Acts 4:31
"They were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to proclaim God's message with boldness."
I'm guessing that a lot of people read this to mean "we have to spread the Word strongly, whether people want to hear it or not."
It is certainly an evangelising context. Being raised a Catholic, I don't think we were ever encouraged to be bold. Nor were we encouraged to go out on the street and tell people the Good News. I could be wrong but I think we were encouraged to evangelise more through witness than preaching directly the Good news.
So how do I interpret "boldness" here? I am going to interpret it as courage to be Christian and stick to Christian values in all circumstances. Even when we are confronted with pragmatic secular values. Boldness in the face of opposite views.
Boldness always had a negative connotation with me. "Don't be so bold." A bold child challenging authority. But I need to see it in a positive light here.
"They were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to proclaim God's message with boldness."
I'm guessing that a lot of people read this to mean "we have to spread the Word strongly, whether people want to hear it or not."
It is certainly an evangelising context. Being raised a Catholic, I don't think we were ever encouraged to be bold. Nor were we encouraged to go out on the street and tell people the Good News. I could be wrong but I think we were encouraged to evangelise more through witness than preaching directly the Good news.
So how do I interpret "boldness" here? I am going to interpret it as courage to be Christian and stick to Christian values in all circumstances. Even when we are confronted with pragmatic secular values. Boldness in the face of opposite views.
Boldness always had a negative connotation with me. "Don't be so bold." A bold child challenging authority. But I need to see it in a positive light here.