Kind or Right?

[Ed Edwards]

Say, last week I was reading a passage in an old Bible. I finally figured out (after I closed the Bible and put it on the shelf) that the meaning of the passage was: the Lord prefers us in our interactions with other folks to be KIND instead of RIGHT.

I was studying at times the last two chapters of Acts (27 & 28).

Where was I reading?

Did I get the right message?

Thank you for your help &/or criticism (I'm desperate for anything right now :laugh: ).

 

[steaver]

From what I read, Paul was both kind and right. I don't get what you are saying.

 

[Ed Edwards]

I may NOT have found it in the last two chapters of Acts.
I'm looking for proof texts (there may be more) that MEANS:

It is better for a Christian to be KIND than RIGHT
or The Lord's people should take more effort to be KIND than RIGHT
or It is better to be KIND than RIGHT
or KIND is better than RIGHT
or ETC

Thank you for your thoughts and SCRIPTURES.

 

[SaggyWoman]

The Bible says to be kind to one another.

Does the Bible say to "be right"?

Maybe to be holy, as He is holy.


Was Jesus kind? Was he kind at the temple? Was he kind to the Pharisees?

Was Jesus right? yeah.

 

[Marcia]

I may NOT have found it in the last two chapters of Acts.
I'm looking for proof texts (there may be more) that MEANS:

It is better for a Christian to be KIND than RIGHT
or The Lord's people should take more effort to be KIND than RIGHT
or It is better to be KIND than RIGHT
or KIND is better than RIGHT
or ETC

Thank you for your thoughts and SCRIPTURES.

I think it is not one or the other: we are to be kind and right (right according to the Bible). I equate being right with taking a stand on sound doctrine, as Paul admonished Timothy over and over in 1 and 2 Timothy, and with contending for the faith in Jude 9. I also don't think kind means wishy-washy.

I think saying "to be right" makes it sound like one is wanting to be right just for the sake of being right out of pride. This is not what we should do. However, when we are right because we are standing on scripture, we should take a stand on that, although we can do that in love. However, this does not mean being wishy-washy, but taking a firm stand, which can be done in love and with love. Taking a stand on truth may not seem kind to one who disagrees, but ultimately, it is kind, because it is true and it is God's word.

Paul, in his last recorded address to the church, was warning the church "with tears" against false teachers:

Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.

29"I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock;
30and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them. 31"Therefore be on the alert, remembering that night and day for a period of three years I did not cease to admonish each one with tears. Acts 20:28-31

The warnings against and denouncements of false teachers are all over the NT. So clearly, being "right" on sound doctrine according to scripture is very important to God.

 

[just-want-peace]

Kind - self explanatory

Right - as in, "I'm right, you're wrong" OR
Right - as in, correct with respect to facts and/or doctrine

 

[Ed Edwards]

Kind - self explanatory

Right - as in, "I'm right, you're wrong" OR
Right - as in, correct with respect to facts and/or doctrine

Good question Elder just-want-peace.

Right - as in, "I'm right, you're wrong"

 

[ktn4eg]

When the Apostle Paul was writing to the Ephesians, he did commend them/us to be "...speaking the truth [being right] in love [being kind]" in 4:15.

Then later on he concludes that chapter in verse 32 by saying that we are to "...be kind one to another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you."

Moreover, Jesus tells us that the second greatest commandment isn't to always be right, but rather to love [be kind to] your neighbor. (Matthew 19:19, Mark 12:33)

I'd rather be known for being kind more so than for being right (whatever that means). Unfortunately, in my fallen state I fail miserably in both categories.

 

[drfuss]

Ed,

The closes scripture I can think of is II Tim. 2:23,24 where gentileness is better that being right on unimportant questions.

23 But foolish and unlearned questions avoid, knowing that they do gender strifes. 24 And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient,

 

[SaggyWoman]

Good question Elder just-want-peace.

Right - as in, "I'm right, you're wrong"

I firmly believe in speaking the truth in love, but I don't believe we should beat people up over being right.

The truth has its way of penetrating people and being the winner on it's own.

 

[trustitl]

A few years ago I came to see that God wants us to:

Do the right thing, the right way, for the right reason.

It sounds pretty simplistic, but think about it in regards to yourself. I have found it to be a helpful way to examine myself. If you look at it each step is increasingly more difficult.

I think if we do this it will make us be right and kind and bring glory to God instead of ourselves.

 

[Darron Steele]

Say, last week I was reading a passage in an old Bible. I finally figured out (after I closed the Bible and put it on the shelf) that the meaning of the passage was: the Lord prefers us in our interactions with other folks to be KIND instead of RIGHT.

I was studying at times the last two chapters of Acts (27 & 28).

Where was I reading?

Did I get the right message?

Thank you for your help &/or criticism (I'm desperate for anything right now :laugh: ).

I am in agreement with the overall sentiment of the posters on this thread.

Given the choice between
1) being right without being kind, versus
2) being kind but not fully right
Scripture prefers the latter.

At Luke 9:52-5, after two of Jesus’ disciples asked to burn a village that rejected Him, “He turned and rebuked them” (NBV); their rightness lacked love,* and He disliked that.

Matthew 7:20-3

“Similarly, you will know people by the deeds they do. Not everyone who says to Me, `Lord, Lord’ will enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father in heaven. For many will say to me on that Day, `Lord, Lord, | we spoke for you. And through you we forced out demons and did many miracles.’ Then I will say to them clearly `Get away from me, you who do evil. I never knew you’” (NBV|ICB).​

Let us note the “we spoke for you” part; these people enjoyed speaking on behalf of the Lord, but their overall lives did not involve following the Lord in the simple ways that He spent most of His ministry preaching on.

Many people enjoy `speaking the truth for God' and love to do it with an attitude of nastiness. When it comes to treating people according to the ways and values that He taught, they do not do so. Jesus Christ said we would recognize His followers "the the deeds they do" (NBV) -- not their accuracy.

Titus 3:8b-9a instructs “that they who have believed God may be careful to |devote themselves to good |deeds|. These things are good and profitable unto men: but shun foolish questionings” called “unprofitable and vain.”** Christians should "devote themselves to good deeds" -- not `being right and telling everyone.'

At Matthew 22:37-40, Jesus Christ said “And he said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second like unto it is this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments the whole law hangeth, and the prophets” (ASV).

Ephesians 4:15 tells us to be “speaking the truth in love” (ASV). If the two are not together, it is done wrong. It does not matter how `right' the person is, if s/he teaches `the truth' without love, s/he sins.

2 Timothy 2:24-5a says “And the Lord's servant must not strive, but |be kind to everyone|, apt to teach, forbearing|. The Lord’s servant must gently teach those who do not agree with him” (ASV|ICB|ASV|ICB).

There are wrong ways to be `right.' We must not be `right' in the wrong ways. Scripture definitely has priorities between the two. In keeping with that, I would rather be kind in simpleness than right in sinful ways.
___
*Pointed out by S. E. Stone, Simply Christians, page 64.
**ASV|ESV|NLT 1996, RSV 1952|ASV.

 

[billwald]

Jesus said to love God and be a good neighbor, not a "right" neighbor.

 

[trustitl]

Jesus said to love God and be a good neighbor, not a "right" neighbor.

That's RIGHT. :thumbs: