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This week, we’re talking about why religious debates are less common today than they used to be. In the 19th and 20th centuries, it was fairly common for preachers to be involved in formal, public debates. While these still happen occasionally today, they do not occur nearly as often in the 21st century. Why is that? We’re going to consider some possible reasons today.Continue Reading
Samuel Robert Cassius (1853-1931) was born into slavery in Virginia and lived in Washington, D.C., during the Civil War. As an adult, he moved to Indiana, where he heard the “Restoration plea” and obeyed the gospel. He spent most of his life living, working, and preaching in Oklahoma.
In the book To Save My Race from Abuse, Cassius’ biographer described his preparation for a debate with a Primitive Baptist in which Cassius was to affirm “that the Church of Christ, of which I am member, is apostolic in faith, doctrine and practice” (To Save My Race from Abuse, p. 41). Unfortunately, his opponent backed out, and the debate never happened. In the following quote, Cassius adapted the imagery of the armor of God (cf. Ephesians 6:10-17) to describe his readiness to defend the truth in debate.
“I carried two large solid rocks—one in each hand. In my right hand I had the four Gospels, in my left the Acts of the Apostles, and belted about my waist I had all of the pistols of Paul, James and Peter, and between my teeth I carried the sword of the Spirit.” (ibid. p. 41)
L. F. Bittle (1833-1905) worked for about twenty years with Daniel Sommer in producing the Apostolic Review. Sommer described him as “the best educated and the most modest man I ever knew” (Daniel Sommer: A Biography, p. 153). On one occasion when he was challenged for a debate, Bittle gave the following response:
“We can imagine a man brave enough to go forth into the forest to hunt lions, but on his return that same man would step aside when he would be confronted by a skunk” (Daniel Sommer: A Biography, p. 158).
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In this season, we’re discussing social issues – problems that are facing our society and what the Bible has to say about these issues.
Many of the topics we have discussed in this study are controversial and can elicit strong emotional responses from individuals. Because of this, we may be tempted to avoid any type of discussion on these issues, especially if we know there will be disagreement.
However, as we have discussed, there are Biblical principles that apply to these topics. Therefore, discussions on these sorts of issues can provide a way to direct others – especially those who are not Christians – to what the Bible teaches. So we should not avoid discussing these things altogether, but we do need to understand the proper way to discuss contentious topics.
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Most have noticed that the world in which we live has become more divided and contentious in the past few years. Many topics that come up for discussion – both in person and especially online – can elicit strong emotional responses from individuals. Because of this, we may be tempted to avoid any type of discussion on potentially controversial issues, especially if we know (or are reasonably certain) there will be disagreement.
However, for many controversial topics, there are Biblical principles that apply to them. Therefore, discussions on these sorts of issues can provide a way to direct others – especially those who are not Christians – to what the Bible teaches. So we should not avoid discussing such things altogether, but we do need to understand the proper way to discuss contentious topics.Continue Reading
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One aspect about Jesus that is often ignored is His ability to debate. There is probably a reason for this. To say that religious debates are not popular in our time is an understatement. Yet the ability to debate is a valuable skill for those who would endeavor to teach the gospel to others. Jesus was so effective that Luke recorded four occasions in just one chapter (Luke 20) in which Jesus silenced His opponents. He did so by presenting arguments that could not be combated.
When Jesus silenced His opponents four times in Luke 20, He was able to do so without turning the common people against Him. “And they could not find anything that they might do, for all the people were hanging on to every word He said” (Luke 19:48). This was before the debates in chapter 20. Then after the debates, Luke records: “And all the people would get up early in the morning to come to Him in the temple to listen to Him” (Luke 21:38). We must develop our abilities to confound our opponents while also persuading the people. In order to help us do this, we’re going to consider how Jesus silenced His opponents. So in this episode, we’re going to discuss the four things Jesus did as He debated with those who opposed the truth.
Article: Jesus: The Great Debater
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This debate will be streamed live online December 11 & 12 at 7:00pm CST. You can watch the debate here.
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What does “propitiation” mean? How is “justification” connected to salvation? What does “sanctification” look like in our day-to-day lives? The Bible uses some powerful words to describe God’s plan to save mankind. However, these words are not always easy to understand, especially when they are not part of our everyday vocabulary. This book explores key Bible terms that unlock the message of the gospel.
Big Words in the Bible examines five important words – Propitiation, Reconciliation, Sanctification, Justification, and Resurrection – using plain language to see how the Scriptures describe these concepts and how the apostle Paul employs them in his letter to the Romans. This book also contains an appendix with eleven additional articles to explore these topics further.
Whether you are new to the Bible and want to grow in your understanding or want a simple way to explain these core gospel doctrines to others, this book will be helpful. With a focus on the Scriptures, Big Words in the Bible helps break down these fundamental topics to shed light on the life-changing message of the gospel and the salvation found in it.
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