Question:
Dear Greg,
I
appreciate your service, so here goes. I
have been debating online with a fellow who denies the Trinity and that Jesus is
God. He says he is a
Christadelphian. Before I started
debating him I didn’t know much about Christadelphians, but they are
essentially a non-orthodox group that denies the Trinity and many other historic
Christian doctrines. They remind me
a lot of groups such as the Jehovah’s Witness and Mormons.
My problem is that whenever I provide what I consider to be clear
biblical proof of Jesus being God, he always has some way to get out of it.
He uses all kinds of arguments such as the meanings of words in the Greek
and passages that seem to say that others could do things that only Christ or
God can do. He refuses to
acknowledge that passages such as John 1:1 are referring to Christ since his
name is not actually mentioned. On
top of that, he is very arrogant and gives off the impression that he is
intellectually superior to those who disagree with him.
In
a way I felt that God was calling me to try and help him, but after dealing with
him for a while I feel that maybe I am wasting my time.
Recently, he personally insulted me by calling me illiterate and a liar
and I told him that I didn’t want to continue if he was not going to show me
the same respect that I have shown him. I
know that you must have been in situations similar to this, so I am asking your
advice on how to deal with people like this.
On one hand I feel compelled to help them, but on the other hand I feel
that I may be wasting my time and I’ve done all that I can do.
I
appreciate any help you can give me.
Thanks,
Ray
Answer: Dear Ray,
On-line
evangelism, or apologetics, can be difficult, for it affords at least one party
the “safety” of anonymity. That
is, courtesy (whether Christian or simply “common” civility) can be
discarded when the other person does not know you, and/or when you are not
meeting with them face to face.
In
addition, it is our experience that there are many people who have lots of time
on their hands and are “spoiling” for a theological war of words.
Our “Ask Greg” feature is, for those kinds of reasons, not a
chat-room or interactive. We supply
answers for those who seem to have sincere questions, but we genuinely do not
have the time to engage in endless argumentation.
We would be, in the vast majority of cases, wasting our time.
You
are correct—many who follow cultic teaching have already been schooled and
prepared to answer your biblically centered responses.
They have been given and have learned proof texts that match their
theology and will do their best to steer you back to their well-worn path of
proof texts that enable them to navigate “the perils of the gospel of Jesus
Christ” with their cultic teachings and beliefs intact.
The gospel of Jesus Christ is dangerous to cults!
Chances are you will not dissuade them in person, let alone on line.
Then,
when name-calling begins we really have very little left to discuss, for there
is obviously no respect for you or your opinion.
I
think of one of Paul’s instructions to the young pastor Timothy, “And the
Lord’s servant must not quarrel (strive in the KJV): he must be kind to
everyone, able to teach, not resentful” (2 Timothy
The
passage does go on to encourage Timothy to work with those who may be their own
worst enemy, but Paul says in verse 14, “Warn them about quarreling about
words: it is of no value, and only ruins those who listen.”
Thanks
for your love of the gospel.
In
Christ,