Stopping their Mouths

"Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.  For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision: Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre's sake."  (Titus 1: 9-12)

"And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spake."  (Acts 6: 10) 

"For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist."  (Luke 21: 15)  

"And no man was able to answer him a word..."  (Matt. 22: 46)

Over the past couple years I have had opportunity of stopping the mouths of several Bible teachers regarding errors on Bible doctrine.  In each of the cases to follow I was able to so refute their errors that they were left speechless, were not able to make a rebuttal.  It is my opinion that their not offering any rebuttal or counter argument proved that they could not overcome the evidence which disproved their false doctrine.  Sadly, none repented of their error, which is an amazing thing.  It is hard for me to imagine someone offering proof against something I believe the Bible to teach and which I am unable to rebut and yet continuing to believe my opinion.  But, men become wedded to their false ideas and often not even clear refutation is able to separate them from it.

Example #1

I have argued with those who take the view of Scofield that no one was "born again" before the death of Christ, or before the day of Pentecost.  Though I gave several arguments to disprove this notion, there was one in particular that I kept insisting upon and to which I received no answer, which proved that it could not be answered and that the doctrine was not biblical.  Here is the argument.

In Matthew 16: 16 Peter says "you are the Christ, the Son of the living God."  Thus, it is clear that Peter believed that Jesus was the Christ prior to the death of Christ.  What is the condition of one who believes that Jesus is the Christ?  John wrote:  "Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God." (I John 5: 1)  Thus, it is clear that Peter was born of God before the death of Christ.

Example #2

I have argued with those who are Sabellians/Modalists, who believe that the Father and the Son are the same person.  Again, though I offered numerous arguments to disprove this false idea, I focused on one which never got an answer, which was proof that the gainsayers mouths were stopped and that their error was exposed.  Modalists argue that Jesus' statement "I and my Father are one" (John 10: 30) means "I and my Father are the same person."  Yet, I cited the words of Jesus - "that they may be one, as we are." (John 17: 11, 22)  Thus, if Jesus and the Father being "one" means they are the same person, then all the saved will ultimately become one person!  The Modalists presented with this refutation could not offer a rebuttal.

Example #3

I have argued with those who say that God does not know everything, particularly the sins God has pardoned.  They argue that God does not know everything, but only knows all he wants to know, and affirming that God does not know certain things because he does not want to know them.  Thus, when verses were cited that say that God knows all things (I John 3: 20) , they at least make a rebuttal saying that it simply means God knows all he wants to know.  But, they will argue that the Bible says that God will no longer "remember" our sins once they are forgiven (Heb. 8: 12), which to them means that God will no longer have any knowledge of them, and thus cannot be said to know all things.  In refuting this interpretation I cited these words of Paul:

"Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief."  (I Tim. 1: 13)

Obviously God, who was inspiring Paul to write these words, had not lost knowledge of the fact that Paul had sinned even though he had forgiven Paul and promised not to "remember" his sins.  When God says he will not "remember" our sins it does not mean that he becomes ignorant of them, but that he will no longer bring them up.  It is a legal erasure.  I cannot get those who argue that God loses knowledge of our sins when he pardons them to respond to this, which again is proof that they cannot and that their interpretation has been disproven.

Example #4

I have argued with those who say that "demons" are not intelligent living creatures but simply false ideas or false doctrines.  Though I presented numerous arguments against this view, there is one argument that always leaves those who argue this position speechless.  I cite them these words:

"Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils (demons) also believe, and tremble."  (James 2: 19) 

False doctrines cannot "believe"!  Only intelligent beings can know and believe!  Again, my opponents were left speechless!

It is important that we all become "skilled in the word of righteousness" (Heb. 5: 13) and that we know how to stop the mouths of the gainsayers and false teachers.