“In the Christian faith, what issues are truly worth debating?”……Among the many denominationsand divisions of the Christian faith, debates often arise. There are disagreements about church polity, six-day creationism, mode of baptism, and eschatology. There are differences of opinion about social drinking, the gifts of the Spirit, and what makes clothing "modest." Some of these issues are more important than others, and it is good, to prevent unnecessary clashes and falling-outs, to distinguish between what is worth debating and what is not.……The Bible is clear that some things are worth fighting for. Truth, by definition, is separate from falsehood. We are to take a stand against false teachers

Jude 1:3

3 Dear friends, I had been eagerly planning to write to you about the salvation we all share. But now I find that I must write about something else, urging you to defend the faith that God has entrusted once for all time to his holy people.

Issues that introduce "another gospel"-a message of salvation other than what the Bible teaches-must be denounced…Galatians 1:7 There Is Only One Good News

6 I am shocked that you are turning away so soon from God, who called you to himself through the loving mercy of Christ.You are following a different way that pretends to be the Good News 7 but is not the Good News at all. You are being fooled by those who deliberately twist the truth concerning Christ.

2 Corinthians 11:4

4 You happily put up with whatever anyone tells you, even if they preach a different Jesus than the one we preach, or a different kind of Spirit than the one you received, or a different kind of gospel than the one you believed.

Revelations, writings, or opinions that are presented as infallible or on par with the Bible must be rejected as heresy

Revelation 22:18

18 And I solemnly declare to everyone who hears the words of prophecy written in this book: If anyone adds anything to what is written here, God will add to that person the plagues described in this book.

Jeremiah 14:14…14 Then the Lord said, "These prophets are telling lies in my name. I did not send them or tell them to speak. I did not give them any messages. They prophesy of visions and revelations they have never seen or heard. They speak foolishness made up in their own lying hearts.

We are also to destroy all abstacles…2 Corinthians 10:5…5 We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ.…We do not compromise God's Word or water-down the gospel. If it is a matter of salvation or holy living, we should take a strong stand. Other matters may be handled differently.

1Timothy 1:4

4 Don't let them waste their time in endless discussion of myths and spiritual pedigrees. These things only lead to meaningless speculations,(Greek in myths and endless genealogies, which cause speculation.) which don't help people live a life of faith in God.…(Greek a stewardship of God in faith.)

So the Bible gives us some guidelines about what is worth debating and what is better left alone.……Is the matter of Christ's resurrection worthy of debate? Yes. The resurrection is foundational to the gospel.(See study on essentials of the gospel)

As long as the debate is civil and aimed at presenting the truth of God's Word, the resurrection can and should be defended.

How about the issue of eternal security? Yes, it is worth debating, to a point.

One's view of eternal security is important and is related to one's views of salvation and the grace of God.

At the same time, if the debate veers into acrimony or threatens to separate brothers in Christ, then it is probably better to table the debate in the name of love.

Is it worth debating the number of angels who can dance on the head of a pin? Probably not.……Keep in mind there is a vast difference between a friendly debate and a bitter war of words.

Verbal assault, slander, accusation, and perverse speech have no place in the body of Christ

Colossians 3:8

8 But now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language.

1 Peter 2:1

So get rid of all evil behavior. Be done with all deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy, and all unkind speech.

Ephesians 4:31

31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior.

What must unbelievers think when they see Christians slinging verbal mud at each other over minor doctrinal differences?

Ephesians 4:29

29 Don't use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.

So in our consideration of this topic, we must rule out the name-calling and slander that sadly typifies some Christian debate.…2Timothy 2:15├ö├ç├┤16Paul instructs Timothy:…15 Work hard so you can present yourself to God and receive his approval. Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth. 16 Avoid worthless, foolish talk that only leads to more godless behavior.…We are expected to study God's Word for ourselves, not just talk about it or take the opinion of someone else about what it says. …Simply because a speaker is famous or popular does not mean he is accurate. God has given His Word to us, and He expects us to use it. …An example of this kind of spiritual diligence we read about the Bereanswho heard the gospel preached by Paul and Silas:…Acts 17:10├ö├ç├┤12.

10 That very night the believers sent Paul and Silas to Berea. When they arrived there, they went to the Jewish synagogue.11 And the people of Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul's message. They searched the Scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas were teaching the truth. 12 As a result, many Jews believed, as did many of the prominent Greek women and men.

They did not merely take Paul's word for it but compared everything to the Word of God. Only when they found his gospel was supported by Scripture were they willing to be taught by him.……When we believe someone is in doctrinal error, we can humbly and respectfully point it out. But we have to remember that others with equal reverence for God's Word may read it differently.

Such discussion is healthy if approached with the right attitude and a teachable spirit. We learn much from the input of others and may even change our viewpoint when presented with a new perspective. Some topics have challenged sincere believers since the early church. Respectful debate on important issues is beneficial to everyone involved, if it is done in the spirit of Christ without ego or personal agenda.

This verse gives clear instruction about how we should conduct ourselves in debates:

Colossians 4:6…6 Let your conversation be gracious and attractive[a] so that you will have the right response for everyone.(NLT)

6 Let your speech always jbe gracious, kseasoned with salt, lso that you may know how you ought to answer each person.(ESV)…Jesus wants His children to "be one." His impassioned prayer to the Father just before His crucifixion reveals His deep desire for us:

John 17:20ÔÇô21

20 "I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message. 21 I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one-as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me.

We can "agree to disagree" on issues that do not involve salvation or godly living. Our ultimate goal should not be to prove our point but to model the kind of love and acceptance that Jesus showed His disciples

John 13:34├ö├ç├┤35…34 So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other.35 Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples."

No human being has all the answers on every subject. Our goal should be to immerse ourselves in God's Word so that we recognize error when we hear it. But we must also purpose to approach every non-essential issue with a teachable spirit so that we can best fulfill God's desire for unity in His church

1 John 4:12

12 No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us.

In the words of 17th-century theologian RupertusMeldenius,

"In the essentials, unity; in the non-essentials, diversity; in all things, charity."……