Have you ever seen two people arguing about something that just wasn’t very important? Did the whole thing seem ridiculous, two otherwise reasonable people getting worked up over a topic that, in the grand scheme of things, was inconsequential?
The apostle Paul used an interesting phrase to describe this kind of thing. Encouraging church members in Rome to welcome those who were struggling with their faith, he added, “but not to doubtful disputations” (Romans 14:1).
I interpret “doubtful disputations” to mean arguments about unimportant topics, disputes of dubious value. As I’ve thought about this phrase today, I’ve wondered how many of the disputes I get involved in are “doubtful.” I suspect most of them are. Either I’m missing the forest for the trees or I’m letting my emotions get in the way of reason.
Elder Dale G. Renlund observed:
When love of Christ envelops our lives, we approach disagreements with meekness, patience, and kindness. We worry less about our own sensitivities and more about our neighbor’s. We “seek to moderate and unify.” We do not engage in “doubtful disputations,” judge those with whom we disagree, or try to cause them to stumble. Instead, we assume that those with whom we disagree are doing the best they can with the life experiences they have.
“The Peace of Christ Abolishes Enmity,” General Conference, October 2021
The word “disputations” appears eleven times in the Book of Mormon. Six of those times, they were spoken by the Savior during His visit to the American continent. “There shall be no disputations among you,” He said over and over again (3 Nephi 11:22, 28, 3 Nephi 18:34, 3 Nephi 27:3-4). Just before His visit, we read that “there began to be great doubtings and disputations among the people” (3 Nephi 8:4). After His visit, we read that “there were no contentions and disputations among them” (4 Nephi 1:2). Nephi and Mormon both also deplored disputations they saw among their people. (See 1 Nephi 15:6, Moroni 8:4-5.) The adjective “doubtful” doesn’t appear in any of these passages, but the Savior makes it clear that He wants us to stop wasting valuable time arguing and debating, and simply get to work.
Today, I will avoid “doubtful disputations.” When I’m inclined to defend a position or dispute another person’s assertions, I will ask myself whether the topic is really that important and whether the battle is really worth it. I will channel my energies toward productive activities and away from unproductive conflict.
Thanks Paul. You took a different take on this topic that I hadn’t thought much about. Very sage counsel to look at any debate through a triviality lens
I had thought of “doubtful disputations” only in the context of the Jew/Gentile disagreements around the Law of Moses. Those weren’t trivial things. They were the case of well-meaning people with opposing views of what is right in God’s sight. What made their disputations doubtful seemed to be that there didn’t appear to be a definitive answer that all could agree on.
Ultimately the Atonement of Jesus Christ calls for us to LOVE and not to waste time trying to JUDGE others and certainly God doesn’t want us to DESPISE others. We need to do the best that we can and assume others are doing the same.
Thanks again for this labor of love you are doing!
Thanks, Aaron! I love hearing differing interpretations of the same scripture.
I agree that the disputations Paul was describing seemed very important to the people involved. Similarly, in the Book of Mormon, the Savior condemned disputations regarding how to perform baptisms and about what to call His church, surely topics that He cares about. But as He taught those people, “He that hath the spirit of contention is not of me,” even if they are trying to defend Him. Thanks for the reminder that the way we treat one another matters, particularly when we disagree on important things!