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Thaddeus.. I find your posts very hard to read, and mostly find myself skipping over them, and it's not because of the content. It's because all the 'shouting' hurts my eyes and gives me a headache. Please, just choose a font size, preferably one close to the same as others use, and stick with it. Thanks.
Ahh just a comment re: argument not being necessary in winning the lost...
Argument is necessary in many cases.
After we declare the Gospel, we then need to defend it, which most often involves an argument. The resources we have to help us with this are called apologetics.
This is a kind of "wrestling". Acts 18:19, Paul went into synagogues and reasoned, or argued, with the unbelievers. Argue, dispute, reason, etc..
OFten, people have wrong ideas about things and if those stumbling blocks (arguments) they throw at us can be removed with counter-arguments, that can get them thinking twice about what they believe.
Common ones are: God is evil and lets bad things happen to good people.
Christians are all hypocrites.
etc.
Argument is necessary in many cases.
After we declare the Gospel, we then need to defend it, which most often involves an argument. The resources we have to help us with this are called apologetics.
This is a kind of "wrestling". Acts 18:19, Paul went into synagogues and reasoned, or argued, with the unbelievers. Argue, dispute, reason, etc..
OFten, people have wrong ideas about things and if those stumbling blocks (arguments) they throw at us can be removed with counter-arguments, that can get them thinking twice about what they believe.
Common ones are: God is evil and lets bad things happen to good people.
Christians are all hypocrites.
etc.
"But foolish and unlearned questions avoid, knowing that they do gender strifes. And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;" (2 Timothy 2:23-25)
Avoid foolish questions like “Does God exist” or “Christians are hypocrites”...some discussions do not need one’s participation.
Arguments does not solve problems, it only leads to more strife. You are to speak to an unbeliever in love and humility not with strife. In Acts 18:19, Paul did not argue with them but reasoned. "Argument" and "reason" do not mean the same thing. Reason means to think rationally while arguments are irrational.
Avoid foolish questions like “Does God exist” or “Christians are hypocrites”...some discussions do not need one’s participation.
Arguments does not solve problems, it only leads to more strife. You are to speak to an unbeliever in love and humility not with strife. In Acts 18:19, Paul did not argue with them but reasoned. "Argument" and "reason" do not mean the same thing. Reason means to think rationally while arguments are irrational.
“Does God exist” or “Christians are hypocrites”...
These are not foolish questions but very truthful statements and before these stumbling blocks are removed, they won't be able to receive the Gospel.
If you use the word "argument" in the sense of irrational arguments, I agree. These don't do any good. But you should clarify what you mean. Argument in general encompasses both rational and irrational arguments. Whenever you present the gospel to someone and they disagree , that is an argument started right there.
Rational arguments are as you said, reasonings, exhortation, etc, that attempts to convince a person through well-thought out logical arguments with supporting evidence (Scripture, history, experience etc).
Nothing wrong with these.
In evangelism, these kind of arguments are unavoidable and Christians have many apologetics resources available today to be able to dispute.
There's nothing wrong with arguments that make unbelievers angry.
That is why the opponents of the Christian most often wanted to kill them!
Examples:
Barnabus:
Act 9:29 And he spake boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus, and disputed against the Grecians: but they went about to slay him.
Paul:
Act 17:16 Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was stirred in him, when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry.
Act 17:17 Therefore disputed he in the synagogue with the Jews, and with the devout persons, and in the market daily with them that met with him.
You know why there's not many converts today don't you?
Because people use methods such as you described, which is going to unbelievers with a feather and tickling them with niceties rather than sticking a sword (of God's Word) right into their heart and mind.
The way we love people is to declare the Gospel, don't confuse God's type of love with the love of this world, pluralism, relativism, new age, humanism, which is basically elevating man above God , and have more respect for the feelings of the unbeliever than actually doing what God commands by preaching the truth, even if it hurts. But watch out, the tolerance and politically correct police are out in force! Even in the church.
These are not foolish questions but very truthful statements and before these stumbling blocks are removed, they won't be able to receive the Gospel.
If you use the word "argument" in the sense of irrational arguments, I agree. These don't do any good. But you should clarify what you mean. Argument in general encompasses both rational and irrational arguments. Whenever you present the gospel to someone and they disagree , that is an argument started right there.
Rational arguments are as you said, reasonings, exhortation, etc, that attempts to convince a person through well-thought out logical arguments with supporting evidence (Scripture, history, experience etc).
Nothing wrong with these.
In evangelism, these kind of arguments are unavoidable and Christians have many apologetics resources available today to be able to dispute.
There's nothing wrong with arguments that make unbelievers angry.
That is why the opponents of the Christian most often wanted to kill them!
Examples:
Barnabus:
Act 9:29 And he spake boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus, and disputed against the Grecians: but they went about to slay him.
Paul:
Act 17:16 Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was stirred in him, when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry.
Act 17:17 Therefore disputed he in the synagogue with the Jews, and with the devout persons, and in the market daily with them that met with him.
You know why there's not many converts today don't you?
Because people use methods such as you described, which is going to unbelievers with a feather and tickling them with niceties rather than sticking a sword (of God's Word) right into their heart and mind.
The way we love people is to declare the Gospel, don't confuse God's type of love with the love of this world, pluralism, relativism, new age, humanism, which is basically elevating man above God , and have more respect for the feelings of the unbeliever than actually doing what God commands by preaching the truth, even if it hurts. But watch out, the tolerance and politically correct police are out in force! Even in the church.
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