Looking at Paul’s instructions to Timothy about his vision for a local church, Paul talks about idle chatter as I discussed yesterday. He could also be referring to his comments a little earlier about those who teach something different from Paul’s teachings having a “morbid craving for controversy and for disputes about words.” He also calls those people conceited and “understanding nothing.”
Learning comes from study plus discussion. Maybe the discussion is held through reading many books. The discussion could also be among people–say in a small study group. Someone says, I just read this but I don’t understand exactly what the author means by this. Another says, I think it means that. Still another refers to an ancient source that offers an interpretation.
We don’t enter the world as humans knowing everything that everyone has figured out before us. We must learn it for ourselves. That is hard work that many do not wish to undertake. Many just say, tell us what to believe and we’ll be happy.
Dostoevsky tells a story about Jesus meeting the Grand Inquisitor in medieval Spain in his novel “The Brothers Karamazov.” (Read the book, don’t watch the movie.) In the story, the Grand Inquisitor tells Jesus that the people just want to be fed. They don’t want freedom. So please just go back to where you came from and let the Church tell people what to believe.
Other people are rebellious. They don’t want to follow the leader. They just like to argue. I have known these people in both church and business. Even in soccer. They just seem to like to argue. They absorb a lot of your energy just dealing with them.
I’m with Paul on this one. If you have someone who is just plain argumentative–maybe because they just need the spotlight focused on them–you’re better off without them around.
I don’t think Paul would dislike the honest discussion of seekers. It’s those “conceited” people who just like to argue who are the problem.
Faith Venture 
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