Proverbs 27:17 says : "Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
When you rub iron against iron friction occurs. Honest disagreement laid out between believers will result in sharpening. However, weaker iron will not hold up under the stress, exposing its fractures it will splinter, crumble and fail. Such failure generally shows in ad hominem attacks.
When you squeeze a sponge and dirty water comes out of it, it is not the pressure that makes the water dirty. The dirt was there before.
When a man or woman claims to be of Christ and yet under pressure spew venom and make ad hom attacks instead of factual statements, they expose either their spiritual immaturity or their true reprobate nature.
Confrontation is not a bad thing. Neither are debate and argument. All three are valuable things. I praise God for the times I have been in sin and someone loved me enough to confront me. I am grateful to Him for my ignorance being exposed and my mistaken thoughts, misdeeds and misstatements being corrected. He has lovingly sent someone to correct me many times and I have repented for many things. I have both privately and publicly sought forgiveness for errors, sins of commission and sins of omission. I didn't like it at the time. It stung my pride. Pride makes you think that seeking forgiveness from others is a weakness. Pride makes us refuse to admit error...which is sinful. It is no wonder our God hates pride.
A couple days ago I read Peter Lumpkins' blog. If you want to read it you'll have to find it on your own. I can't in good conscience link to it. I honestly don't know how a man of God could write such vile stuff. I do understand that Mr. Lumpkins feels the need to defend two men he holds in high esteem, Dr. Caner and Dr. Geisler. I understand that he disagrees with Dr. White and desires to refute what Dr. White has written. OK, so why doesn't he refute what Dr. White has written instead of stooping to such juvenile and sinful behavior? Stephen Toulmin has identified six elements of an argument: the claim, grounds, warrant, backing, qualifier and rebuttal. Should Mr. Lumpkins honestly want to engage in conversation and argument against what Dr. White has written, perhaps he would be good enough to use that model as his framework for formulating such a defense. Personally, I appeal to you and your friends, Mr. Lumpkins, remember your responsibilities as confessors of Christ. It is friction that sharpens iron. Not acid.
Colossians 4:6
6 Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned, {as it were,} with salt, so that you may know how you should respond to each person.
Psalm 37:30-31
30 The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks justice.
31 The law of his God is in his heart; His steps do not slip.
Ecclesiastes 10:12-13
12 Words from the mouth of a wise man are gracious, while the lips of a fool consume him;
13 the beginning of his talking is folly, and the end of it is wicked madness.
Proverbs 25:11
11 {Like} apples of gold in settings of silver is a word spoken in right circumstances.
Colossians 3:16-17
16 Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms {and} hymns {and} spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.
17 And whatever you do in word or deed, {do} all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.
Ephesians 4:29
29 Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such {a word} as is good for edification according to the need {of the moment,} that it may give grace to those who hear.
Proverbs 12:18-20
18 There is one who speaks rashly like the thrusts of a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.
19 Truthful lips will be established forever, but a lying tongue is only for a moment.
20 Deceit is in the heart of those who devise evil, but counselors of peace have joy.
When you rub iron against iron friction occurs. Honest disagreement laid out between believers will result in sharpening. However, weaker iron will not hold up under the stress, exposing its fractures it will splinter, crumble and fail. Such failure generally shows in ad hominem attacks.
When you squeeze a sponge and dirty water comes out of it, it is not the pressure that makes the water dirty. The dirt was there before.
When a man or woman claims to be of Christ and yet under pressure spew venom and make ad hom attacks instead of factual statements, they expose either their spiritual immaturity or their true reprobate nature.
Confrontation is not a bad thing. Neither are debate and argument. All three are valuable things. I praise God for the times I have been in sin and someone loved me enough to confront me. I am grateful to Him for my ignorance being exposed and my mistaken thoughts, misdeeds and misstatements being corrected. He has lovingly sent someone to correct me many times and I have repented for many things. I have both privately and publicly sought forgiveness for errors, sins of commission and sins of omission. I didn't like it at the time. It stung my pride. Pride makes you think that seeking forgiveness from others is a weakness. Pride makes us refuse to admit error...which is sinful. It is no wonder our God hates pride.
A couple days ago I read Peter Lumpkins' blog. If you want to read it you'll have to find it on your own. I can't in good conscience link to it. I honestly don't know how a man of God could write such vile stuff. I do understand that Mr. Lumpkins feels the need to defend two men he holds in high esteem, Dr. Caner and Dr. Geisler. I understand that he disagrees with Dr. White and desires to refute what Dr. White has written. OK, so why doesn't he refute what Dr. White has written instead of stooping to such juvenile and sinful behavior? Stephen Toulmin has identified six elements of an argument: the claim, grounds, warrant, backing, qualifier and rebuttal. Should Mr. Lumpkins honestly want to engage in conversation and argument against what Dr. White has written, perhaps he would be good enough to use that model as his framework for formulating such a defense. Personally, I appeal to you and your friends, Mr. Lumpkins, remember your responsibilities as confessors of Christ. It is friction that sharpens iron. Not acid.
Colossians 4:6
6 Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned, {as it were,} with salt, so that you may know how you should respond to each person.
Psalm 37:30-31
30 The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks justice.
31 The law of his God is in his heart; His steps do not slip.
Ecclesiastes 10:12-13
12 Words from the mouth of a wise man are gracious, while the lips of a fool consume him;
13 the beginning of his talking is folly, and the end of it is wicked madness.
Proverbs 25:11
11 {Like} apples of gold in settings of silver is a word spoken in right circumstances.
Colossians 3:16-17
16 Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms {and} hymns {and} spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.
17 And whatever you do in word or deed, {do} all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.
Ephesians 4:29
29 Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such {a word} as is good for edification according to the need {of the moment,} that it may give grace to those who hear.
Proverbs 12:18-20
18 There is one who speaks rashly like the thrusts of a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.
19 Truthful lips will be established forever, but a lying tongue is only for a moment.
20 Deceit is in the heart of those who devise evil, but counselors of peace have joy.
Comments
(and for the record, watching Pulp Fiction once was way more than enough, for several lifetimes)
I wanted you to see this so I thought I would post it here. Over at the Pyromaniacs blog you said...
Stories like Caner's are the natural byproduct of people who long to be entertained and not edified. While I hold him responsible for his words, where were the men and women of God who had the responsibility to confront him long before this? Gullible believers, wannabes and feckless cowards born of cheap grace too easily let desire for vicarious celebrity eclipse integrity.
Well said! I especially like your use of entertainment versus edification (or enlightenment) and "vicarious celebrity eclipse integrity."
I'm jealous that I didn't think to write it thus!
Blessings in Christ,
Pilgrimsarbour