Stupid Arguments
2Tim 2:23-26 Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. And the Lord’s servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.
So if someone wants to quarrel about such things you need only reply, "Sorry, the Bible tells me I'm to have nothing to do with foolish and stupid arguments". Granted there are ideas worthy of debate, but all too often people bring up arguments that are just too stupid to even comment on. And if you enter into such debates they end up merely as quarrels as you'd be arguing with a person who is just too irrational to see the stupidity of their own position. So don't even bother.
A teacher should be dispassionate. Which is not to say removed of passions, but rather one whose passions do not influence their judgements. Truth, getting it right, is the priority, and second to that, communicating it effectively. Teaching is in the realm of ideas. Pride and resentfulness are counter-productive to teaching. In fact in teaching and in discussion with others, one person's attitude tends to invoke the same in the other. Thus one person who approaches the subject rationally, dispassionately, with humility, but unaffected by insults, tends to invoke the same attitude in the other person. In fact one of the battles in discussions and debates is who is going to control the attitude. Those who are losing the argument, if they are too proud to modify their position, often end up simply belittling the other person to see if they can win with regards to controlling that person's emotions. So one of the challenges of teaching is to remain dispassionate and keep it on topic.
God granting repentance indicates those who are in opposition are not in full control. But rather they are described as being captive to the devil. Though granted, as with all sin, there's no doubt a degree of cooperation on their part, else there would be no culpability on their part. But it does help, with regards to those who oppose Biblical teaching, to visualize such people as captives to the devil, victims of whom you are trying to rescue. And realize that no matter how convincing your own position may be, there are those how simply won't be convinced because the real problem they have is spiritual and not simply rational.
2Tim 2:23-26 Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. And the Lord’s servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.
So if someone wants to quarrel about such things you need only reply, "Sorry, the Bible tells me I'm to have nothing to do with foolish and stupid arguments". Granted there are ideas worthy of debate, but all too often people bring up arguments that are just too stupid to even comment on. And if you enter into such debates they end up merely as quarrels as you'd be arguing with a person who is just too irrational to see the stupidity of their own position. So don't even bother.
A teacher should be dispassionate. Which is not to say removed of passions, but rather one whose passions do not influence their judgements. Truth, getting it right, is the priority, and second to that, communicating it effectively. Teaching is in the realm of ideas. Pride and resentfulness are counter-productive to teaching. In fact in teaching and in discussion with others, one person's attitude tends to invoke the same in the other. Thus one person who approaches the subject rationally, dispassionately, with humility, but unaffected by insults, tends to invoke the same attitude in the other person. In fact one of the battles in discussions and debates is who is going to control the attitude. Those who are losing the argument, if they are too proud to modify their position, often end up simply belittling the other person to see if they can win with regards to controlling that person's emotions. So one of the challenges of teaching is to remain dispassionate and keep it on topic.
God granting repentance indicates those who are in opposition are not in full control. But rather they are described as being captive to the devil. Though granted, as with all sin, there's no doubt a degree of cooperation on their part, else there would be no culpability on their part. But it does help, with regards to those who oppose Biblical teaching, to visualize such people as captives to the devil, victims of whom you are trying to rescue. And realize that no matter how convincing your own position may be, there are those how simply won't be convinced because the real problem they have is spiritual and not simply rational.
