Acts 17:2
“And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures,”
Paul was one who never backed away from discourse, even with those who were antagonistic. There were many times when he reasoned with people who had a heart that truly desired to know the truth, and he was able to lead them to salvation. There were other times when he reasoned with people who were simply unreasonable. The verse above shows us one of those times when those who were unreasonable eventually tried to destroy him.
If you have ever attempted to reason with an unreasonable person, surely you will admit that it was a very unpleasant situation. We oftentimes try to reason with people with the hope that they will come to the truth. The verse above shows us how to reason with those who seem to be unreasonable.
First, don’t make yourself or your opinions the issue. When you are trying to reason with people, you have to take yourself completely out of the picture. Unreasonable people always try to make personality the issue, but you must not allow them to succeed. You are never the issue, and your opinions are not what matters. You must never let personalities and opinions be the source of dispute. When you make personalities, opinions or yourself the subject of reasoning, you will only find yourself in a losing situation.
Second, base everything on Scriptures and facts. Paul never one time quoted his opinions, instead he reasoned with them through the Scriptures. The Scriptures are always fact. You disarm and frustrate the unreasonable person when you only quote the facts or the Scriptures. The unreasonable person doesn’t want the facts or Scriptures, they only want their way. Even when they misquote Scriptures and twist the facts, you must always stick with truth.
Third, state the Scriptures and facts and don’t elaborate. When you start elaborating is when you get yourself into trouble. The Scriptures and facts will do the work that needs to be done. Always remember that the more you talk, the greater the possibility to contradict yourself. Learn to speak in short statements by stating what the Scriptures and facts say. If they try to turn the conversation to something else, always go back to the Scriptures and facts. An unreasonable person will continually try to turn the conversation, but you must not sway from what you came to discuss concerning the Scriptures and facts.
Fourth, expect trouble from those who won’t accept the Scriptures and facts. You have to understand that the unreasonable person never wanted the truth, they only wanted their way. When they don’t get their way, they will turn to try and hurt you. Don’t be surprised when they turn to evil. The unreasonable person is like a spoiled brat who only wants their way and will never listen to truth.
If you serve the LORD for any length of time, you will find yourself in a situation where you must deal with unreasonable people. Let these four pieces of advice guide you when you find yourself in this situation. Always remember that it is not about who wins. As long as you make the Scriptures and facts your basis for everything, it won’t matter if the unreasonable person rejects you.