A: Not quite. In Mark 9:40, Jesus says, He that is not against us is for us. And in Luke 9:50, Jesus says, He that is not against you is for you. (NRSV) (In the KJV, Luke 9:50 resembles Mark 9:40, saying He that is not against us is for us.) Given the different settings of the two sayings (in Mark and Luke, Jesus is commenting on someone who was -- successfully, it seems -- casting out demons in Jesus name), the claim of a contradiction here seems to be grounded in a misquotation.
I dont see how a charge of intolerance can be sustained here. Jesus sure seems confident that He is right and others are wrong, but He is not denying them the ability to express disagreement with him. This particular statement does not even condemn such disagreement; it is merely an observation. What Jesus is expressing here is not intolerance, but conviction.
Yours in Christ,
Waterrock





