--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The true church is too different for the…" description: "\"The true church is too different for the world to tolerate it.\" — Sinclair B. Ferguson" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b61/sinclair-b-ferguson-3915_church_the-true-church-is-too-different-for-the_817852.png" --- # The true church is too different for the world to tolerate… ![“The true church is too different for the world to tolerate it.” quote by Sinclair B. Ferguson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b61/sinclair-b-ferguson-3915_church_the-true-church-is-too-different-for-the_817852.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b61/sinclair-b-ferguson-3915_church_the-true-church-is-too-different-for-the_817852.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b61/sinclair-b-ferguson-3915_church_the-true-church-is-too-different-for-the_817852.png) > “The true church is too different for the world to tolerate it.” [Sinclair B. Ferguson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sinclair-b-ferguson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The true church differs so much from worldly norms that it cannot be tolerated. **In simple terms:** True faith is at odds with society. Key Takeaway Recognize cultural tensions. Themes faith society intolerance Mood thoughtful serious inquisitive Type philosophical sociological When to use this quote - religious practice - public policy - interfaith dialogue - community building Key Concepts theology sociology Questions to Reflect On - How can divergent beliefs coexist? - What drives societal intolerance? A Different Perspective Tolerance varies across cultures. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Church](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/church/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [If the region truly becomes democratic, an undemocratic bit of earth would remain here. 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Uchtdorf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dieter-f-uchtdorf/) > [Devotion to the family and devotion to the Church are not different and separate things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boyd-k-packer/devotion-to-the-family-and-devotion-to-the-church-are-not-different/) [Boyd K. Packer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boyd-k-packer/) > [The church is always to be under the Word; she must be; we must keep her there. You must not assume that because the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martyn-lloyd-jones/the-church-is-always-to-be-under-the-word-she-must-be-we-must-keep/) [Martyn Lloyd-Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martyn-lloyd-jones/) > [Shepperton Church was a very different looking building five-and-twenty years ago. To be sure, its substantial stone tower looks at you through its intelligent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-eliot/shepperton-church-was-a-very-different-looking-building-five-and/) [George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-eliot/) > [Singing in church is a very different approach to music. It's very much about transcending the idea of self. It's about finding something greater…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lizz-wright/singing-in-church-is-a-very-different-approach-to-music-it-s-very/) [Lizz Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lizz-wright/) > [There is no one true church, no one chosen people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-tempest-williams/there-is-no-one-true-church-no-one-chosen-people/) [Terry Tempest Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-tempest-williams/) > [There is no one true church.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-buckley/there-is-no-one-true-church/) [Pat Buckley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-buckley/) > [The true Church is born from above. In it there are no sinners, and outside of it no saints. No man can put another's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-ravenhill/the-true-church-is-born-from-above-in-it-there-are-no-sinners-and/) [Leonard Ravenhill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-ravenhill/) > [The true Church of England, at this moment, lies in the Editors of the newspapers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-carlyle/the-true-church-of-england-at-this-moment-lies-in-the-editors-of-the/) [Thomas Carlyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-carlyle/) > [The true Church is not an institution to be kept apart from the world because the world "is common and unclean," but a vital…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-hubbel-chapin/the-true-church-is-not-an-institution-to-be-kept-apart-from-the-world/) [Edwin Hubbel Chapin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-hubbel-chapin/) > [God's true church has always been a place where people hunger for the truth from the Bible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-macarthur/god-s-true-church-has-always-been-a-place-where-people-hunger-for-the/) [John MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-macarthur/) > [When the church is in mission, it is the true church. The church itself is not only a product of that mission but is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-hirsch/when-the-church-is-in-mission-it-is-the-true-church-the-church-itself/) [Alan Hirsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-hirsch/) ## More by Sinclair B. Ferguson > [Even those of us who have weak faith have the same strong Christ as others!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sinclair-b-ferguson/even-those-of-us-who-have-weak-faith-have-the-same-strong-christ-as/) [Sinclair B. Ferguson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sinclair-b-ferguson/) > [“Third, hear our loss of focus on the gospel in our songs. This is no comment on musical styles and tastes, but simply an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sinclair-b-ferguson/third-hear-our-loss-of-focus-on-the-gospel-in-our-songs-this-is-no/) [Sinclair B. Ferguson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sinclair-b-ferguson/) > [When the New Testament speaks about the fullness of grace which we find in Christ, it does not mean only forgiveness, pardon and justification.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sinclair-b-ferguson/when-the-new-testament-speaks-about-the-fullness-of-grace-which-we/) [Sinclair B. Ferguson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sinclair-b-ferguson/) > [Every day we need our gaze redirected from ourselves to God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sinclair-b-ferguson/every-day-we-need-our-gaze-redirected-from-ourselves-to-god/) [Sinclair B. Ferguson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sinclair-b-ferguson/) > [The jewels of spiritual service are always quarried in the depths of spiritual experience. Never is this more true than in revival. Bend the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sinclair-b-ferguson/the-jewels-of-spiritual-service-are-always-quarried-in-the-depths-of/) [Sinclair B. Ferguson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sinclair-b-ferguson/) > [Contentment is an undervalued grace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sinclair-b-ferguson/contentment-is-an-undervalued-grace/) [Sinclair B. Ferguson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sinclair-b-ferguson/) > [Where God is at the center of things, worship inevitably follows. Where there is no spirit of worship, there God has been dethroned and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sinclair-b-ferguson/where-god-is-at-the-center-of-things-worship-inevitably-follows-where/) [Sinclair B. Ferguson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sinclair-b-ferguson/) > [“God protects us from Satan even at times when we are not aware of His protection. But how can we develop Jesus-like discernment? By…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sinclair-b-ferguson/god-protects-us-from-satan-even-at-times-when-we-are-not-aware-of-his/) [Sinclair B. Ferguson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sinclair-b-ferguson/) > [The weakest faith gets the same strong Christ as does the strongest faith.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sinclair-b-ferguson/the-weakest-faith-gets-the-same-strong-christ-as-does-the-strongest/) [Sinclair B. Ferguson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sinclair-b-ferguson/) > [Do I learn through dark providences, or simply seem relieved when they are over?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sinclair-b-ferguson/do-i-learn-through-dark-providences-or-simply-seem-relieved-when-they/) [Sinclair B. Ferguson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sinclair-b-ferguson/) > [How do we bring glory to God? The Bible’s short answer is: by growing more and more like Jesus Christ.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sinclair-b-ferguson/how-do-we-bring-glory-to-god-the-bible-s-short-answer-is-by-growing/) [Sinclair B. Ferguson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sinclair-b-ferguson/) > [The conviction that Christian doctrine matters for Christian living is one of the most important growth points of the Christian life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sinclair-b-ferguson/the-conviction-that-christian-doctrine-matters-for-christian-living/) [Sinclair B. Ferguson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sinclair-b-ferguson/) > [The only thing of my very own which I contribute to my redemption is the sin from which I need to be redeemed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sinclair-b-ferguson/the-only-thing-of-my-very-own-which-i-contribute-to-my-redemption-is/) [Sinclair B. Ferguson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sinclair-b-ferguson/) > [Christian contentment, therefore, is the direct fruit of having no higher ambition than to belong to the Lord and to be totally at His…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sinclair-b-ferguson/christian-contentment-therefore-is-the-direct-fruit-of-having-no/) [Sinclair B. Ferguson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sinclair-b-ferguson/) > [You do not become a master musician by playing just as you please, by imagining that learning the scales is sheer legalism and bondage!…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sinclair-b-ferguson/you-do-not-become-a-master-musician-by-playing-just-as-you-please-by/) [Sinclair B. Ferguson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sinclair-b-ferguson/) [Explore all 119 Sinclair B. Ferguson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sinclair-b-ferguson/) ## More Church quotes > [While the 1963 Birmingham church bombing is the most historic, there also was a series of church burnings in the 1990s. Recognition of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthea-butler/while-the-1963-birmingham-church-bombing-is-the-most-historic-there/) [Anthea Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthea-butler/) > [If I had my brothers I think with just a little bit of the correct marketing, I'd like to be almost exclusively in small…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-bozzio/if-i-had-my-brothers-i-think-with-just-a-little-bit-of-the-correct/) [Terry Bozzio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-bozzio/) > [Turn over the pages of history and read the damning record of the church's opposition to every advance in every field of science. . . .](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/upton-sinclair/turn-over-the-pages-of-history-and-read-the-damning-record-of-the/) [Upton Sinclair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/upton-sinclair/) > [Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, that he owes account to none other for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/believing-with-you-that-religion-is-a-matter-which-lies-solely/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [Jeff Chu's pilgrimage across America to discover his own place as a gay man in the Christian church as well as attitudes about being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-freitas/jeff-chu-s-pilgrimage-across-america-to-discover-his-own-place-as-a/) [Donna Freitas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-freitas/) > [God is not calling us to go to church; he is calling us to be his church, the hope of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-groeschel/god-is-not-calling-us-to-go-to-church-he-is-calling-us-to-be-his/) [Craig Groeschel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-groeschel/) > [The emerging church movement has come to believe that the ultimate context of the spiritual aspirations of a follower of Jesus Christ is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samir-selmanovic/the-emerging-church-movement-has-come-to-believe-that-the-ultimate/) [Samir Selmanovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samir-selmanovic/) > [ T\]he church is not a place. It's not a building. It's not a preaching point. It's not a spiritual service provider. It's a people… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-dever/t-he-church-is-not-a-place-it-s-not-a-building-it-s-not-a-preaching/) [Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/) > [There could be no more powerful argument against mixing religion and government than the success of independent African American churches in placing racial segregation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-jacoby/there-could-be-no-more-powerful-argument-against-mixing-religion-and/) [Susan Jacoby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-jacoby/) > [Worship is not about personality, temperament, personal limitations, church background, or comfort. It is about God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wimber/worship-is-not-about-personality-temperament-personal-limitations/) [John Wimber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wimber/) > [A beggarly people, A church and no steeple.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-b-macaulay/a-beggarly-people-a-church-and-no-steeple/) [Thomas B. Macaulay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-b-macaulay/) > [Pound St. Paul's Church into atoms, and consider any single atom; it is to be sure, good for nothing; but put all these atoms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/pound-st-paul-s-church-into-atoms-and-consider-any-single-atom-it-is/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [The religion of art, like the religion of politics, was born from the ruins of Christianity. Art inherited from the old religion the power…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavio-paz/the-religion-of-art-like-the-religion-of-politics-was-born-from-the/) [Octavio Paz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavio-paz/) > [The minute you walk outside of your church on Sunday you're in mission territory.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-barron/the-minute-you-walk-outside-of-your-church-on-sunday-you-re-in/) [Robert Barron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-barron/) > [I'm not ashamed of the things I believe and why I believe them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-huckabee/i-m-not-ashamed-of-the-things-i-believe-and-why-i-believe-them/) [Mike Huckabee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-huckabee/) [Browse all 9,430 Church quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/church/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The true church is too different for the world to tolerate it.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Sinclair B. 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