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The Scriptorium

Ad Hominem

Jesus had to endure name-calling. So will we.

The Gospel of John: John 8.48-51

Read and meditate on John 8.48.
Name-calling and attempts to slander Him didn’t faze Jesus in the least.
48The Jews then answered, “Is it not the truth
that You are a Samaritan, uncouth
and rude, and that You have a demon?”

- John 8.48

Reflect
1.  Exasperated, irritated people resort to slander and name-calling, as we see here. What does this suggest about what was going on in the hearts of these religious leaders? Why were they so upset?  Complete this prayer: Lord, I know You have said that in this world we can expect trouble and opposition. I know that, but…

2.  Let’s remember that Jesus was having a conversation with the religious leaders, in the temple, and with a lot of other people standing around and listening. Unable to dislodge Jesus’ logic, or to deny His good works, the religious leaders resorted to this ad hominem form of argumentation, in which you attack the character of your opponent. What did they hope to achieve by this? What forms does this kind of argument take in our day? Give me boldness and grace, Lord, so that if anyone wants to call names or make slanderous claims, I can…

3.  This slur has two prongs. To have any credibility at all, the slur must have some basis in fact, at least as those see who it who employ it. That Jesus was a Samaritan is not so much a racial slur as a social one. Would the Jews have thought they had some basis for such a claim? How did they want to position Jesus by saying this? What would be an equivalent slur against Christians today? Would those who make such a slur think they had some basis? Explain. Lord, do not let me give anyone a basis for slandering the Gospel. Help me at all times to…

4.  The second prong of this slur was spiritual: Jesus was demon-possessed. What form might such a slur take against Christians today? What basis did the Jews have for making this claim and hoping it might stick? I know, Lord, that many people think Christians are naïve, simple-minded, or just plain crazy. Today, I’d like to provide evidence against such claims by…

5.  These Jewish slanders were the words of men desperate to retain their status among their peers (cf. Jn. 11.47, 48). Some people today feel their status is challenged by the Gospel, and so they too resort to ad hominem attacks. Should this surprise us? How should we respond? Bring together into one the prayers you composed for questions 1-4.

Summary
“Where there was need to instruct them, to pull down their excessive insolence, to teach them not to be proud because of Abraham—at these times he was vehement. But when it was necessary that he should bear insults he was extremely gentle.… And so he teaches us to avenge insults offered to God but to overlook those that are directed at ourselves.” John Chrysostom (344-407 AD)

We can surmise two things from this slander: The religious leaders were getting angry, and they were becoming desperate to silence Jesus. We need to stand firm for the truth, like Jesus did, and calmly make our case for the Gospel. How well prepared are you to do this? Explain.

Closing Prayer
Why do the nations rage,
And the people plot a vain thing?
The kings of the earth set themselves,
And the rulers take counsel together,
Against the LORD and against His Anointed, saying,
“Let us break Their bonds in pieces
And cast away Their cords from us.”
He who sits in the heavens shall laugh;
The LORD shall hold them in derision.
Then He shall speak to them in His wrath,
And distress them in His deep displeasure:
“Yet I have set My King
On My holy hill of Zion.”

Psalm 2.1-6

Psalm 2.1-6 (Agincourt: O Love, How Deep, How Broad, How High!)
Why do the nations vainly rage, conspiring together from age to age?
Earth’s kings and all of their counselors stand against the Lord and His Right Hand:

“Now let us cast His yoke below, His Kingdom authority overthrow!

Throw off His Law, reject His Word; no more be governed by this Lord!”

The Lord in heaven laughs in wrath at all who embark on this cursèd path.
His angry Word to them is plain: “Yet shall My King in Zion reign!”

T. M. Moore

We are happy to offer each week’s Scriptorium studies in a free weekly PDF, suitable for personal or group use. You can download all the studies in our series on the Gospel of John by clicking here. Please prayerfully consider sharing with The Fellowship of Ailbe through your giving. You can contribute to The Fellowship by clicking the Contribute button at the website or by sending your gift to The Fellowship of Ailbe, 19 Tyler Drive, Essex Junction, VT 05452.

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Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. All psalms for singing adapted from
The Ailbe Psalter. All quotations from Church Fathers from Ancient Christian Commentary Series IV a and b: John, edited by Joel C. Elowsky, General Editor Thomas C. Oden (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2006. Verse translation of John by T. M. Moore.

T.M. Moore

T. M. Moore is principal of The Fellowship of Ailbe, a spiritual fellowship in the Celtic Christian tradition. He and his wife, Susie, make their home in the Champlain Valley of Vermont.
Books by T. M. Moore

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