There are people (churches, denominations) who claim Wesleyan, yet only acknowledge half of John Wesley’s teaching.
Again, there are people (churches, denominations) who claim Calvinism, yet only acknowledge parts of John Calvin’s teaching.
Worse than those are the people who claim the Christian Bible, yet pick and choose pieces of it as their guide.
They may say, you need to take out a black magic marker and just blot out these certain passages. They are inconvenient. I don’t agree. And so forth.
Author and professor Tony Campolo wrote Red Letter Christians as a challenge specifically to evangelicals about living out the words of Jesus. (In some Bibles, direct quotes of Jesus are printed in red letters.)
There may be thoughts in the New Testament with which I disagree. Perhaps in meditation I would prefer to argue with Paul or John or James or, even, Jesus.
I find two things helpful either reading the New Testament or John Wesley (whom I prefer over Calvin, but that’s just me). The first step is to admit to myself that I just don’t understand. That launches both debate and inquiry.
The best next step entails reading the words of Jesus (red letter Christian!). What did he actually say? With that context, interpreting other New Testament writers and later thinkers becomes clearer.
I may still not agree. I think arguing with God is just fine. Certainly throughout the Hebrew Scriptures people argue with God all the time. And God argues back. (Hint—God wins.)
People perplex me in their inconsistencies. Looking in the metaphorical mirror, I resemble that remark. But that gives us something to work on.
Faith Venture 
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