2 Cor 13:12 instructs us to "Greet each other with Christian love"
1 Thess 5:26 is similar, "Greet all the brothers & sisters with Christian love"
How is this compatible with Proverbs 27:17? How may I greet another Christian man with Christian love, and promote iron sharpening iron? Again, is this greeting Biblical?
What if in my greeting of this man, I set the foundation as iron sharpening iron? Does that mean I don't care for this man as a brother in Christ? I would argue it does not. A wise friend once told me that the best friends are the ones who love you the way you are, and love you too much to let you stay that way. The intent isn't manipulative, that they'll make you into who they want you to be. Instead, it is they'll challenge & encourage your growth, rather than encouraging your stagnation.
Have you ever been in a social situation where someone was very quiet & didn't provide much in the way of verbal affirmation? What if that person provided little in the way of non-verbal communication? When that happens to me, I turn inward & start guessing at what the other person might be thinking or feeling. My guesses have a lot to do with my own feelings & emotional state, and little to do with the other person. My guesses may or may not be in line with the Bible, and don't have any bearing on whether the Crucible Project weekend is Biblical or not.
What if it is true that iron sharpening iron and greeting each other with Christian love are not only compatible, but the focused intent, based on scripture?
