Do You Have to Have A Scholarly Answer for Your Faith?


I saw a video during my Sunday service about the floods of people that are coming to church for Easter or Christmas, maybe they only come once a year, or are interested in what all the hubbub is about. For those interested, it follows that they might have questions. Now, I have written plenty about scholarly questions to Christian faith, but does this mean that everyone should have these answers? Not necessarily, because many times the questions are not scholarly, but emotional. We should be able to answer these as well. These types of questions will be case by case, so a systematic rulebook of answers cannot be written here.
However, the Bible does give us some guidelines in how to talk to one another. We are called in Colossians to let our speech be seasoned with salt and grace (Colossians 4:6). In 1 Peter 3:15, we are commanded to deliver our answers with gentleness and respect. These are general sweeping statements on how we are to conduct our speech, so let’s apply them to our everyday interactions, especially with non-Christians! Too many times I have seen emotional debates raging on the internet, with hate and vitriol being spewed by both sides. This is not how it is supposed to be. We are called to be salt and light, and to pray for those who persecute us. I’m not saying to lay down and let them win, because indeed we are at spiritual war, but God has given us our rules of engagement.
This is a bit of a shorter post, but something I have been mulling over for a while now. I am talking to myself as much as I am anyone who reads this, because I am fallible and prone to the same keyboard fighting that I am decrying above. I pray that we are all clothed in grace and the Holy Spirit as we talk to people in church, work, restaurants, online, and anywhere else. May God bless you and have a good rest of your day.

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