John Newton and Political Polarization

by Jon Buck

“The Lord’s bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all…able to teach, patient when wronged, with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition”
- 2 Tim 2:24-25

We live in an age where controversy sells.

Studies have shown that polarization in American culture has drastically increased since the 1970s. Much of what was considered ‘overlap’ between the parties has now disappeared. What’s more, politicians and commentators are increasingly incentivized by this current climate to create more controversy for voter retention and donations! The more fearful the constituency, the more donations will flow.

If you have any doubts, just jump into social media for a bit, and you’ll see the pervasive presence of controversial statements that make up most people’s feeds. Controversy and shock-and-awe posts create philosophical echo chambers, where those who agree are able to vilify those that don’t.

Most of the platforms where this kind of controversy is born offer free content and rely on ads, ‘views’, and payment schemes to build a business. However, many also have ‘all access’ subscriptions where the faithful can pay them for further restatements of their positions.

And all of this controversy brings in big dollars.

Christian business bloggers

In an effort to understand where things are going in the Christian world, I listen to a few podcasts that are recommended to me.

This week I was listening to a podcast by a very popular conservative self-proclaimed discernment teacher whom I had never heard. He was sharing about a host of controversial topics, both political and religious. During his commentary he let slip that all his children are employed for his platform. Now - he certainly has the right to pay his children to work for him. However, it is interesting to note that there’s enough money coming into the podcast for him to build a state-of-the art website, provide a large number of various podcasts, and hire his entire family to work in the business.

This is just one of many such men. And most, if not all, are enjoying a comfortable living from their controversy.

The danger, of course, with such podcasts is that they grow through listeners. The more listeners a show gets, the more money the show and its hosts make. Just like politicians, in an era when the world is polarizing around these topics, these men are incentivized to increase controversy as well.

When confronted, these types of Christians argue that controversy is the sincerest form of love. If people are going to hell, what is more loving than to vilify them, and castigate them for their false views? Perhaps they’ll come to Christ!

In fact, in the podcast I was listening to, one of the pastors scoffed that there is no eleventh commandment—“Thou shalt be nice.”

Paul’s Command

These men, though self-proclaimed intellectual leaders in the Christian community, are not following the example of the apostle Paul. Their desire for controversy and quarreling in the public sphere is not biblical, and there is, in fact, a command to be kind!

Paul told his protege in the faith Timothy that the bond-servant of God must not be quarrelsome. Instead, he calls him to be kind to all—not just his friends, but to all. He goes on to call for gentleness when correcting those who are in opposition.

The word in this verse for quarrelsome is the Greek word that can mean either physical or verbal aggression. Paul is describing an angry, confrontative spirit that can often characterize those who claim to be bondservants of God.

He wants Timothy to flee that spirit, and instead, correct with gentleness. Note—he doesn’t tell Timothy to not correct, but tells him to do so with gentleness.

John Newton’s Example

The famous author of Amazing Grace, John Newton, exemplified this command in a letter he wrote to a friend in ministry. The friend was embroiled in controversy, and Newton offered a suggestion about how to think of his opponents that would be helpful for many in our day.

My prayer is that we will be more like Paul, and more like John Newton, because we are more like Jesus Christ. The quote is long, but worth the read.

“If you account him a believer, though greatly mistaken in the subject of debate between you, the words of David to Joab concerning Absalom, are very applicable: "Deal gently with him for my sake." The Lord loves him and bears with him; therefore you must not despise him, or treat him harshly. The Lord bears with you likewise, and expects that you should show tenderness to others, from a sense of the much forgiveness you need yourself. In a little while you will meet in heaven; he will then be dearer to you than the nearest friend you have upon earth is to you now. Anticipate that period in your thoughts; and though you may find it necessary to oppose his errors, view him personally as a kindred soul, with whom you are to be happy in Christ forever.

But if you look upon him as an unconverted person, in a state of enmity against God and his grace (a supposition which, without good evidence, you should be very unwilling to admit), he is a more proper object of your compassion than of your anger. Alas! "He knows not what he does." But you know who has made you to differ. If God, in his sovereign pleasure, had so appointed, you might have been as he is now; and he, instead of you, might have been set for the defense of the gospel. You were both equally blind by nature. If you attend to this, you will not reproach or hate him, because the Lord has been pleased to open your eyes, and not his.”

Kindness doesn’t sell the way controversy does.

But Paul wasn’t about listeners, likes, or retweets. He wasn’t employing his family in a burgeoning business of controversy. Eventually the current political and religious polarization will pass—I pray our legacy will be one of kind gentleness, rather than vitriol.