Why Debate?

Now one of the things that that we're running into is we're getting this question a lot from from both sides of the debate is

Aren't you just furthering division and disunity amongst people in the community by holding a debate?

It's like a theological debate. Why can't we just celebrate what we have in common and so we're getting this question constantly

So I thought I would give you an opportunity to really walk us through the thought process Why do we here at 12 five value these things and why you?

being driven to Pursue things such as this debate Yeah, and I think it's a great question because a lot of people when they start thinking about debates

What do they start thinking about they think about the political debates where people are just fighting hurling insults at one another and that's not what?

We intend to do we would encourage people to realize that truth divides from error

But truth spoken in love unites and we want to be biblical

This is really our heart attitude And so when you look at the early church in the book of Acts you see that Paul and Barnabas They were actually debating with the the

Judaizers who are trying to add to the gospel They said you actually have to be circumcised in order to be saved and it said that they had no small dissension

In fact, they debated with them and here's the thing that everybody has to understand You better believe that the

Apostle Paul did all of these things in love. He tells us in Ephesians 4

Verse 15 that we must proclaim the truth in love and what we see later in the book of Acts Paul actually goes to the synagogues.

He began to reason with the Jews there I just want to share with this passage with you out of Acts chapter 17 and when

Paul went in to the Synagogues as it was his custom and on three Sabbath days He reasoned with them from the scriptures

Explaining and proving that it was necessary for Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead saying this

Jesus whom I proclaim to you Is the Christ and so what I love so much about that is that he reasoned from the scriptures

He encouraged them to examine the scriptures and he was proving his case the truth Later in Acts 17

We see that the scriptures called the Jews at Berea noble because they actually Tested the things that he was saying to be true according to the

Word of God so that is my heart Nathan in this debate is to simply prove from the scriptures

God's truth and to prove what the gospel of Grace actually looks like and how we are to receive forgiveness of sins by repentance in faith in the perfect Work of Jesus Christ in him alone and we must do this in love, right?