Posts Tagged ‘reasoning’
Forceful Arguments
by Doy Moyer An argument won by force is no real win, but is a sham masquerading as truth. As soon as bullies face real arguments, they merely flex more muscle instead of exerting the effort of thinking things out and through in a reasonable manner. Bullies fear truth and so will suppress it in…
Read MoreDemanding a Sign
by Matthew W. Bassford Matthew 16:1-4 is one of the more off-putting passages in the gospels. Some Pharisees and Sadducees come to Jesus asking for a sign. A reasonable request, right? Don’t you have the right to ask a self-proclaimed prophet to show that he’s really from God before you believe in Him? However, Jesus…
Read MoreWhat About This Man?
by Doy Moyer This isn’t a parable, but it is a principle to be understood with multiple applications. After Jesus resurrected and met with His disciples, He specifically talked with Peter. Three times (probably mirroring the three times Peter denied Him), Jesus asked Peter if he loved Him. Three times Peter said he did, and…
Read MoreListening to the Hard Sayings
by Matthew W. Bassford The law of Christ is not as I would have written it. There are actions that don’t bother me very much that God labels as sins, and there are things that chap my hide but are not condemned by Him. I think pineapple on pizza ought to be classed as an…
Read MoreThe Ignorance of the World Around Me
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Romans 14:4-13 I. I started to drive home the other night and the radio happened to be tuned to the show of a commentator whom I really can’t stand. He has a nasally, whiny voice that gets on my nerves, but the irritation is nothing compared to his views. A. Before…
Read MoreHow to Misunderstand the Bible
I. Yet another book appears on the bookshelves claiming to help the casual reader to better understand the teachings found in the Bible. A. “The Good Book: Reading the Bible with Mind and Heart” by Peter J. Gomes. B. The author claims that contents of the best selling book in the world is mostly unknown and misunderstood. C. In…
Read MoreIsaiah 1:18 seems out of place. Can you explain what it is saying?
Question: The first sentence in Isaiah 1:18 about reasoning together seems so out of place compared to what’s around it – at least to me. Can you help me understand the context a little bit better? Also if you know of any other passages that show God encourages us to use reason and test the…
Read MoreHow do we know that the Lord’s Supper wasn’t taken once a year in Troas?
Question: I was doing some searching on the Internet and discovered an argument against Acts:20:7 that I’ve never encountered. Since Acts 20:7 is the only reference we use (that I know of) to decide how often we take the Lord’s Supper this is pretty important. Acts 20:6 says they sailed from Philippi after the days…
Read MoreEven though there is falsehood in an article, can’t you read it to find some truth buried in it?
Question: I am somewhat frustrated. I suppose you may have felt frustrated reading that article I sent, or at least part of it. When I read it, of course, I wasn’t looking for flaws. You appear to focus on flaws when reading something you know you disagree with. I suppose nearly everyone including me does…
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