Evangelism Errors: Thursday's Thing #34

I read this over on Tim Challies blog regarding how we should go about debating controversial topics. His last "rule" made me pause and think. So many times when asserting the soundness and rightness of our particular doctrine we tend to bash the person over the head as well, painting them and their views with a broad brush of criticism, disgust, disapproval and condemnation. When defending something near and dear to my heart I tend to fly off on an offensive tangent of "well I'm right because of this, this and this and you and your views are completely wrong and ridiculous for this, that and the other reason!" Next time, I must remember this:

Only God sees the heart—remember the gospel and stick to criticizing the theology. Keller goes to John Newton and says “no one has written more eloquently about this rule than John Newton, in his well-known ‘Letter on Controversy.’ Newton says that first, before you begin to write a single word against an opponent, ‘and during the whole time you are preparing your answer, you may commend him by earnest prayer to the Lord’s teaching and blessing.’ This practice will stir up love for him and ‘such a disposition will have a good influence upon every page you write.’ Later in the letter Newton says, ‘Be upon your guard against admitting anything personal into the debate. If you think you have been ill treated, you will have an opportunity of showing that you are a disciple of Jesus, who ‘when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not.’ ‘It is a great danger to aim to ‘gain the laugh on your side,’ to make your opponent look evil and ridiculous instead of engaging their views with ‘the compassion due to the souls of men.’”

The gospel will win souls to Christ. Kind words spoken in compassion and love will stir up a hunger for the Living Word - harsh, critical words will not. As right and sound as my theology may be, beating someone over the heard with it won't change their mind or even make them desire to change it!

"Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God." (James 1:19-21 ESV)

Stay tuned for next week's Thursday's Things where I'll introduce a discussion on the danger of losing our sense of wonder about Jesus and replacing it with a regulated, predictable, austere, comfortable theology.