Should Christians Debate Theology in the Public Forum?
It has been said that all publicity, including negative publicity, is good publicity. The question we want to ask is, “Should Christians debate theology in the public forum?”
The regulative principle would put the prophets, Jesus, and the apostles into our spotlight. Were their ministries secretive, or did they engage the culture and their own in public? One who reads his Bible knows the answer to this question without consideration.
Christianity is a reconnaissance mission for the regenerate believers to minister the Gospel, even suffer for the Gospel, for the sake of the yet unregenerate elect (2 Tim 2:10). The guarantee of God, to save His chosen people, means the success of the mission is without doubt. God has decreed all things, and they will surely come to pass, just as He has ordained them. Christians go boldly before the throne of grace in prayer, and then they go boldly into the world to proclaim Christ in hostile environments.
The Word of truth is sure to offend the father of lies and every man who is a liar (Rom 3:4). This conflict is identified as spiritual warfare (Eph 6:10–20), and it is the cosmic battle come to humanity.
When God placed his image, Adam and Eve, in enemy territory (Earth), the first act of war was deception. The god of this world, Satan, deceived his new neighbors and turned them into slaves to do his bidding, which is called, “sin.” Man has been a slave to sin and Satan since the Garden of Eden (Gen 3; Rom 6:6).
The prince of darkness encourages sinful activity, especially under the cloak of dark deception. Crafty is this demon posing as an angel of light. Because man is trained by his father, the devil, he does the deeds of his father. Man has no love for God in his heart, nor does he seek after God in any way (Jn 5:42; Rom 3:11). Great is the darkness!
Public debate is the exchange of ideas and arguments to support one’s position. The hope for those who debate ideas is to persuade. Rhetoric is the art of doing this exercise in a civil manner.
If the salvation of God’s elect people demands faith in Christ, then faith demands knowledge of Christ. The true knowledge, of who Jesus Christ is and what he has done to save His people from their sins, means this knowledge must be communicated for it to be transferred. God has designed this knowledge to be preached, proclaimed, taught and this is done in every context.
If a Spirit-filled Christian loves Jesus Christ and wants the true knowledge of Him to be made known, then the more public the forum, the better. Zeal with knowledge is like an overflowing cup. It is an endless fountain, producing a river of pure living water.
As iron sharpens iron, so Christians do theology in community, in the purview of the world. Because we occupy a forgetful, fallen world, we must spur one another on to love and good works. Doing theology with right doctrine is crucial to ensure we are not propagating heresy (that’s a bad work!). Arius, Montanus, Pelagius, Socinius, Erasmus, and Ariminius are all historical characters in the church, heretics who needed to be addressed publicly for the sake of the true, professing church. The church raised up champions to publicly call out these men for who they were, and for what they taught. We are beneficiaries of the work of our fathers, public defenders of the faith.
In conclusion, with the proliferation of old heresies, repackaged ones, and new ones, too, we need public Christianity more than ever. Heretics want unity without purity, and they work stealthily away from the public eye to lead people astray. They suppress the truth in unrighteousness with a false light that blinds the minds of those who do not believe the Gospel (2 Cor 4:4). Hidden Christianity is an evil imposter, claiming to not wish to offend the culture.
The apostle Paul wrote the church at Ephesus, “And do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them (Eph 5:11).” All things become visible when exposed by the light of truth. So let us shine the Light of the world, the Light of Christ, in the public square, using every available public forum. For we are not ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ…or, are we?
David Norczyk
Spokane Valley, Washington
August 30, 2021
