Christian Etiquette and Titus 3:9

[DuckieLady]

Titus 3:9

"But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and arguments and quarrels about the law, because these are unprofitable and useless."

How do we apply this scripture to life without coming off as rude?

Saying "K nevermind" and walking out of the room won't work with a lot of people.

...You can't just skip the verse either just because you're on the internet...

 

[MatthewG]

When you hear them you can simple say nothing at all. If you wanna leave out early leave saying alright everyone been nice to chat with you but am gonna go ahead and leave now. Do you remember when Jesus stooped down and just drew in the sand? Sometimes he would just keep silent when questioned too remember while he was on trail?

 

[DuckieLady]

When you hear them you can simple say nothing at all. If you wanna leave out early leave saying alright everyone been nice to chat with you but am gonna go ahead and leave now. Do you remember when Jesus stooped down and just drew in the sand? Sometimes he would just keep silent when questioned too remember while he was on trail?

That's true. That makes sense.

I wish I could carry around chalk and draw on the floor when I disagree with people

 

[MatthewG]

I do not know what your life is like. If that is a real trouble you deal with on a daily basis. Would encourage you to read John 8:1-12 to read that story it is where Jesus talks about he who has sinned cast the first stone, and they are about to kill the prostitute in the street.

Take care.

 

[marks]

How do we apply this scripture to life without coming off as rude?

By finding something worthwhile and valuable to respond to, and try to address the matter from another direction.

I hear this on some of the call in talk shows, a caller will give the most absurd or garbled question, and the host will reach into that mass of confusion and pull out something to answer, and give their answer. And so much of the time, once you open your mouth, the Holy Spirit starts feeding you words, and something good and useful happens.

Rich Bueller, but he's with the Lord now, he would do that, I've never forgotten.

Much love!

 

[Ferris Bueller]

Rich Bueller

Ah, yes. Good ol' uncle Rich.

 

[ThePuffyBlob]

"But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and arguments and quarrels about the law, because these are unprofitable and useless."

example of internet version of titus 3:9
Christian Debate Forum
ah no it's not useless and unprofitable at all tbh it's quite entertaining debating endlessly

yes everything is in vain you join the debate a month ago and yet you haven't come to the knowledge of the truth you're still arguing you cannot or do not want to admit they are right cause everyone is right in their own mind especially when you insult the person he/she simply put you in the blacklist

 

[DuckieLady]

example of internet version of titus 3:9
Christian Debate Forum
ah no it's not useless and unprofitable at all tbh it's quite entertaining debating endlessly

yes everything is in vain you join the debate a month ago and yet you haven't come to the knowledge of the truth you're still arguing you cannot or do not want to admit they are right cause everyone is right in their own mind especially when you insult the person he/she simply put you in the blacklist

Is this from the KJV or the NMIV (New Modern Internet Version)?

 

[Ferris Bueller]

ah no it's not useless and unprofitable at all tbh it's quite entertaining debating endlessly

Sometimes you do have to draw the line, but truthfully, there is value in us rubbing the rough edges off of each other in our theological debates.

"As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another." Proverbs 27:17​

 

[DuckieLady]

Sometimes you do have to draw the line, but truthfully, there is value in us rubbing the rough edges off of each other in our theological debates.

"As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another." Proverbs 27:17​

I mean, sometimes people are also just flat out wrong. But there are times when they are so wrong that sometimes I feel like that isn't mine to handle.

And that must be most of the time

 

[Ferris Bueller]

there are times when they are so wrong that sometimes I feel like that isn't mine to handle.

I agree. That's when you politely dismiss yourself from any further conversation with them. Some knots are so tightly tied that you just have to leave it be.

There is this principle in Romans 14 about giving space and dignity to let weaker people dwell where they are dwelling, theologically speaking.
I can talk to them, but not to change them, but to inform them why I believe what I do. I think they should return the kindness and at least know why I believe what I do. But I won't insist that they change away from what they presently believe. Issues about law observance are a perfect example of this. Sometimes it's just better to leave them where they're at and maybe plant a few seeds of thought in them that might lead them to the liberty of the truth. And I do mean seeds. Not long theological discourses. I see little value in them in those circumstances. Jesus was very effective in his use of short, pointed truths.

 

[DuckieLady]

I agree. That's when you politely dismiss yourself from any further conversation with them. Some knots are so tightly tied that you just have to leave it be.

There is this principle in Romans 14 about giving space and dignity to let weaker people dwell where they are dwelling, theologically speaking.
I can talk to them, but not to change them, but to inform them why I believe what I do. I think they should return the kindness and at least know why I believe what I do. But I won't insist that they change away from what they presently believe. Issues about law observance are a perfect example of this. Sometimes it's just better to leave them where they're at and maybe plant a few seeds of thought in them that might lead them to the liberty of the truth. And I do mean seeds. Not long theological discourses. I see little value in them in those circumstances. Jesus was very effective in his use of short, pointed truths.

So true honestly I've been trying to figure out how to be more concise. I have writer brain without being a writer. I also skim past the big bold letters with red underlines because they tend to be dreadfully overwhelming.

 

[Ferris Bueller]

So true honestly I've been trying to figure out how to be more concise.

I've found that the more I discuss theological things with people the fewer words I need to explain my POV. The things I talk about that I'm still theologically developing in my mind usually end up being long posts. That's because I'm working it out in my own mind as I'm writing.

I look at all the times someone said just one sentence about something and I learned more from that one sentence than I did from a long discourse. And so I strive to have the same effect in my sharing. I think the value in the 'less is more' style of sharing is it sets the other person's mind in motion to examine and question the subject themselves honestly and with an open, searching attitude. People tend to listen to themselves more than they do anyone else. So if you can arouse discussion about something within a person's own mind you're getting somewhere with them. Terse, concise statements seem to work the best at doing that.

I also skim past the big bold letters with red underlines because they tend to be dreadfully overwhelming.

Yeah, I've found that I, personally, have to actually use more effort to read and understand posts that use varied font sizes and styles. That's just me (I get dizzy easily, lol). Maybe I'm wrong but this style of emphasis seems to work the best. (See how I did that?). There are others, but I like that one, the italicized word method. That seems to work the best to make a person read a post with the least amount of effort the way you're actually saying it. And so they get the message.

 

[Bob Estey]

Titus 3:9

"But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and arguments and quarrels about the law, because these are unprofitable and useless."

How do we apply this scripture to life without coming off as rude?

Saying "K nevermind" and walking out of the room won't work with a lot of people.

...You can't just skip the verse either just because you're on the internet...

I don't know that politely avoiding "foolish controversies and genealogies and arguments and quarrels about the law" is ever rude, even if a person suggests otherwise.

 

[Robert Gwin]

Titus 3:9

"But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and arguments and quarrels about the law, because these are unprofitable and useless."

How do we apply this scripture to life without coming off as rude?

Saying "K nevermind" and walking out of the room won't work with a lot of people.

...You can't just skip the verse either just because you're on the internet...

You may not be able to maam. As Christians we are told to season our words with salt, to try our best to make them palatable, so we are trained to be tactful, yet bold when planting seeds of truth. Paul was probably the best example in the Bible in training us to do so: (1 Corinthians 9:19-23) . . .For though I am free from all people, I have made myself the slave to all, so that I may gain as many people as possible. 20 To the Jews I became as a Jew in order to gain Jews; to those under law I became as under law, though I myself am not under law, in order to gain those under law. 21 To those without law I became as without law, although I am not without law toward God but under law toward Christ, in order to gain those without law. 22 To the weak I became weak, in order to gain the weak. I have become all things to people of all sorts, so that I might by all possible means save some. 23 But I do all things for the sake of the good news, in order to share it with others.