Should We Ever Be Arguing Scripture?

When someone is trying to demonstrate a truth in the Bible, or support their theological opinion, it is important to argue from Scripture, using the text to support the claim. To give a very simple example, if someone wants to demonstrate that theft is wrong, someone can point to verses from both the Old and New Testament which demonstrate that taking something from someone else is a sin: Exodus 20:15, Leviticus 19:11, Mark 10:19, and Matthew 19:18 for example.

There are many times when using Bible verses to explain a Biblical position or what Christians believe is appropriate. The Word of God is sacred though, and should not be used as a weapon to beat people with, or to misrepresent. Just because someone can argue with Scripture, or about it, does not mean they should.

After Christ’s ascension, many people turned to the truth. Some began to take the message of the Messiah, and use it to their advantage, sometimes even taking passages from the Old Testament to change Jesus’ message. The Apostles, including Peter and Paul, condemned this use of Scripture; “But avoid irreverent babble, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness, and their talk will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, who have swerved from the truth, saying that the resurrection has already happened. They are upsetting the faith of some” (2 Timothy 2:16-18). If an argument from or about Scripture weakens the faith of a believer in Jesus, including His death and resurrection, the Bible condemns it.

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Because there are people who are Christians who misinterpret or misunderstand Scripture, having open dialogue about it, its history, its original texts, translations, and its meaning is important. Honest disagreements about Scriptural meaning can lead to substantive debate, and perhaps even consensus.

However, as Paul pointed out with Hymenaeus and Philetus, debating with people who participate in ‘irreverent babble’ is not fruitful. When someone has taken the meaning of the Bible and the message of Christ and changed it, getting into an argument with that individual is usually not fruitful because “A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion” (Proverbs 18:2).

Behavior to look out for that may indicate that someone is merely expressing their opinion and just wants to foolishly argue about it include taking verses out of context, getting aggressive quickly, refusing to accept new information, and an unwillingness to admit when they are wrong or when their debate partner is correct.

Just because there is disagreement about a passage in the Bible and its meaning does not necessarily indicate that someone is being misleading, ignorant, or deceitful. As imperfect people, mistakes happen, or sincere disagreements can be held. If people wish to gather together to carefully review Scripture, discuss it, and then leave in brotherly love, that is appropriate. In fact, a group of Macedonian Christians carefully consulted the Scriptures they had after Paul shared the Gospel with them.

Luke recorded in the Book of Acts, “...when [Paul and Silas] arrived they went into the Jewish synagogue. Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so. Many of them therefore believed, with not a few Greek women of high standing as well as men” (Acts 17:10b-12). They compared Scripture with Scripture, and human testimony against it. Because of this careful examination - and probably some debate - many came to believe in Jesus, both Jew and Gentile.

These principles of choosing when to engage in debate or argument about Scripture can be applied equally to non-believers. Examine the intention of the person who wants to talk. Are they open to the message of the Bible? Is the Holy Spirit guiding the discussion? Is there sincerity? Are they making good-faith arguments or are they being dismissive and not debating honestly?

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The Bible stands on the firm foundation of its truth as the written Word of God. When people come with arguments against the Bible, they can sometimes be persuasive, but there are many verses of assurances of its truth, as well as the believer’s role in defending it.

2 Timothy 3:16 “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.”

2 Peter 1:20-21 “Knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone's own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”

1 Peter 3:15 “But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect.”

Romans 16:17-18 “I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive.”

1 Timothy 6:3-5 “If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness, he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy craving for controversy and for quarrels about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions, and constant friction among people who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain.”

2 Corinthians 10:4-5 “For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but have divine power to destroy strongholds.  We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ.”                        

2 Timothy 2:15 “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.”

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One of the key themes in verses about defending the faith and arguing about or with Scripture is to do it with integrity, patience, and modelling the example of Christ. Approaching a discussion about the Bible with anger and self-righteousness, even if it may be correct, is sinful. God does see the heart, and knows if a believer is arguing Scripture with a bad reason. Being ungodly in the discussion also presents a bad witness, which Paul discouraged in 2 Timothy.

One key to rightly arguing the truth of Scripture is to have an honest dialogue about the passage in question. Most believers know of a person who will take a verse, or part of a verse, out of its context and declare that it means one thing, when putting it in context reveals it means something else. If believers find themselves having to cut passages, or overly-interpret text in order to make it fit with a belief, it may be worth it to pause and consider whether or not the interpretation is correct. Being willing to honestly discuss what the Bible is saying will facilitate fruitful discussion with other Christians, and give more integrity to debates with non-believers.

A key Bible verse about debating and arguing clearly outlines what kinds of debates with which Christian should engage. The Apostle Paul wrote to his mentee Timothy, “Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels. And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness” (2 Timothy 22:23-25a). Some things people want to argue about are not worth the effort. Asking the Holy Spirit for discernment about when to argue Scripture will keep believers out of foolish arguments.

Ultimately, the only person who ever taught the Word of God with absolute authority was the Lord Jesus Christ himself. Approaching the Bible with humility and with an ear to the guidance of the Holy Spirit will yield good Bible study, and appropriate heart, and will better equip Christians to defend their faith, and the Bible.

Sources

Enns, Peter. The Bible Tells Me So….Why Defending Scripture Has Made Us Unable to Read It. eBook: HarperOne, 2014.

Geisler, Norman and William Roach. Defending Inerrency Affirming the Accuracy of Scripture for a New Generation. Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2011.

Platt, David, Dr. Daniel L. Akin, and Tony Merida. Exalting Jesus in 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus. eBook: B&H Publishing Group, 2013.

Sproul, R.C. and John Gerstner, and Arthur Lindsley. Classical Apologetics A Rational Defense of the Christian Faith and a Critique of Presuppositional Apologetics. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1984.

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