It is evident by the number of denominations in the world that the enemy has divided the Church. And many of these splits and divisions resulted because of doubtful disputations. Strong disagreements over religious dogmas have caused many to have hatred for their brethren and have caused others to walk away from the Lord.
Our opinions on things that are not clear in the Bible do not matter. Whether you believe in Kingdom now or Kingdom Come, or if you dip, dunk, or sprinkle for water baptism, or if you believe in pre, mid, or post-tribulation, that is not the focus of the Kingdom of God. The focus is changed people, set apart and sanctified, prepared to meet the Lord, a Bride who has made herself ready and, most of all, love for one another.
Stay away from doubtful disputations. It is a trap to divide. It is okay to share your views, but when it causes division or causes someone to stumble, it is not okay. Love your neighbor right where they are in their walk.
What is a doubtful disputation? Doubtful is the Greek word dialogiamos (Strong's G1261), which means "disputing, deliberating, reasoning, doubting, diverse reckoning, dissensions, imaginations, and speculation."
Disputation is the Greek word diakrisis (Strong's 1253), which means "distinguishing, discerning or judging, for the purpose of passing judgment on opinions, as to which one is to be preferred as the more correct."
A doubtful disputation can mean anything from human reasoning and debate to disputes and dissensions. A doubtful disputation is a disputable matter of opinion, a matter where opinions differ, or where one person doubts the validity of another's opinion. It is passing judgment on another's opinions and can lead to contempt and disrespect for each other. The keyword here is opinions. Opinions are not facts. Opinions are usually based on human reasoning and therefore are disputable.
Paul exhorts us in Romans 14 to not regard the weaker person with contempt, and not to let him judge the rest of the Christians, for God has accepted all. Whatever you believe, if you do it in faith and unto the Lord, you are acceptable to God.
Paul summed it all up later in Romans 15:7, "Wherefore, accept one another, just as Christ also accepted us to the glory of God." NKJV
The way of the Kingdom of God is to search the word of God and ask for wisdom and understanding. A person's understanding will change as they mature. Someone once said we are to reckon our fleshly self as dead to the desire to exercise passionate disputes with one another.
We need to get over what we think is right… we may be surprised when we meet the Lord face to face. We may learn that some of the beliefs we had were wrong, or that some of our interpretations of His word were not correct. Ask anyone who has been a believer for a while. They will tell you they have had to repent of some of their dogmas.
Think about this for a moment. At one time, we humans thought the earth was flat. We thought the sky was filled with stars, not galaxies. We used to use leeches to treat some diseases. We thought that science was absolutes until quantum theory finds that nothing is as it seems. We accepted these things as truth and found that they were not the truth.
The hidden things and mysteries of God continue to be revealed. If we are dogmatic about our dogmas, we will miss what He has to reveal. Be open to what the Holy Spirit has to say or show you. Ask God to reveal through His spirit of truth, what is truth and what is not. Test all spirits. Be Bereans and search the scriptures daily for truth (Acts 17:10-12). Allow the Holy Spirit to renew your mind. And above all, accept others as you were accepted.
Our responsibility at this time is not to dispute the things that are not clear, but to recognize those things we have in common, building each other up in love and helping to strengthen and prepare each other for the time to come. To your own convictions be true, but remember that not everyone is in the same place on the path.
"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." - John 13:34-35 NKJV
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