8/9/2019 Jesus the Arguer

1/2

Jesus The Arguer.

Jesus at 12 stayed behind to argue with the teachers of the scriptures. Argue, a term negative in

our culture, a huge honor and right of passage in the Jewish community. A young man could not

argue scripture until his 13th birthday and so for much of his youth he was kept outside of one of

the most amazing events in a Jewish mans life.

We for 1500 years have divided in denominations around selected truths, completely in

disobedience to scripture.

1 Corinthians 1

10 Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the

same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together

in the same mind and in the same judgment. 11 For it hath been declared unto me of you, my

brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you. 12

Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and

I of Christ. 13 Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name ofPaul?

The excuse or misuse of scripture to justify such action is How can two walk together lest they

be agreed. I have heard this scripture twisted to excuse division and to cut off fellowship as

the leaders opinions are questioned or disagreed with. We cause a far greater act of death

with separation than any disagreement could.

There is a wonderful rejuvenation of the Spirit coming back to Christianity whereby we agree

in spirit even when we disagree in doctrine or reason. Where we fellowship around hearts

surrendered to the Lordship of Christ pressing in to know God and reasoning one with another

on all areas of doctrine and practice.

The Jewish practice even today is for men to gather together and reason together to argue with

the intent to find truth. Not like it is in our chirstian culture where if a person does not agree he

is demonized, his intentions and motivations are judged evil and those who do not see our way

are stupid, wrong and to be rejected or ignored.

I live in a family where most profess to be christian, many of the men are in ministry and yet

they never talk about scripture or Christianity because the culture of rejection, silence and anger

prevails. Those who disagree are heretics or rebellious and it is said, we can not have such

things in our congregations.

I started a mens argument night at my house, where we teach men how to argue correctly. This

time is one of the most amazing things you have ever seen. The level of excitement, passion

and friendship inspired by these meeting is even more than I anticipated. We begin by taking

some hard questions and some not so hard and presenting them one at a time, we teach how

to discuss and attack ideas not people. We assume all in the room are seekers of truth and it

amazes me how many people walk away with new thinking and their ideas of God and scripture

changed and grow. I learn something from every meeting and even when I go in sure I know the

8/9/2019 Jesus the Arguer

2/2

answers, I am surprised how often I am wrong or learn a new way of seeing.

Sometimes, those who disagree leave closer than those who agree. the brotherhood and

fellowship is lively and defines a type of Christian fellowship most men would love. I hope that

all will learn this and it become a part of our culture again. How good and pleasant it is for men

to walk together in unity...