Coming Out?

John 19:38-39 After these things, Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus, though a secret one because of his fear of the Jews, asked Pilate to let him take away the body of Jesus. Pilate gave him permission; so he came and removed his body. Nicodemus, who had at first come to Jesus by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, weighing about a hundred pounds.

Sometimes, I have encoutered the attitude that being a secret Christian is weak or bad. Here the Bible mentions two secret Christians.

The passage is not critical, simply honest. These men were secret Christians, for practical reasons.

Better a secret Christian who acts on their faith than a loud Christian who is all words.

“Coming out”, as a Christian, is worthwhile in the sense of affirming what we know to have happened spiritually in our mind and heart, and then remembering and trying to be consistent, in our ongoing walk of faith, with what we believe are Christian ethics. 

But we need not be "militant" in our Christianity. Peter (believed he) was militant in his faith, he cut off the ear of one who tried to arrest Jesus, but when it really counted, he denied ever knowing Jesus. 

On the other hand, with Joseph of Aramathea, and Nicodemus, we see Christians, people who love Jesus, going about the practical needs of our deceased Savior. Yes they feared those around them, but their love for Jesus was strong enough for them to do what was needed, and the scripture passage quietly, honestly, describes their actions, motivated by faith and love.