You’re in a conversation and someone says something like...
“If God made everything, who made God?”
“Abortion is none of your business. My body, my choice.”
“Everyone should just live their truth.”
You know there’s a problem, but you just can’t quite explain why.
What would you say?
Hi. I’m Tim Barnett. When discussing a challenging topic, it’s helpful to pause and THINK with these five steps:
- H: Hold it up to Scripture
- K: Know what you’re talking about.
In this episode, I want to talk about “I:” Identify Assumptions.
Sometimes an argument can sound persuasive, but not because it’s true, but because it's loaded with assumptions that go unchallenged.
So, the next time someone says something that challenges what you believe, here are three things to remember:
First. Every argument has assumptions.
An assumption is something that has to be true for an argument to work, even if no one says it out loud. Some assumptions are well-supported. Others are not.
If we don’t identify the assumptions, we can’t properly evaluate the argument. They’re the invisible foundation beneath the argument, and because they’re invisible, they often go unchallenged.
In a previous video, we compared an argument to a house: the reasons are the walls, and the conclusion is the roof. Assumptions are the foundation upon which this house is built. If the foundation is false, the house will collapse.
And when assumptions stay hidden, people often talk past each other.
A few years ago, at my wife’s birthday dinner, my six-year-old daughter Julianna looked puzzled and asked, “Dad… what does a 1-2 smell like?”
I was confused. I said, “Honey, one and two are numbers — numbers don’t smell.”
She asked again: “No, Dad, what does a 1-2 smell like?”
Now I was completely lost.
Finally, my four-year-old Jocelyn cleared it up. She said, “Dad, you look like a monkey and you smell like… 1-2.”
We were using the same words, but assuming different meanings, and that created confusion. The same thing happens in arguments. Hidden assumptions create misunderstanding before the discussion even begins.
So before responding, we need to understand the power of assumptions. And that leads to the next point.
Second. Identify hidden assumptions.
Most people don’t announce their assumptions. They’re often hidden within the challenge. That’s why identifying assumptions is such an important critical thinking skill.
When you hear a challenge, pause and ask a few simple questions:
What must be true for this claim to work?
In other words, what is being assumed?
Just take the challenge, “Who made God?” What is being assumed here? The questioner is assuming that God was made.
Or take the slogan: “My body, my choice.” Again, what must be assumed for this slogan to work? It assumes the unborn is part of the woman’s body.
When it comes to some challenges, the issue isn’t merely what they said. It’s what was left unsaid. That’s why we need to identify the assumption. Now you’re ready for the final step.
Third. Expose false assumptions.
Once you’ve identified a hidden assumption, we need to ask a question: Is the assumption true? If it’s not, it needs to be exposed.
In Matthew 22, the Sadducees try to trap Jesus with a question about the resurrection. They describe a woman who had been married multiple times and then ask, “So who will she be married to in the resurrection?”
At first, this may sound like a clever question. However, it rests on a false assumption and Jesus knows it. In response, Jesus exposes their false assumption. He says, “For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage…” (Matt.22:30).[RS1]
Notice the challenge only had force as long as the assumption stayed hidden. Once Jesus brings the false assumption into light, the entire challenge collapses. That’s the power of exposing assumptions.
Take the challenge, “Who made God?” It only makes sense to ask the question if God is the kind of Being that was made. Classical Christianity describes God as uncreated, eternal, and the source of all existence. Psalm 90:2 says, “From everlasting to everlasting you are God.”
When someone says, “My body, my choice” they are falsely assuming the unborn is part of the women’s body. However, the unborn is a distinct human being from the mother’s body.
Challenges like these only work as long as the assumption stays hidden. Once the false assumption is exposed, the force of the challenge disappears. That’s the power of exposing assumptions. When the foundation fails, the challenge falls with it.
So, the next time someone argues something that challenges what you believe, remember these three things:
First, every argument has assumptions.
Second, identify hidden assumptions.
Third, expose false assumptions.
Colson Center
Colson Center : Apr 23, 2026 3:30:12 PM
