You Don’t Have to Answer Everyone: Jesus Didn’t Either

[bdavidc]

When Jesus Said Enough Is Enough: Why We Don’t Answer Every Attack. Luke 20:8 says, “So Jesus said to them, ‘Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.’” To understand this, we need to look at the context. In Luke 20:1–7, the religious leaders confronted Jesus in the temple and demanded to know by what authority He was teaching and performing miracles. Jesus responded by asking whether the baptism of John was from heaven or from man. They refused to answer because they feared the people and didn’t want to admit the truth. So Jesus, recognizing their hypocrisy and hardened hearts, told them He would not answer their question either. This wasn’t evasion, it was righteous judgment. They weren’t seeking truth; they were trying to trap Him (see also Matthew 21:23–27).

Jesus didn’t avoid the question because He lacked authority, He is the authority. “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me” (Matthew 28:18). “And they were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes” (Mark 1:22). Not only that, but Jesus has given us the Scriptures as our authority in Him. “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16). “Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth” (John 17:17). The Bible is our final authority, and we are commanded to test everything by it (1 Thessalonians 5:21).

Even today, when faithful Christians stand on the Word of God and contend for the faith, false teachers rise up to dispute the truth. They twist Scripture just as the religious leaders of Jesus’ day did. “There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures” (2 Peter 3:16). “For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ” (2 Corinthians 11:13).

There comes a point where enough is enough. “As for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him, knowing that such a person is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned” (Titus 3:10–11). Jesus modeled this in Luke 20:8. When people show they are not sincere, only looking to argue or reject truth, there is no requirement to keep engaging them. “Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you” (Matthew 7:6). “Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest you be like him yourself” (Proverbs 26:4).

This is a reminder that we are not obligated to endlessly debate with those who refuse to listen to the truth. But we must also not be discouraged. Jesus is the authority, and He gave us His Word to stand on. “Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth... and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Ephesians 6:14, 17). “Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching” (2 Timothy 4:2).

Don’t give up because of false teachers who rant, twist the truth, or hound those who speak it. “And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up” (Galatians 6:9). Keep proclaiming the truth of the Bible. “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand” (John 10:27–28). Stand firm, speak boldly, and trust that “my word... shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose” (Isaiah 55:11).

 

[Rhema]

But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:​

- 1 Peter 3:15 KJV

 

[KingJ]

But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:​

- 1 Peter 3:15 KJV

This is a separate matter. Your mind is not on the topic. You need to re-read the OP.

 

[KingJ]

When Jesus Said Enough Is Enough: Why We Don’t Answer Every Attack. Luke 20:8 says, “So Jesus said to them, ‘Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.’” To understand this, we need to look at the context. In Luke 20:1–7, the religious leaders confronted Jesus in the temple and demanded to know by what authority He was teaching and performing miracles. Jesus responded by asking whether the baptism of John was from heaven or from man. They refused to answer because they feared the people and didn’t want to admit the truth. So Jesus, recognizing their hypocrisy and hardened hearts, told them He would not answer their question either. This wasn’t evasion, it was righteous judgment. They weren’t seeking truth; they were trying to trap Him (see also Matthew 21:23–27).

Jesus didn’t avoid the question because He lacked authority, He is the authority. “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me” (Matthew 28:18). “And they were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes” (Mark 1:22). Not only that, but Jesus has given us the Scriptures as our authority in Him. “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16). “Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth” (John 17:17). The Bible is our final authority, and we are commanded to test everything by it (1 Thessalonians 5:21).

Even today, when faithful Christians stand on the Word of God and contend for the faith, false teachers rise up to dispute the truth. They twist Scripture just as the religious leaders of Jesus’ day did. “There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures” (2 Peter 3:16). “For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ” (2 Corinthians 11:13).

There comes a point where enough is enough. “As for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him, knowing that such a person is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned” (Titus 3:10–11). Jesus modeled this in Luke 20:8. When people show they are not sincere, only looking to argue or reject truth, there is no requirement to keep engaging them. “Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you” (Matthew 7:6). “Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest you be like him yourself” (Proverbs 26:4).

This is a reminder that we are not obligated to endlessly debate with those who refuse to listen to the truth. But we must also not be discouraged. Jesus is the authority, and He gave us His Word to stand on. “Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth... and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Ephesians 6:14, 17). “Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching” (2 Timothy 4:2).

Don’t give up because of false teachers who rant, twist the truth, or hound those who speak it. “And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up” (Galatians 6:9). Keep proclaiming the truth of the Bible. “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand” (John 10:27–28). Stand firm, speak boldly, and trust that “my word... shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose” (Isaiah 55:11).

I feel that it is hard to apply this on the internet.

If in person, you can see if someone is 'sane / smart / has a working brain' and intentionally trolling or pushing a biased narrative for personal gain.

On the net, not so easy.

 

[Rhema]

This is a separate matter. Your mind is not on the topic. You need to re-read the OP.

There you go again. Having to tell other people what to think. Typical NPD control issues.

 

[KingJ]

There you go again. Having to tell other people what to think. Typical NPD control issues.

The entire OP is about knowing when to stop engaging with false teachers. A verse that speaks to the need to give our testimony to the lost that ask for it, is completely unrelated. At least read the OP before you reply. You are coming off as a troll.

 

[bdavidc]

I feel that it is hard to apply this on the internet.

If in person, you can see if someone is 'sane / smart / has a working brain' and intentionally trolling or pushing a biased narrative for personal gain.

On the net, not so easy.

You're right that it's often hard to discern someone's true motives online, and we need to be wise. But the Bible still gives us guidance for how to handle these situations. In Titus 3:9–11, Paul tells us to “avoid foolish controversies, genealogies, dissensions, and quarrels about the law, for they are unprofitable and worthless. As for a person who stirs up division… have nothing more to do with him.” Jesus Himself didn’t answer every question or engage with every critic, sometimes He was silent (Luke 23:9), and other times He walked away (John 6:66–68). We're not called to argue with everyone, especially when it's clear they're not interested in truth (Proverbs 26:4–5). Our role is to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15), sow the seed of God's Word faithfully, and leave the results to God (1 Corinthians 3:6–7). Whether in person or online, discernment and obedience to God's Word remain our standard.

And just to be clear, I’ve been using the Internet longer than you’ve probably been alive, so I don’t need a lesson on how it works. What I’m saying isn’t about being naive online, it’s about applying biblical wisdom no matter the setting.

 

[bdavidc]

The entire OP is about knowing when to stop engaging with false teachers. A verse that speaks to the need to give our testimony to the lost that ask for it, is completely unrelated. At least read the OP before you reply. You are coming off as a troll.

You're right, the original post is about using discernment when dealing with false teachers, following Jesus’ own example of not answering everyone (Luke 23:9, Matthew 21:27). The point is not that we shouldn’t ever give a reason for our hope, but that we are not obligated to answer those who reject truth and only seek to argue. Jesus warned us in Matthew 7:6, “Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you.” Titus 3:10 also tells us to “warn a divisive person once, and then warn them a second time. After that, have nothing to do with them.”

As for your comment, I don’t need advice from you about how I do things. You're not a moderator or an admin here. If the leadership of this board has an issue with my posts, I’m sure they’re capable of telling me themselves.

If anyone is acting like a troll, it would be you.

 

[Rhema]

The entire OP is about knowing when to stop engaging with false teachers.

Then I should take your advice and not reply, but you do not disappoint with continuing to tell others what to think and believe. You just can't help yourself. You think I'm a troll? Keep it in your pants. Nevertheless, I can forgive what your condition makes you do.

It's too bad that you seem unable to consider the context of time when constructing your opinions.

The OP is @bdavidc's excuse to dodge. How come you missed that, eh? You typically like to condemn those who dodge.

 

[Rhema]

In Titus 3:9–11, Paul tells us to “avoid foolish controversies, genealogies,

By this time, there were two genealogies of Joseph in circulation, one in Matthew and the other in Luke, which rather caused some "foolish controversy" over genealogies since they were different. Paul thought that this was irrelevant to his ministry. Interestingly enough, the authors of Matthew and Luke hadn't thought so.

Jesus Himself didn’t answer every question or engage with every critic,

(Anybody ever mention that you're not Jesus?)
Just wondering.

Jesus was divinely inspired by the Father about when and with whom to engage - even what to say. It wasn't by his own mind or opinions, was it. So when you can honestly say that the Father is directing your interaction with others, let me know.

We're not called to argue with everyone, especially when it's clear they're not interested in truth

I guess this way you can justify the avoidance of any discussion that might jeopardize your religious traditions, for are you not just as convinced you know the "truth" as most all others here? If so, then it ought to be easy to provide concise and rational arguments instead of just being a mouthpiece for your religion. (No one's asking you to quarrel, just to give a reason.)

Whether in person or online, discernment and obedience to God's Word remain our standard.

As I think I've asked before, which Word? It's obvious that by "God's Word" you mean the Bible, so why not just say Bible? Yet what does the Bible mean by "God's Word"? What I find fascinating is the ignorance amongst self-proclaimed learned Christians about the fact that the Bible contains within it TWO different "God's Word." By conflating these with a book, it rather obfuscates the truth, does it not? And I think this is what you might be avoiding.

Dear me.

From your CV:

I write to expose false teaching,

And yet your OP here sounds like you don't really want to.

As for your comment, I don’t need advice from you about how I do things. You're not a moderator or an admin here. If the leadership of this board has an issue with my posts, I’m sure they’re capable of telling me themselves.

If anyone is acting like a troll, it would be you.

Kind sir, you may wish to read all that again, because I do believe @KingJ was speaking to me. (He likes calling me a troll. Does so quite often.)

In the truth of the LOGOS (the Teaching of Jesus),
Rhema

 

[KingJ]

As for your comment, I don’t need advice from you about how I do things. You're not a moderator or an admin here. If the leadership of this board has an issue with my posts, I’m sure they’re capable of telling me themselves.

If anyone is acting like a troll, it would be you.

You are replying to my reply to @Rhema, I assume you have him on ignore .

 

[Rhema]

I assume you have him on ignore .

Happy about that eh? In general, though, he wasn't far off the mark.

My initial post that got under your skin was composed of only one single scripture verse, but it was written to all believers - a thing to be obeyed. And it wasn't only about evangelizing, but about answering any question that someone might have about one's faith. The OP, on the other hand, contrived this complex system of Rules of Engagement that was extracted from the behaviour of Jesus and thought he could apply this to himself. It was a legal analysis that the Calvinists and Reformed believers are so fond of. I didn't think it was necessary to explain further, but I thank you for the opportunity to have done so.

Jesus was divinely inspired by the Father about when and with whom to engage - even what to say. It wasn't by his own mind or based upon his own opinions, was it. So when you can honestly say that the Father is directing your interaction with others, let me know too.

Peace out,
Rhema

 

[bdavidc]

You are replying to my reply to @Rhema, I assume you have him on ignore .

You're right, I did make a mistake in how I replied, and I appreciate the correction. I do have @Rhema on ignore, and I didn’t realize I was responding to your message that was connected to his. I apologize for the mix-up. My intention wasn’t to misdirect the conversation or bring confusion. Thanks for pointing that out.