The Great Debate

What makes for a great debate?  Is it the topic?  Is it the moderators?  Is the participants?  Is it the hype?

One of history’s all-time greatest debater’s was the Apostle Paul.  He was so good that he was able to convince multitudes of something that seemed impossible, that is, that God raised Jesus from the dead.  That’s right! 

So what was it that made him so successful?  Was it his extensive education and training as a teacher of the law and as a debater?  Was it his privileged upbringing as a Roman citizen and being such a respected member of that society?  Maybe it was simply his ability to relate well to the people in his culture.  Paul’s challenge and topic of debate was to try and persuade unbelieving people to believe in a real-life resurrection.  Good Luck!

In this season of elections, the principles of effective debating have been overrun by personality, money, boisterous language, personal attacks, bias media, and most importantly hardened hearts.

Hear and listen to the Scripture:

² And according to Paul's custom, he went to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures, ³ explaining and giving evidence that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, "This Jesus whom I am proclaiming to you is the Christ."  Acts 17:2, 3

Certainly the Apostle’s credentials matter, his status, his personality, his education, and his love for God’s law, but Paul’s dependence on truth is what ultimately made the difference in persuading others concerning the resurrection.  Let’s face it, Paul had the facts on his side and simply “explained” (to open up completely) and gave “evidence” (to set beside) to the truth.  He laid out all the facts, like a person laying out the pieces of a puzzle, each piece laying side by side, different shapes with different tones and colors to tip off the placement of each piece into one giant, complete, cohesive picture.  And the finished picture doesn’t lie.  Truth never lies. 

Get past the personalities, the hype, the language, the attacks, the bias, and develop a soft and playable heart that sees and hears the truth of God.  A great debate is when truth is seen and understood, not simply with the mind, but with the passion of the heart, a passion that receives it, lives it, and shares it with others.

and my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, ⁵ so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God. 1 Corinthians 2:4

I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you...  Ephesians 1:18