The Argument: To Persuade, Just Give Me the Facts

Award-winning writer Kathy Widenhouse has helped hundreds of nonprofits and writers produce successful content and has gained 600K+ views for her writing tutorials. She is the author of 9 books. See more of Kathy’s content here.

An online devotional for writers

A Word From The Word

I would lay out my case and present my arguments. (Job 23:4, NLT)

A Word For Writers

An argument is a confrontation. Often, there’s a clear winner and loser. For instance, when you hear about an argument between a dad and his teenage son, you expect a description of who won and if anything was broken. 

But in writing, an argument is a persuasive technique – a specific method you use to convince a reader to embrace your point of view.

While most persuasive writing techniques appeal to both emotions and logic to win over the reader, the argument approach is based solely on fact. On paper, you present the objections your imaginary opponent might raise and then refute each one with evidence, reasoning, or empirical data. 

The technique is a home run for your analytical readers, who embrace a clear presentation of the facts – but also for emotionally-driven readers, who rely on logic to prevent “reader’s remorse.”

The Apostle Paul was a master at the argument approach. In a celebrated example from his letter to the Romans 2, he argued with a demanding audience: religious Jews. These folks were convinced that they were right with God because of their status. And because they obeyed God’s laws outwardly and to the letter. 

But Paul used his argument to point out …

• Fact: God will punish those who sin (Romans 2:2, NLT).
• Fact: the Jews committed sins against God (Romans 2:3, NLT)  
• Fact: the Jews didn’t recognize God’s patience with them (Romans 2;4, NLT)

Paul piled up those facts to come to a conclusion: the Jews’ stubbornness would lead to their punishment (Romans 2:5, NLT).

Want to persuade your readers – both the analytical and the emotionally-driven? Give them the facts.

A Wise Word

Persuade with an argument by using logic and facts.

A Word To Pray

Gracious Father,

Thank you for providing an abundance of facts, evidence, logic, and reasoning in your Word. Help me to do the same. Give me clarity as I make an argument on paper.

In Jesus’s name, Amen.

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