2 Timothy 2v23-26

And what did Paul say in Romans about not wanting to sin, but sinning nevertheless?

 

It is convicting

Paul's words set the bar pretty high.

Your sis in Christ,
Beth

 

Paul does not say we are to avoid disputes---------but we are to avoid foolish disputes

He does not say we are not to correct-----but we are to correct with humility

If we will avoid FOOLISH disputes and if we will correct with humility---we have done the will of God in those particular encounters

 

I agree with Blackbird, and I really dont see where there is a quarrel on this board but I have not read all post, if we point out a mistake in doctrine and leave it at and do so with out coming across as being a know it all but do it with charity in your heart then I think that would be as Paul wrote. I dont see God not wanting us to correct bad doctrine but would commend it.

 

We would be more like our Father in Heaven. We would come closer to living up to our Lord Jesus' command to love another (by this the world will know we are His disciples).

We would able to discuss things in a Christ-like manner, engaging the Word of God instead of inciting personal conflicts, and in the end we might actually learn something and grow stronger in our faith instead of needing our cyber-space mouths washed out with cyber-space soap.

peace to youraying:

 

You put this in the wrong forum, imo. It should go down in Politics where it's really rough!

 

Well, there is a difference between quarreling and debating. I agree sometimes there is quarreling, but I see that most often in the Politics Forum, and sometimes the Other Christian Denominations Forum.

 

The issue is if we are going to enter a discussion with potential to fall apart - can we keep to these instructions when others don't? Because we know, since we are all human, that it only takes one mis-typed/spoken word to set a discussion/debate down hill.

I believe it can be done - but it takes the commitment of everyone and the only one for whom I can commit is me.

 

You are 100 percent correct. I heard a preacher in Texas years ago, which cause me to think, he said the hardest thing he had to put up with on a day to day deal was how rude many Christians were. He didn't believe many could act correctly when they were faced with another Christian who disagreed with them. They just had to get the last word in. He said the way Christians acted kept his father away from church and accepting Christ till a few years before he was called home.

 

The board would be more civil. Too many times we have a chip on our shoulder when our pet doctrines or pet peeves are being talked about in a good or bad light. Too many of us need to stop and think about how we are talking to others whether or not they made us "look bad" by what they just said.

On the other hand, C4K, I understand the frustrations that you are talking about on this board. I've read some posts that I could tell you were showing some frustration, but more times than not, you've shown a great christ-like attitude toward a hostile situation. I trust that you will continue to be relied upon to do the same.

I know its impossible to read someones intent from a post, but regardless, I think we have a good representation of those that show a great example of what Paul was talking about and respond in a godly manner......others take the bait everytime.

 

You know I'm in agreement with you, Roger. I came to BB a veteran of "board wars" hoping this one was different but, though it has its good points, the bottom line is pretty much the same ol' stuff.

More recently, I tried a non-Baptist board where, apart from that aspect, there is much theological alignment for me. No difference overall: lines drawn in the sand, arrogant posturing, snide ad hominen mutual disdain between "camps"

I trace nearly all this to pride--pride of our theological correctness over their heresy; pride of political perspecuity over the denseness of our opponents; pride of our intellect over their stupidity.

It is sad. Leaving the discussion is called for, as you say. Leaving the whole concept is looming on my horizon. What good is all this back-and-forth? Can you honestly say it's edifying?...to the participants or to the viewers? And, most of all: Does it glorify Christ?

Too often we try to pass this off as "fellowship" when in fact it is a place to show off our "superiority" to the lesser Christians.

 

I don't think anyone thinks the debate forums are for "fellowship." There is fellowship on the "fellowship" forums.

I have learned a lot on the BB: I've learned about stuff I never heard of; I also had to defend my views using scripture, and this caused me to look up passages and read and re-read them to make sure I could support what I was saying; I've become more willing to hear other views than I used to be; I've learned how to better answer some views; and I've become more realistic about the variety of Baptists and Christians that there are out there.

 

Well, I'm sure I'm wrong-headed on this, as usual, but I meant "fellowship" in the sense of "fellowship of believers" in general, not something which one switches off and on depending upon what "forum" he is posting in.......

In this perhaps "imaginary" fellowship of mine, one does not direct his energies toward trashing other believers in a manner so frequently observed here and in other such boards.

I guess this is just my "why can't we call get along" liberalism........:BangHead:

 

Bang on, Ed. No reason why we can't express different viewpoints and still sip a cuppa at the same table.

Cheers,

Jim

PS. There is a reason why I end all my posts with "cheers". It is more than just the most common form of greeting in England, but it most hard to say cheers without smiling!

 

drfuss: Awhile ago I stopped getting into debates (like OSAS) on BB because it ends up in endless disputes. Some debates have been going on for hundreds of years and will not be settled here. I ususally post for information purposes and to correct the many false statements on BB about what others believe.

I came to realize that many on BB are ministers; and therefore, thay cannot afford to consider that they may be wrong on some issues. So I stopped debating on those issues.

This thread reminds me of an old saying:

To live above with saints we love,
That will be Grace and Glory.
To live below with Saints we know,
Well that is another story.

 

Well, I think we should debate with grace and not in a mean way, or trashing people.

Sometimes the debates here are very good and civilized, and sometimes not. This is one reason I tend to stay away from the Calvinist/non-Calvinist debates, because I have found them to be the nastiest.

But you can look at it this way: if you are debating here and get called names or people are not nice, it's a chance to practice returning good for evil.