I know I tell people all the time I try to be funny in the comics when I can. There are some subjects that I just can't find a way to be funny with. There are also subjects I would like to cover that I feel are hindering the body that don't really fit in other comic series. Thus, my soapbox.

Gatekeeping has been around for a while. I saw gatekeeping even in the church. "You have to be X denomination or you aren't really a Christian." is probably the most common I've seen.

I often run into posts that I see that seem to be gatekeeping and when I engage with the poster, find out that it is what they are doing.

One of the more common ones I run into is when it comes to language. Language has always fascinated me. When I was younger, I wanted to be an English teacher. I learned how to count in German. When I was older, Spanish was my favorite subject in school. As an adult, I started studying Russian. In most recent years, its been Hebrew.

So, when someone says something about language, I take notice. Especially when they start gatekeeping around language.

I've seen everything from crazy-out-of-left-field statements such as "666 in Revelation 13:18 is pronounced 'Cheesus' (i.e. Jesus) and if you are using that name, you are calling on the Anti-Christ", which shows a lack of study of how Greek works or its sounds, to statements that seem convicting and plausible such as "If you call YHWH by titles, you are offending Him", which shows a lack of study of Scripture.

I could go on and on and give several other examples, even some very recent ones, but my concern is this: these gatekeepers are trying to abuse the feeling of conviction to get you to listen to them. If you run into something that makes you feel convicted, stop, pray and ask YHWH "is this from You or is this someone spouting nonsense?".

Another thing you should always do: test what whoever is saying. Don't just take their word for it. I see so many take what some "teacher" online says and regurgitate it as their own like it is 100% fact that everyone should know.

I see Acts 15 as a great example of gatekeeping in Scripture. We have a set of believers that tell the new believers that they must be circumcised in order to be saved. The council stated "no, we didn't even have to do that". It isn't something that has to be done in order to be saved. When the command was given, that wasn't even its intended purpose. Then they instruct them to study Moses every week. Where they will eventually learn what circumcision is and when it should be done, along with other commands. Which will build the new believers up.

That's what we should be doing, building each other up. Not trying beat someone over the head for not knowing things we know, or that we think we know, where we are at on our walk.

And I say "what we think we know" as I've been on this path for several years now. I have to relearn things all the time. I thought I had idea X down 100%, but then I read another Scripture on that subject that doesn't fit with what I "knew". Now, I have to go and study and test again. I learn, I grow.

If you aren't in a spot where you can still learn, you might want to reconsider where you are standing.

https://thestraightandnarrow.cfw.me/comics/797



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