Logomachy
Logomachy definition - an argument about words
I learned a new word today. I enjoy learning new words, but I have to be careful. The problem with learning and using words that a majority of people don’t know is that you can be thought of as a smarty pants (that is a very nice way of putting it but I think it gets the point across).
I see an ophthalmologist every year for an eye exam. My previous ophthalmologist retired after seeing her for many years, so I had to get a new ophthalmologist. The first time I saw my new ophthalmologist, he looked into my eyes and said that everything looked ok. I had been used to a little more detail and asked him accordingly. He rambled off, to me, the most incoherent stream of technical detail and there was no way I could comprehend it. When I told him so, he chuckled and found a summary with a little more detail than I was “okay.”
As a young actuary, I frequently was asked to explain the incidence and cost explanations to others and mostly to the people that specialize in selling the insurance and not necessarily medical experts. I found that whenever I drifted into overly technical explanations of the assumptions and models we used, like my ophthalmologist visit, they felt buried and instinctually distrustful of the results.
When I worked at a toy store when I was in high school, I had a boss who had a sign that said “if you can’t baffle them with wisdom, dazzle them with bull” stuff (since I changed the last word of the sign, I took it out of the quote but again the message is clear). I’m not promoting the sign (my boss was more or less a salesperson), and it shows the attitude that salespeople think you’re trying to buffalo them if they can’t follow an explanation.
My theological history (how learned church members have studied and debated various aspects of faith of time) is only a 1/2 inch deep but I’m sure it included lots of logomachy debates. I’ve come to realize that understanding the Bible is like real estate except instead of location, location, location it is context, context, context.
“But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” - 2 Timothy 3:14-17 ESV
“My son, if you receive my words and treasure up my commandments with you, making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding; yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding; he stores up sound wisdom for the upright; he is a shield to those who walk in integrity, guarding the paths of justice and watching over the way of his saints. Then you will understand righteousness and justice and equity, every good path; for wisdom will come into your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul; discretion will watch over you, understanding will guard you, delivering you from the way of evil, from men of perverted speech, who forsake the paths of uprightness to walk in the ways of darkness, who rejoice in doing evil and delight in the perverseness of evil, men whose paths are crooked, and who are devious in their ways.” - Proverbs 2:1-15
In both the New Testament and Old Testament passages, there is an emphasis on the completeness of knowing the Bible. In other words, if you get into a logomachy debate with someone and their position contradicts other passages or is taken out of context, then your red alert light should be flashing in your head. The devil understands the Bible far better than the most learned scholar.
“Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, “‘He will command his angels concerning you,’ and “‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.’” - Matthew 4:5-6
I’m willing to bet that I won’t use the word “logomachy” often enough to incorporate it into my standard list of words I frequently use and if I did, people would probably think I was pretentious, but it’s a fun word to consider.
