Gospel Workers (1915 ed.)

How to Deal with Objections

Time and strength can be better employed than in dwelling at length upon the quibbles of our opponents who deal in slander and misrepresentation. While precious time is employed in following the crooks and turns of dishonest opponents, the people who are open to conviction are dying for want of knowledge. A train of senseless quibbles of Satan's own invention is brought before minds, while the people are crying for food—for meat in due season. GW 375.3

It takes those who have trained their minds to war against the truth, to manufacture quibbles. And we are not wise to take them from their hands, and pass them out to thousands who would never have thought of them had we not published them to the world. GW 375.4

The plan of Christ's teaching should be ours. He was plain and simple, striking directly at the root of the matter, and the minds of all were met. It is not the best policy to be so very explicit, and say all upon a point that can be said, when a few arguments will cover the ground, and be sufficient for all practical purposes, to convince or silence opponents. GW 376.1

You may remove every prop today, and close the mouths of objectors so that they can say nothing, and tomorrow they will go over the same ground again. Thus it will be, over and over, because they do not love the truth, and will not come to the light, lest their darkness and error should be removed from them. GW 376.2

Christ's ministry lasted only three years, but a great work was done in that short period. In these last days there is a great work to be done in a short time. While many are getting ready to do something, souls will perish for lack of light and knowledge. GW 376.3

If men who are engaged in presenting and defending the truth of the Bible, undertake to investigate and show the fallacy and inconsistency of men who dishonestly turn the truth of God into a lie, Satan will stir up opponents enough to keep their pens constantly employed, while other branches of the work will be left to suffer. We must have more of the spirit of those men who were engaged in building the walls of Jerusalem. We are doing a great work, and cannot come down. If Satan can keep men answering the objections of opponents, thus hindering them from doing the most important work for the present time, his object is accomplished. GW 376.4