"IT IS HONORABLE FOR A MAN TO STOP STRIVING"
Proverbs 20:3
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GOOD NEWS FROM THE REDEEMER
January 29, 2006 MESSAGE #617
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I received a letter few months ago from a gentleman who wrote: "I am an apologist with the churches of Christ and live near Huntsville, Alabama. ... Would you be so bold as to consider an oral debate (Phil 1:17, Acts 15:2,7, 17:17, 19:8-9, Mt 22:15-46, Jude v.3) on some of our scriptural differences?"
I ignored his challenge.
I received very recently another letter from him, in which he wrote: "I am a member of a church of Christ and do some public religious debating. Any chance you might be interested in engaging in one on one or two of our differences? [I think he meant to ask if I am interested in 'engaging one on one in one or two of our differences'.] Here are some possible topics of discusson [sic]:
I replied in one sentence: "I do not consider the Word of God to be debatable." Debating is fine for debatable issues, such as politics and other theoretical subjects. But I do not reduce the Word of God to that level. God's Word is absolute truth, and is to be believed and preached. I will gladly answer questions regarding it (1 Peter 3:15). But I refuse to debate it. And it is evident why my challenger would debate God's Word.
He wrote the third time: "Please read Phil 1:17, Acts 15:2,7, 17:17, 19:8-9, Mt 22:15-46, and Jude v.3 and you will see that Jesus and his disciples did what I am proposing."
Really! Jesus and His disciples would "do some religious debating"? They would challenge others to debate religion? They proposed that people debate God's Word?
Jesus and His disciples were gospel preachers, not religion debaters! They would never write the following letters:
I am the founder and head of the church of Christ. I do some public religious debating. Would you be so bold as to consider an oral debate with me on some of our scriptural differences (Matthew 22:15-46)? Here are some possible topics of discussion:
In Christ, Jesus of Nazareth
I am an apostle in the church of Christ. I do some public religious debating. Any chance you might be interested in engaging one on one in one or two of our differences? Here are some possible topics of discussion:
Your servant for Jesus' sake, Paul of Antioch
At the very time I received this gentleman's challenge to debate, I was in the midst of a series of messages expounding verse-by-verse The Book of Proverbs. And I was preparing a message on a proverb speaking expressly to this subject (Proverb 20:3). (Yes, I believe it was predestined to receive his letters at this time!) So, I considered his challenge in this context:
"It is honorable for a man to stop striving ...."
I. Striving with men is the pleasure of meddling fools (second half of this proverb): "any fool can start a quarrel" / "every fool will be meddling." Apt examples include the meddling foolish disputants in the texts cited by my Campbellite challenger, those who in his own words "did what I am proposing". In Matthew 22:15-46, "Pharisees went and plotted how they might entangle Him in His talk ... with the Herodians, ... [and also] Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection." In Acts 15:1ff, "certain men came down from Judea and taught the brethren, 'Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.' ... some of the sect of the Pharisees who believed rose up, saying, 'It is necessary to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses.'" In Acts 19:8f, "some were hardened and did not believe, but spoke evil of the Way before the multitude." In Jude 3f, "certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ."
They are furthermore said to be "proud, knowing nothing, ... obsessed with disputes and arguments over words, from which come envy, strife, reviling, evil suspicions, useless wranglings of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain" (2 Timothy 6:4f); "warped and sinning, being self-condemned" (Titus 3:11); "in opposition" to the truth and entrapped in "the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will" (2 Timothy 2:25f).
II. Christ is our Exemplar in dealing with strivers (Matthew 22:15-46). He identified His meddling foolish would-be-debaters as "you hypocrites" (Mathew 22:18), and informed them that "You are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God" (v.29), and informed them that the real issue is not their religious dogma but rather "What do you think about the Christ?" (vv.41ff). "And no one was able to answer Him a word, nor from that day on did anyone dare question Him anymore" (v.46). (Now read what Christ said about them in the following chapter, Matthew ch.23.) If men are not interested in thinking seriously about the Christ, He would have us cease from striving with them (Matthew 7:6): "Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces."
III. Christ's disciples require us to avoid striving and to reject strivers – and one cannot debate another without striving with him! Paul the apostle exhorts saints, "But avoid foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they generate strife. And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will" And Paul exhorts saints, "Reject a divisive man after the first and second admonition, knowing that such a person is warped and sinning, being self-condemned" (Titus 3:10f; cp. 2 John vv.10f).
IV. Churches of Christ resort to God's Word when disputes arise within them. For example, such a dispute is recorded in Acts 15:6-7ff. What did the church do? Schedule a public debate? Invite various religious parties to come and state their religious opinions on the subject in the hope of arriving at a common consensus? Absolutely not! Rather, the church in a members-only meeting (v.6) consulted the Holy Scriptures (vv.13-17), heard a gospel preacher explain them (vv.18-21), and they all agreed to comply with them (vv.18ff). They ceased from striving!
My correspondent replied that my reason for refusing to accept his challenge is exposed in John 3:19-21. I assume he equates my refusal to come to him for debate with refusing to come for Christ for salvation! Truly he illustrates that his sort does not understand spiritual truth (1 Corinthians 1:14), twists Scriptures to their own destruction (2 Peter 3:16), and deliberately misrepresents those whom they oppose.
Ministers in the church of Christ are commissioned to preach the gospel (Mark 16:15), not to debate it, and commanded to withdraw from disputants (2 Timothy 2:14, 16, 23-26; 1 Timothy 6:3-5, 20f; Titus 3:9-11). We defend the truth by preaching it, not by debating it (1 Peter 3:15-17; Acts 22:1ff; Philippians 1:7, 17). We reason with others regarding the gospel (Acts 17:1-4; 18:1-4), but reject those who obstinately oppose it (Acts 18:5f). We contend for the faith (Jude v.3), but not in a contentious manner.
Ministers in the church of Christ are gospel preachers, not religion debaters! We do not challenge men to debate the truth; rather, we command them to unquestioningly believe it (Mark 16:15f; Acts 16:31). We do not desire to beat them in a dispute; rather, we long to see them delivered from the snare that requires them to dispute (2 Timothy 2:23-26). We do not find honor in quarreling and striving; rather, we are convinced "It is honorable for a man to stop striving, since any fool can start a quarrel."
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