Arguing?

I read other blogs and hope you do, too. There are some very good ones around. A few weeks back, one of those had an excellent post on Appealing to Agrumentative People, at Far Above Rubies. I thought of that when reading (again):

Make no friendship with an angry man; and with a furious man thou shalt not go: Lest thou learn his ways, and get a snare to thy soul. (Proverbs 22:24-25 KJV)

As I read Jasmine’s blog about argumentative people, I like the basics of her suggestions:

• She suggested starting with openly admitting differences.
• She reminded us not to make judgmental statements.
• She suggested pointing to shared values, experiences and problems.
• She also said to ask the other person to keep an open mind (I might add, we would do good to do that, too.)
• Hopefully, we can work to overcome negative stereotypes.

My question was, how does this relate to scripture? We do meet argumentative people when witnessing. I like Jasmine’s response:

Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. (Romans 12:17-18 KJV)

Each of her points offer an opportunity to continue discussions, lessening argumentativeness. When there is discussion, there are good opportunities for witnessing. If we are where we’re supposed to be in God’s plan, the words He has for us will come:

And when they bring you unto the synagogues, and unto magistrates, and powers, take ye no thought how or what thing ye shall answer, or what ye shall say: For the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what ye ought to say. (Luke 12:11-12 KJV)

On the other hand, there seems to be little value in spending time in arguments where either participant becomes angry – as shown above from Proverbs. Yet Jesus accomplished miracles under such conditions. I like this example:

And he entered again into the synagogue; and there was a man there which had a withered hand. And they watched him, whether he would heal him on the sabbath day; that they might accuse him. And he saith unto the man which had the withered hand, Stand forth. And he saith unto them, Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath days, or to do evil? to save life, or to kill? But they held their peace. And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he saith unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it out: and his hand was restored whole as the other. (Mark 3:1-5 KJV)

No, His actions, His words didn’t change the Pharisees’ anger, confirmed by their next action:

And the Pharisees went forth, and straightway took counsel with the Herodians against him, how they might destroy him. (Mark 3:6 KJV)

My conclusion? We do the witnessing about what the Lord has done in our own lives. He provides the miracles.