen, recently claimed that non-Westerners “… envy us for our values …”  She said this against the backdrop of American public support for mutilating children who think they’re another gender, displays of graphic, large and blue/yellow (Ukraine colors) male members on the streets of Germany, twerking in public buildings in London, and replacing all national flags in front of the UN building with rainbow gay flags.

I disagree vehemently with those who write, here, that secular people in the West have no values. They most certainly have “values.” They fight for their values. Even die for them.

The church completely lost the “culture war” after a half-hearted fight. We just threw in the towel and walked away. Rather than contest secularism, compromised Christian churches jumped on the elitist bandwagon and championed gay ordination, etc. Entire denominations fell to sexual perversion. Evangelical-like Churches which still uphold traditional or biblical morality mostly do/can not voice their values in a culture that openly persecutes them.

At this point, Christian outreach is one-on-one. Back to basics! We must talk to others about Christ and morality behind the scenes and quite carefully. We MUST be salt and light to all individuals who meet us, to show Christ by our actions and speak of Him with soft, wise words.