"Why Nots", What Ifs", and Other Musings

Foolish Debates

By Wayne Harmon

II Timothy 2:23 says, “Now shun, avoid, walk away from moronic, impious and uneducated debates and controversies since you can see how they are spawning quarrels, arguments, disputes and contention” (Translation mine). That’s a pretty clear command from God’s word, no matter what translation you use.

Each of us is a member of the Body of Christ. Paul goes to great lengths in I Corinthians 12 to discuss this fact. Different parts of the body have differing perspectives of the world surrounding the body. They have different ways of perceiving the world. The eye perceives through light waves; the ear through sound waves; the hands through touch, and so on. Working together, the different parts of the body provide a more complete perception of the world than one part acting alone. However, it is the head that is in control and makes decisions based on all the input.

Discussion among Believers is healthy as long as the different parts of the Body of Christ are saying, “Here is the perspective from my place in the Body.” The other parts of the Body benefit and can learn more about the larger world than that which we individually inhabit. However, when one part of the Body begins to say, “No! You are all wrong. Only I and those who agree with ME are right,” then there is a problem.

I Corinthians 8:1-3 says, “…You think that everyone should agree with your perfect knowledge. While knowledge may make us feel important, it is love that really builds up the church. Anyone who claims to know all the answers doesn’t really know very much. But the person who loves God is the one God knows and cares for.” (NLT)

By all means let Believers have honest and open discussions. We need each other’s perspectives. But there is no room for arguments and “Bible Verse Poker”, where we say “I’ll see your 3 ‘x’ verses and raise you 4 ‘y’ verses.” God never intended for His Word to be ripped apart and rearranged in an attempt to promote men’s ideas.

Remember, it takes two to argue. One may choose to say things that are accusing and divisive, but it is only an argument when another joins in. Remember, when you wrestle with a pig, you both get muddy, and the pig likes it. Let the pigs stay in the mud if they choose. But the mud hole is no place for a sheep.

“Now we see things imperfectly as in a poor mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God knows me now.” I Corinthians 13:12 (NLT)