He who is not with me is against me

Among the most certain elements of the tradition... is the fact that Jesus displayed a provocative partiality for sinners and identified himself with people who had neither religion nor morals. With him the wasters and the outcasts had a future... Dubious characters, delinquents, are constantly turning up in the Gospels, types from which decent people would do better to dissociate themselves... He simply accepted them. He not only preached a love open to all men, he also practiced it. Certainly he did not ingratiate himself, he did not by any means share in the activities of the disreputable groups. He did not sink down to their level, but drew them up to himself. But he did not simply enter into discussion with these notoriously bad people, but — quite literally — sat down with them...

“He who is not with me is against me.” This saying is directed against those who fail to stand up resolutely for Jesus and his message and so scatter instead of gathering. But it is not directed against those who do not join the narrower circle of disciples. The truth may sound like a paradox. But there it is.

“He who is not against us is for us.” This is directed against his disciples’ claim to be an exclusive group.

Quote: Hans Küng, On Being a Christian, London: Collins, 1977, 272-273, 280.