Merriam-Webster’s Word of the Day: logomachy \loh-GAH-muh-kee\ noun
Meaning: 1. a dispute over or about words; 2. a controversy marked by verbiage
Example Sentence: The surprising election results have opened the floodgates of logomachy in the political media outlets.
"That's true, except verse 3 says..."
"Well, yes, you could look at it that way. But like we just talked about in verse 1, where Paul clearly states that can't be the case, unless..."
"...though the exception might be..." Waldemar and his dad went round and round, exploring, handling, and examining scripture.
Mom K and I would shake our heads in frustration. "Stop fighting, you two!"
"What?" They would look up in surprise. "We're just having a good discussion." And they would smile at us and go back at the rabbinic scrabble. Part of W's ability to reason and use logic comes from his training with his father, a cup of coffee in one hand, a German pastry in the other.
Jesus warned that spending all our time quibbling about fine points of language without putting spiritual principles into practice misses the point. W teaches freshmen at the university about three categories: 1. dogma (what you have to believe to be a Christian); 2. doctrine (what you have to believe to be in your denomination); 3. opinion (what usually splits a congregation, like the best color of carpet 'to promote worship,' and other silly quarrels that become sacred cows.)
Today I want to listen to what I say. Including the fine-sounding arguments and rationalizations in my head. Am I handling the important concepts of faith and practice, or am I wasting time by playing with words and ideas that keep me from seeing the bigger picture? How about you?
Read more:
*Sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth. Sing to the LORD, praise his name; proclaim his salvation day after day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples. For great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; he is to be feared above all gods. Psalm 96:1-4 NIV
*We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. No, we speak of God's secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
However, as it is written: "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him", but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. 1 Corinthians 2:6-10 NIV
*And now, dear lady, I am not writing you a new command but one we have had from the beginning. I ask that we love one another. And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love. 2 John 5-6 NIV
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