I have seen this kind of thing on Facebook multiple times. Stupid arguments are started over some biblical technicality in someone's status, and 50 comments or so later, nothing is accomplished except the weakening of someones faith. Example: Someone posts a status that praises Christ being risen on Easter day... 35 comments later, two or three people are still squabbling over the fact that it wasn't just Jesus who was risen that day, because we also rose with him. So... Somehow that makes the person who wrote the status incorrect? Where do these arguments come from(Phil 1:15)? Why are people participating in them? The repercussions of this banter, among Christians specifically, are very heavy.
The consequences:
2 Tim 16-18: "Those who indulge in it (godless chatter) will become more and more ungodly. Their teaching will spread like gangrene... and they destroy the faith of some."
It spreads like gangrene, destroys the faith of brothers and sisters. Are we weighing this before we open our mouths, or post a comment? As for myself, I know that these consequences are true because observing these arguments has caused me, in the past, to question certain aspects of my faith. I was so confused because these people sounded like they knew what they were talking about, yet their words were gibberish. 'God' words were being thrown out in long strings and I couldn't tell one argument apart from the other. The complexity and twistedness of one aspect of our simplistic gospel was overwhelming. It put knots in my stomach and it made me angry. 1Corinthians 2:13 says: "This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words." Wisdom from the spirit is first and foremost clear and simple. It is like a drink of cold water when you are parched, and these arguments do nothing except suck the life out. James 3:17-18: "But wisdom from above is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness."
How to identify it:
Identifying these hollow arguments is pretty simple. If you don't know what the heck the person is talking about, why their saying it, or what their argument is, then that's a pretty sure sign (I'm half kidding, but it's kind of true). Like I said above, long-winded paragraphs of 'God' words will be thrown out. The person's goal is clearly not a peaceable one, and they will squander their time as well as yours if allowed to get a foothold. Their goal is to win, not to share knowledge; to puff themselves up, not to be an example of humility; to run over the top of you, never to truly listen to what you say; To point out what is wrong, not to rejoice in what is right; to find something that is wrong, not to see the things that are right; to use the Bible as their ground of 'correct-ness', but they have actually blasphemed His word by using it in vain. 2 Timothy 2:23: "Don't have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels."
In my opinion, the people who are the starters of and contributors to the banter are idle.
1 Thessalonians 5:14: "And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle." 4:11: "Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work..."
The kind of mindset we should have:
1 Corinthians 4:14: "I am not writing this to shame you, but to warn you, as my dear children." Beautiful, simple, loving, and Christ like. Paul's words are purely for the sake of encouraging and instructing, not humiliating or being the more 'correct' one.
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