Show Me The Money!

Whenever there is doctrinal disagreement(s) between brothers in the Lord, it isn't very helpful to simply state what you believe certain passages to be teaching. It is often understood that someone has come to a different conclusion on a certain text of the Bible. What I'm asking is that you show me the money! To convince someone else that your particular view is Biblical, that will require you to: "Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth" (2 Ti 2:15). I wish to emphasize the rightly handling of God's Word. Simply stringing together a bunch of verses and quoting them is not sufficient. It needs to be demonstrated how you are rightly handling the Word of God. In other words, you're starting off at point Z (your conclusion) and going back to point A (your string of proof texts) to show that your position is the correct one. What your opponent is looking for (or should be) is how you connect the dots and get from point A to point Z.

I have never had anyone say to me- "My position is less biblical than yours but I still think it's right." Of course everyone (those that adhere to Sola Scriptura) starts off with the premise that they're position is Biblical (why else would they hold to it?). Simply asserting that in the discussion is not very helpful. Why is it the Biblical one, while mine is not? Show me the money! Demonstrate for your opponent why your view is to be adopted. The whole goal of the discussion/disagreement is not to win the argument, for everyone goes in to the discussion thinking they already won (why else would they discuss the issue?), but to show why and how you won. And the idea of winning is not in the competitive and arrogant sense but to be understood in the view that your position is the one that comes from a consistent hermeneutic and sound exegesis. It is not really a matter of winning or losing but truth for the glory of Christ and the growth of the Christian(s). Again everyone wants to know how you got from point A to point Z.

It is of the utmost importance to demonstrate that you are rightly handling the Word of truth. Commentating on 2 Timothy 2:15 William Hendricksen writes, "The man who handles the word of the truth properly does not change, pervert, mutilate, or distort it, neither does he use it with a wrong purpose in mind. On the contrary, he prayerfully interprets Scripture in the light of Scripture. He courageously, yet lovingly, applies its glorious meaning to concrete conditions and circumstances, doing this for the glory of God, the conversion of sinners, and the edification of believers" (Baker New Testament commentary : Exposition of the Pastoral Epistles. New Testament Commentary p.263). Can you be trusted with rightly handing the Word of truth? This is the question that everyone wants to see and know. Show me the money! Chances are if you're wrong in the handling of your proof texts, then you're wrong in your conclusion(s). Or if you start off with a preconceived idea, chances are you are going to go back into Scripture looking for your idea to be supported by it and read this idea back into your proof texts. D.A. Carson writes, "This requires effort—yet no-one can do more than his or her best. There are two requirements—an unashamed approach and a right handling of the word of truth. The latter will reinforce the former. The Greek verb translated correctly handles really means cutting a straight road and suggests straightforward exegesis. This must be the aim of all true teachers of the word. ‘Reading into’ the text what is clearly not there is of help to nobody but is depressingly common" (New Bible commentary ). 


Recently I was sent a personal message, in response to my article "Why I Abandoned Dispensationalism" with    a quotation of Gal 6:16 (and an article on an obscure quotation from Pseudo- Epraem that is presented, by Dispensationalists, to teach an early church understanding of a pre-trib rapture) with an emphasis on the word "and" and a statement that says: "I'm sure you will update your article to reflect these oversights!" Show me the money?! It was never demonstrated for me why I shouldn't understand the word "and" (given the context see my article on Gal. 6:16 here) to be epexegetical or explicative. It was never demonstrated for me that "and" should be understood to be identifying a different group of people ( believing Jews) from the "them" (believing Gentiles) when Paul never made that distinction in the whole Epistle of Galatians! In fact he says the contrary: "But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise" (Ga 3:24–29).  What this man did is tell me his conclusion (point Z) and give me his proof text (point A) without connecting the dots in between (the context).

Simply citing proof texts may have duped me in the past and may suffice for some now but I want you to show me the money! I want for you to demonstrate for me that I can trust that you: "Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth" (2 Ti 2:15). No one should settle for anything less. Soli Deo Gloria!

For His Glory,
Fernando