Introduction

  • Psalms 32:8-9 – God wants us to think!
  • Matthew 22:44

Equivocation

  • Deceptively switch the meaning of a word.
  • Example: “A feather is light. What is light cannot be dark. Therefore, a feather cannot be dark.”
  • This is also called “bait and switch.”
  • Ephesians 4:25
  • Sometimes this is used as a joke or a rhetorical device and is not a logical fallacy.
  • II Corinthians 5:21 – “Sin” is used in two different ways, but it is not a fallacy.
  • The word “evolution” can mean minor changes or major changes.
  • Clear, precise language can prevent misunderstandings.
    • I Peter 3:21
    • The Bible uses “baptism” in several different contexts.
      • Matthew 3:11
      • Mark 10:38-39
      • Acts 1:5; 19:3
      • Romans 6:3
      • I Corinthians 10:2
    • And people today use it in different ways.
      • Infant baptism
      • Baptism into a denomination
      • Baptism as an outward sign of inward grace.

Circular reasoning

  • Assuming what you are trying to prove.
  • Mark 2:1-12 – How did Jesus prove He could forgive sins? By miraculously healing a paralytic.
  • II Timothy 3:15-17 – The Bible claims to be inspired, but that claim alone is not sufficient to prove it.
  • Dating fossils and rock layers is often done using circular reasoning.
  • Matthew 26:63-66 – “Jesus is not the Christ” because “He blasphemes (by claiming to be the Christ)” because “Jesus is not the Christ” …
  • Example: Evolution occurred because we are here!
  • It’s easy to slip into this if you are speaking to an audience that already agrees with you.