What Do You Learn from Debate?

[Episkopos]

Truth comes via the Holy Spirit...it can never come via arguments. Which is all debates are.... = 'who has the last word'

In many of the debates on this site...the Holy Spirit never gets a look in.
And truth leaves when He leaves...

Amen! How much sensitivity to the Holy Spirit is being exhibited here? There are some on my ignore list that continually grieve the Spirit...and quench Him. All this due to treating the things of God with no appreciation of the fragility of our grasping at the truth. Too often the truth is trampled on with impunity.

 

[marks]

That's the problem right there....when you treat eternal things with the same regard or disregard as temporal things.

And this is to you what I am doing?

Because I think that none of us are perfected yet, and that within the body of Christ, all may share to build each other up. We can both give to others and receive from others if we are willing.

They (the eternal things) are on an entirely different level whereby the normal process of the carnal mind is unwelcome. The things of the Spirit are foolishness to the natural man. So the debate always devolves into the opinion of someone who is devoid of life and truth....and from a personal opinion formulated by the natural mind.

As soon as I see the unbelief in a poster...I avoid that person.

I find that the debates tend to turn to ad hominems whenever someone finds they can't Biblically present their POV. Statements are made, sweeping and vast declarations, but when confronted with Scripture, the poster will use actually any number of fleshy devices to avoid answering.

Sometimes this comes as above, "you're not a Christian, so I don't have to listen to/engage with you". One could simply step away from responding.

But truth will stand up to the test. A true doctrine comes from all Scripture, not cherry picked Scripture.

When we determine whether we will hear what another is saying by our perceptions of that person, in particular when we are purportedly all Christians in a discussion of Christianity and the Bible, rather than whether what they say is Scripture, then I think we risk making a mistake.

Who is it that is so convinced of their doctrine?

Much love!
Mark

 

[Mayflower]

Truth comes via the Holy Spirit...it can never come via arguments. Which is all debates are.... = 'who has the last word'

In many of the debates on this site...the Holy Spirit never gets a look in.
And truth leaves when He leaves...

I know in some face to face debates, there is a buzzer. I think it would be so helpful on forum debates to set the debate as a set number of posts...

 

[amadeus]

Truth comes via the Holy Spirit...it can never come via arguments. Which is all debates are.... = 'who has the last word'

In many of the debates on this site...the Holy Spirit never gets a look in.
And truth leaves when He leaves...

As bad as it does get at times, consider the church gatherings [assemblings or meetings] in numerous physical buildings all around us where most of the time no serious word of opposition is allowed. Here, in spite of the too many personal attacks/insults, opposition is allowed. It may or may not always accomplish a good purpose [we must ultimately leave that decision to God], but if we are honest we will at least see that there really other points of view or beliefs that people take seriously as they strive to walk toward God. Unfortunately we also see some who seemingly are not really trying to approach God at all.

A question everyone should ask himself and ask God: Why is it I want to approach God more closely? How selfish is our honest answer?

 

[marks]

As bad as it does get at times, consider the church gatherings [assemblings or meetings] in numerous physical buildings all around us where most of the time no serious word of opposition is allowed. Here, in spite of the too many personal attacks/insults, opposition is allowed. It may or may not always accomplish a good purpose [we must ultimately leave that decision to God], but if we are honest we will at least see that there really other points of view or beliefs that people take seriously as they strive to walk toward God. Unfortunately we also see some who seemingly are not really trying to approach God at all.

A question everyone should ask himself and ask God: Why is it I want to approach God more closely? How selfish is our honest answer?

I would add, at the end of the day, am I building up, or tearing down?

Oh . . . and how selfish is my answer? Very selfish!



Much love!

 

[CoreIssue]

I would add, at the end of the day, am I building up, or tearing down?

Oh . . . and how selfish is my answer? Very selfish!



Much love!

As long as you're sticking with the Bible you are tearing down lies in building up truth.

 

[ScottA]

Debating seems to leave no excuse.

It is as if God has given a platform to those who complain and question and push every boundary in testing Him. So that when all is said and done, every excuse will have been played out to the point of failure...even if it goes unnoticed. In the end, God will have the final say, and it will be done.

This is so evident that even Jesus came to say, “anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but to him who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven.”

 

[CoreIssue]

Debating seems to leave no excuse.

It is as if God has given a platform to those who complain and question and push every boundary in testing Him. So that when all is said and done, every excuse will have been played out to the point of failure...even if it goes unnoticed. In the end, God will have the final say, and it will be done.

This is so evident that even Jesus came to say, “anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but to him who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven.”

It is also a platform for cults, false doctrine and anti-Christianity.

And for those who defend the Bible and share its truth.

Why didn't you address that?

 

[ScottA]

It is also a platform for cults, false doctrine and anti-Christianity.

And for those who defend the Bible and share its truth.

Why didn't you address that?

Because we are of no account unless we are in Christ. In which case, the account is Christ's, not ours.

 

[Episkopos]

As long as you're sticking with the Bible you are tearing down lies in building up truth.

That is the argument of the devil. But Jesus used the same bible to refute the temptations by the lies that were used FROM a misuse of the bible by the devil.

CI...you are not using the bible correctly...but only to satisfy your own opinions. YOU are not God. You don't know or have the truth. The truth is ONLY in Christ...not the bible. The bible just points the way and says He is the truth.

So you are a biblicist not a Christian. You need to change your faith setting to 'other".

 

[marks]

That is the argument of the devil. But Jesus used the same bible to refute the temptations by the lies that were used FROM a misuse of the bible by the devil.

CI...you are not using the bible correctly...but only to satisfy your own opinions. YOU are not God. You don't know or have the truth. The truth is ONLY in Christ...not the bible. The bible just points the way and says He is the truth.

So you are a biblicist not a Christian. You need to change your faith setting to 'other".

So then you declare CI to be not a Christian, and compare them to the devil.

Fantastic.

Btw . . . you are not God either, isn't that right?

Much love!

 

[Episkopos]

I think many people confuse having a bible and reading it (or reading into it)...to being a Christian. MY...the standard of being a Christian has fallen ...to the point where one does not want to be associated with they who make a mockery of the truth.

But rather than surrendering the term Christian to whoever reads the bible or sits in a pew from time to time....that term needs to mean a return to being a selfless servant of God as it once did many years (and tears) ago. Not among rich Westerners...that's a given...but in the developing world. A world not yet fully corrupted through selfish ambition and perceived privilege for just being who they are already.

End of rant.

 

[CoreIssue]

Because we are of no account unless we are in Christ. In which case, the account is Christ's, not ours.

Then why did you commented at all?

 

[Mayflower]

As long as you're sticking with the Bible you are tearing down lies in building up truth.

I agree to a point.

 

[Mayflower]

Debating seems to leave no excuse.

It is as if God has given a platform to those who complain and question and push every boundary in testing Him. So that when all is said and done, every excuse will have been played out to the point of failure...even if it goes unnoticed. In the end, God will have the final say, and it will be done.

This is so evident that even Jesus came to say, “anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but to him who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven.”

Oh wow that first paragraph has some good insight.

 

[ScottA]

Then why did you commented at all?

Because it is not I who speak, but the Spirit of the Father who speaks.

 

[faithfulness]

Have often wished that there was at least an "AMEN!" feature to reply to posts instead of "LIKE" all the time?...but I suppose "LIKE" is synonymous with...

What a Verse)post Is. 50:4...The Lord God hath given...the tongue the Word the ear and the edification!
Hope I didn't overtax this reply just joy! \0/

I was flippant..."LIKE" is NOT synonymous with "AMEN"

amen: verily, truly (Brown-Driver-Briggs) Verily, verily I say unto you...

so be it, truth (Strong's)​

To the angel of the church in Laodicea write:
The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God...Rev 3:14
And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True,
and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. Rev 19:11

 

[Helen]

That is the argument of the devil. But Jesus used the same bible to refute the temptations by the lies that were used FROM a misuse of the bible by the devil.

CI...you are not using the bible correctly...but only to satisfy your own opinions. YOU are not God. You don't know or have the truth. The truth is ONLY in Christ...not the bible. The bible just points the way and says He is the truth.

So you are a biblicist not a Christian. You need to change your faith setting to 'other".

Very clearly said brother.

 

[Helen]

...and, right here be have a debate going on!!

It is not the same spirit as a Discussion as someone said earlier in the thread.
One is edifying and one is not..."In my opinion.."

 

[Episkopos]

Because it is not I who speak, but the Spirit of the Father who speaks.

I think CI's brain synapses are in meltdown now. Does NOT compute!