Declining Arguments

No, You Don’t Have to Get Involved

The world seems to operate under the false impression that you must have an opinion of everything. Not only must you have an opinion, but you must be willing to engage in spirited debate or conflict when your world-view is challenged. Some Christians justify their bellicose behavior by stating they are standing up for the truth. But, what did Jesus do when he was confronted with those attempting to bastardize the truth?

Matthew 27:11–14 CSB

11 Now Jesus stood before the governor. “Are you the king of the Jews?” the governor asked him. Jesus answered, “You say so.” 12 While he was being accused by the chief priests and elders, he didn’t answer. 13 Then Pilate said to him, “Don’t you hear how much they are testifying against you?” 14 But he didn’t answer him on even one charge, so that the governor was quite amazed.

Read Matthew 27:11-14. Meditate on Christ’s willingness to decline the invitation to fight for about 30 seconds and what this says of His character. 1) Jesus was enduring false testimony, yet He did not fight back. Why? If Jesus had fought back, would anything have been accomplished? 2) Do you consider yourself someone who has a hard time declining an invitation to debate, argue, or fight? What do you feel compels you? 3) What can a desire to engage in conflict say about our pride? What does it say about what we value most?

Jesus had every right to argue with Pilate. He had demonstrated the ability to effectively respond to the Pharisees each time they challenged Him. Yet, just when he had one of his biggest stages to argue, He didn’t. Instead, He yielded to something of greater importance: His mission. His mission in that moment was to fulfill prophecy, not fight and debate.

Sometimes we get into fights at the expense of what God has called us to do. When that happens, we can easily get distracted from the purpose or people God has called us to serve. We replace God’s objectives with our own satisfaction and pride.

Move with the Movers, or Move On

My old mentor, Pastor Frank, used to always use the phrase “you move with the movers”. He was communicating that we don’t want to waste time trying to motivate people to act on God’s calling if they are more interested in other things. We’re better off focusing on those who are being faithful and allowing the testimony speak for itself. In many ways, this phrase drove a lot of what this church is today.

Jesus advocated for the same thing. He taught, and demonstrated, that we are better shifting our attention towards those receptive of the truth rather than trying to berate or debate our way into a closed mind.

Mark 6:1–6 CSB

1 He left there and came to his hometown, and his disciples followed him. 2 When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astonished. “Where did this man get these things?” they said. “What is this wisdom that has been given to him, and how are these miracles performed by his hands? 3 Isn’t this the carpenter, the son of Mary, and the brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And aren’t his sisters here with us?” So they were offended by him. 4 Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown, among his relatives, and in his household.” 5 He was not able to do a miracle there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them. 6 And he was amazed at their unbelief. He was going around the villages teaching.

Mark 6:7–12 CSB

7 He summoned the Twelve and began to send them out in pairs and gave them authority over unclean spirits. 8 He instructed them to take nothing for the road except a staff—no bread, no traveling bag, no money in their belts, 9 but to wear sandals and not put on an extra shirt. 10 He said to them, “Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that place. 11 If any place does not welcome you or listen to you, when you leave there, shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.” 12 So they went out and preached that people should repent.

Read Mark 6:1-6, pause to consider what took place, then read the commissioning of the disciples in Mark 6:7-12. 1) How does Jesus’ actions reinforce the “move with the movers” mentality? 2) What does this mean for us in terms of how churches should operate? 3) What does this mean for us as individuals when we share the Gospel? 4) Does “move with the movers” mean we give up on someone? What role does ‘redemption’ play in all this?

There’s a Time and a Place for Boldness

Despite everything we’ve just discussed, Jesus did stand up for the truth when there was some grander purpose. What you don’t see is Jesus simply arguing for the sake of being “correct” or acting overly concerned for being the winner of a political debate. Instead you see Him using conflict, when necessary, to serve or instruct a greater point.

In Matthew 21, Jesus turned the tables in the temple. He didn’t do this out of spite, but due to the rampant unscrupulous practices vendors were using to cheat worshippers when they just wanted to honor God. Once again, in Matthew 23, Jesus launches into a tirade against the Pharisees, outlining all of their several hypocrisies. Again, His focus was on correcting the corruptions He knew were taking place within the Temple in God’s name. In each instance, Christ was moved to passion due to the mission He was there to complete.

That works for Jesus, but what about us in our mission? What does righteous passion look like for us?

Acts 6:8–7:1 CSB

8 Now Stephen, full of grace and power, was performing great wonders and signs among the people. 9 Opposition arose, however, from some members of the Freedmen’s Synagogue, composed of both Cyrenians and Alexandrians, and some from Cilicia and Asia, and they began to argue with Stephen. 10 But they were unable to stand up against his wisdom and the Spirit by whom he was speaking. 11 Then they secretly persuaded some men to say, “We heard him speaking blasphemous words against Moses and God.” 12 They stirred up the people, the elders, and the scribes; so they came, seized him, and took him to the Sanhedrin. 13 They also presented false witnesses who said, “This man never stops speaking against this holy place and the law. 14 For we heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs that Moses handed down to us.” 15 And all who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at him and saw that his face was like the face of an angel. 1 “Are these things true?” the high priest asked.

Acts 7:51–60 CSB

51 “You stiff-necked people with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You are always resisting the Holy Spirit. As your ancestors did, you do also. 52 Which of the prophets did your ancestors not persecute? They even killed those who foretold the coming of the Righteous One, whose betrayers and murderers you have now become. 53 You received the law under the direction of angels and yet have not kept it.” 54 When they heard these things, they were enraged and gnashed their teeth at him. 55 Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven. He saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 56 He said, “Look, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!” 57 They yelled at the top of their voices, covered their ears, and together rushed against him. 58 They dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. And the witnesses laid their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. 59 While they were stoning Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!” 60 He knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them!” And after saying this, he fell asleep.

Read Acts 6:8-7:1 and Acts 7:51-60. Meditate a few moments on Stephen’s boldness and for what purpose he appeared to argue. 1) For what purpose did Stephen appear to engage in dialog with those accusing him? 2) What appears to be Stephen’s biggest concern: defending his own honor, or glorifying God? 3) When you see Christians who are argumentative, how can you tell a difference between those “arguing to be right” vs those truly trying to serve God? 4) How can we keep ourselves accountable to only participate in conflicts when the objective is glorifying God rather than our own benefit?

Conflict appears all throughout the Bible, but consistently those who seek conflict for their own gain do so at their own peril.

Christ engaged in conflict on occasion, but it was never serving His carnal benefit; it was glorification of God and God’s plan.

In a world so eager to fight, we have an opportunity to demonstrate our sanctification by electing to decline the fight which may benefit our own vices in favor of prioritizing what God has called us to do… regardless of where that may take us.