Iâve seen a lot of your posts around the forums and theyâre REALLY helpful and clear.
Well, thanks for that. I do my best.
Which makes me think, maybe itâs not so much about how many verses I can remember offhand, but how well i can explain something to someone.
Exactly.
FWIW, I have only known one protestant who seemed to have memorized the whole New Testament (chapter and verse) - and that was 15 years ago. Most protestants seem to know only a small fraction. At ease, brother - your average protestant probably knows less about Scripture than your average Catholic (at least Catholics have an orderly cycle of readings at Mass, instead of the pastorâs favorite passages cited again and again).
That raises another question for me though, do discussions face to face usually consist of vague statements that you can get back to later?
Every situation is different. There are so many things to consider - will you have an opportunity to revisit the question soon? This is possible with a friend or coworker or teammate or whatever - someone you have frequent contact with. In these relationships I prefer a more protracted approach. Learn a lesson from the entertainment industry - there is effective value in suspense. Any magician knows this. He SLOWWWLY saws the girl in half, right? The act âworksâ whether he is fast or slow, but it is so much more memorable when he moves slowly.
This is nothing new. Consider the Socratic method (which I hinted at in my original response). Ask questions instead of making statements (âwhat would you think about that?â). Questions encourage your listener; you take his opinions seriously. The more questions you ask, the more answers he gives (and thus he has more âskin in the gameâ). But, as any good lawyer will say, never ask a question unless you already know the answer.
You want to draw your listener into the conversation as deeply as possible. If a guy challenges you with âcall no man father,â and you immediately destroy his objection by quoting and citing 1Cor 4:15-17, heâs gonna run for the hills (and probably never talk to you again). You wonât find one in a thousand protestants who could mount a counter-defensive (and the one who could doesnât stand a chance).
what about the commandments âhonor your mother and Father?â is that okay? Not much Biblical citations, but referencesâŚ
Thatâs OK, but you need to be careful. I have never known a protestant who would reject the idea of calling his biological male parent (or ancestor), âfatherâ (grandfather, etc). They would say: âObviouslyâ Jesus did not mean to exclude such a biologically-natural application of the term. Whether or not it is really âobviousâ is a topic for a completely irrelevant and unproductive discussion, so donât go there.
I would rather say, âgee-whiz, I dunno - lemme go look it upâ than cite something on-the-spot that is not my best response.
Iâve seen a lot of your posts around the forums and theyâre REALLY helpful and clear. Which makes me think, maybe itâs not so much about how many verses I can remember offhand, but how well i can explain something to someone.
