Debate About "Debate"
Romans 1: 28-29 King James Version: "And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; 29. Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,"
The key Greek word, translated as debate, is ἔρις, or eris.Strong's Exhaustive Concordance for eris, translated as Debate, Number 2054 in the Strong's Exhaustive Concordance says says "Eris. A quarrel. i.e, by implication wrangling, contention, debate. strife, variance."
And Strong's Greek: 2054. ἔρις (eris) -- strife defines eris as "literally quarrel, strife; properly, a readiness to quarrel (having a contentious spirit), affection for dispute."
But in contrast see the definition of debate in the Online Oxford Dictionary.
http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/us...ebate?q=debate
The Online Oxford Dictionary defines debate as : "a formal
discussion on a particular topic in a public meeting or legislative
assembly, in which opposing arguments are put forward. verb: argue
about."
So, what is defined as a quarrel by Strong's Exhaustive Concordance and by Strong's Greek: 2054. ἔρις (eris) -- strife as " quarrel, strife; properly, a readiness to quarrel (having a contentious spirit), affection for dispute." becomes in the Oxford Dictionary "a formal
discussion on a particular topic in a public meeting or legislative
assembly, in which opposing arguments are put forward."
Yet the English word quarrel comes closer to the meaning of eris in Romans 1: 28-29 than does the definition of debate in the Oxford Dictionary.
Debate: "Origin: Middle English: via Old French from Latin dis-
(expressing reversal) + battere 'to fight'"
Originally the word debate meant to fight (with words). And, since the
first definition of the Greek word eris is "a quarrel, by implication
wrangling" (Strong's Exhaustive Concordance) the English word quarrel
for debate could be used as a translation of eris.
Quarreling is an accurate English word for eris. Some kinds of
statements invite a quarrel more than other kinds of statements. And
quarreling is an indication of a reprobate mind in Romans 1:28-29.
In translating a Greek word used in scripture in the First Century, the English word with the closest meaning now to the Greek word used in the First Century must be used. Because the English word debate is now defined differently than as being a quarrel does not mean that we are free to define eris, the Greek word, as having the same meaning now in 2017 as we give to the English word debate.
There is more in scripture on the topic of quarreling or making arguments, word fights, or contentiousness.
Romans 14: 1 in the English Standard Version says "As for the one who
is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions."
I Corinthians 11: 16, says "If any man be contentious, we have no such custom." And look
at II Corinthians 12: 20. Here Paul says he fears that when he comes
back to his people at Corinth that he will find them in debates,
envyings, wraths, strifes, backbitings, whisperings, swellings,
tumults."
Paul uses another Greek word which also carries with it
contentiousness in I Timothy 6: 3-4,
logomachia, "If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome
words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine
which is according to godliness; He is proud, knowing nothing, but
doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy,
strife, railings, evil surmisings."
This is a significant text, because what Paul is saying is that those
who get off into doctrines that were not taught by Christ and the
Apostles tend to get into logomachia, or strifes of words." Lets see
what Strong's says about logomachia.
Logomachia is number 3055 in Strong's and is said to mean
"disputations, strife of words." Logomachia might be translated as
"word fights."
The doctrine given in Romans 1: 28-29, Romans 2: 8, I Corinthians 11:
16, II Corinthians 12: 20 and I Timothy 6: 3-4 says that to engage in
contentious quarreling is a trait of the reprobate mind. It is also a
trait of the person in the condition of the natural man of I
Corinthians 2: 14, who cannot discern the things of the spirit.
Look at Acts 15: 1-2: "And certain men which came down from Judaea
taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the
manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved. When therefore Paul and Barnabas
had no small dissension and disputation with them, they determined
that Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of them, should go up to
Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question."
Luke did not use eris or logomachia in Acts 15: 2, which would have
carried a meaning closer to contentiousness than suzetesis.
Nevertheless, Paul and Barnabas did make strong disputation with the
Pharisees who taught that Christians must observe the ceremonial law
of Moses to be saved.
Note that I Timothy 6: 3-4, where Paul uses logomachia, is in the same chapter - I Timothy 6 - where Paul briefly mentions in Greek, the word αντιθεσεις, or anti-thesis, which brings up a type of argument which Paul warns that should be avoided. That is, the "anti-thesis of falsely called knowledge" Paul says to avoid.
An αντιθεσεις, or anti-thesis, is a technical term in the early Greek philosophy of the διαλεκτική, or dialectic, before the time of Christ. The dialectic is a way of making an argument by use of a thesis which opposes and attacks a antithesis, and an ongoing dialectic involves arguments and counter arguments. The Truth in scripture can be seen as the thesis while a false doctrine is the anti-thesis.
While an argument against the absolute truth of scripture can be called
the dialectic, and is of the reprobate mind as Paul teaches in Romans
1; 29, about making a quarrel, and of the condition of the natural man (I Corinthians 2:
14),questioning false doctrine and defending the absolute truth of
scripture is not an act of the reprobate mind. It is an act of
obedience to Christ and his truth. "...ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints." Jude 1: 3
Romans 1: 28-29 King James Version: "And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; 29. Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,"
The key Greek word, translated as debate, is ἔρις, or eris.Strong's Exhaustive Concordance for eris, translated as Debate, Number 2054 in the Strong's Exhaustive Concordance says says "Eris. A quarrel. i.e, by implication wrangling, contention, debate. strife, variance."
And Strong's Greek: 2054. ἔρις (eris) -- strife defines eris as "literally quarrel, strife; properly, a readiness to quarrel (having a contentious spirit), affection for dispute."
But in contrast see the definition of debate in the Online Oxford Dictionary.
http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/us...ebate?q=debate
The Online Oxford Dictionary defines debate as : "a formal
discussion on a particular topic in a public meeting or legislative
assembly, in which opposing arguments are put forward. verb: argue
about."
So, what is defined as a quarrel by Strong's Exhaustive Concordance and by Strong's Greek: 2054. ἔρις (eris) -- strife as " quarrel, strife; properly, a readiness to quarrel (having a contentious spirit), affection for dispute." becomes in the Oxford Dictionary "a formal
discussion on a particular topic in a public meeting or legislative
assembly, in which opposing arguments are put forward."
Yet the English word quarrel comes closer to the meaning of eris in Romans 1: 28-29 than does the definition of debate in the Oxford Dictionary.
Debate: "Origin: Middle English: via Old French from Latin dis-
(expressing reversal) + battere 'to fight'"
Originally the word debate meant to fight (with words). And, since the
first definition of the Greek word eris is "a quarrel, by implication
wrangling" (Strong's Exhaustive Concordance) the English word quarrel
for debate could be used as a translation of eris.
Quarreling is an accurate English word for eris. Some kinds of
statements invite a quarrel more than other kinds of statements. And
quarreling is an indication of a reprobate mind in Romans 1:28-29.
In translating a Greek word used in scripture in the First Century, the English word with the closest meaning now to the Greek word used in the First Century must be used. Because the English word debate is now defined differently than as being a quarrel does not mean that we are free to define eris, the Greek word, as having the same meaning now in 2017 as we give to the English word debate.
There is more in scripture on the topic of quarreling or making arguments, word fights, or contentiousness.
Romans 14: 1 in the English Standard Version says "As for the one who
is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions."
I Corinthians 11: 16, says "If any man be contentious, we have no such custom." And look
at II Corinthians 12: 20. Here Paul says he fears that when he comes
back to his people at Corinth that he will find them in debates,
envyings, wraths, strifes, backbitings, whisperings, swellings,
tumults."
Paul uses another Greek word which also carries with it
contentiousness in I Timothy 6: 3-4,
logomachia, "If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome
words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine
which is according to godliness; He is proud, knowing nothing, but
doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy,
strife, railings, evil surmisings."
This is a significant text, because what Paul is saying is that those
who get off into doctrines that were not taught by Christ and the
Apostles tend to get into logomachia, or strifes of words." Lets see
what Strong's says about logomachia.
Logomachia is number 3055 in Strong's and is said to mean
"disputations, strife of words." Logomachia might be translated as
"word fights."
The doctrine given in Romans 1: 28-29, Romans 2: 8, I Corinthians 11:
16, II Corinthians 12: 20 and I Timothy 6: 3-4 says that to engage in
contentious quarreling is a trait of the reprobate mind. It is also a
trait of the person in the condition of the natural man of I
Corinthians 2: 14, who cannot discern the things of the spirit.
Look at Acts 15: 1-2: "And certain men which came down from Judaea
taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the
manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved. When therefore Paul and Barnabas
had no small dissension and disputation with them, they determined
that Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of them, should go up to
Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question."
Luke did not use eris or logomachia in Acts 15: 2, which would have
carried a meaning closer to contentiousness than suzetesis.
Nevertheless, Paul and Barnabas did make strong disputation with the
Pharisees who taught that Christians must observe the ceremonial law
of Moses to be saved.
Note that I Timothy 6: 3-4, where Paul uses logomachia, is in the same chapter - I Timothy 6 - where Paul briefly mentions in Greek, the word αντιθεσεις, or anti-thesis, which brings up a type of argument which Paul warns that should be avoided. That is, the "anti-thesis of falsely called knowledge" Paul says to avoid.
An αντιθεσεις, or anti-thesis, is a technical term in the early Greek philosophy of the διαλεκτική, or dialectic, before the time of Christ. The dialectic is a way of making an argument by use of a thesis which opposes and attacks a antithesis, and an ongoing dialectic involves arguments and counter arguments. The Truth in scripture can be seen as the thesis while a false doctrine is the anti-thesis.
While an argument against the absolute truth of scripture can be called
the dialectic, and is of the reprobate mind as Paul teaches in Romans
1; 29, about making a quarrel, and of the condition of the natural man (I Corinthians 2:
14),questioning false doctrine and defending the absolute truth of
scripture is not an act of the reprobate mind. It is an act of
obedience to Christ and his truth. "...ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints." Jude 1: 3
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