Conflict in the Church: The Uncomfortable Reality
Attacks on a minister’s preaching and authority can be painful. The leader is outnumbered and may in many cases stand alone. This is not a comfortable place to be; even if you are physically distant from the situation, as Paul was in this case. A leader can feel deeply wounded if he or she is disrespected by people who ought to be giving them respect. Paul should have been respected because he was the spiritual father of the church and had invested much into the lives of the people. He sought to love them more, but they appeared to love him less (2 Cor. 12:15). When you are helping people you can get hurt in the process.
We do not know all that Paul felt, but no doubt there was some frustration on his part. He does not allow the disrespect leveled at him to shake his confidence in the fact that he has authority in the Lord (2 Cor. 10:8; 13:10). As David was able to find strength in God (1 Sam. 30:6), church leaders need to do the same and be prepared for such conflicts in the church. They do come and they are not a one time event.
Conclusion
In this brief article we have looked at three types of conflict that existed between believers in the New Testament church: leaders having a conflict with each other, people in a congregation at odds with one another, and a leader having a conflict with those that he has authority over. These same conflicts exist in today’s church. When they occur they must be dealt with in a positive and redemptive way. This is not always easy to do. The conflict should not be a battle of wits or wills. Rather, those involved should be trying to find the will of the Lord in the matter.
When you face conflict in the ministry seek the Lord and realize that you are not alone, you are also not the only one who has had to deal with it. You might also do well to do a more detailed study of how Paul responded in situations of conflict (as he had a lot of experience with it). God’s work must go on. The ministry is a glorious calling; hold your course when the storms come. Remember your call is “to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ” (Eph. 4:12-13, NIV).
PR
Notes
1 Ray C. Stedman, Body Life (Ventura, CA: Regal, 1972), 24-25.
2 John P. Lathrop, Answer the Prayer of Jesus: A Call for Biblical Unity (Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock, 2011), 32.
3 John Stott, The Spirit, the Church and the World: The Message of Acts (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 1990), 221.
4 Ibid., 221.
5 Craig S. Keener, The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 1994), 366.
6 Walter L. Liefeld, The NIV Application Commentary: 1 & 2 Timothy, Titus (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1999), 297.
7 Gordon D. Fee, The First Epistle to the Corinthians. The New International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm B. Eerdmans, 1987), 5.
8 Ibid., 534-536.
Bibliography
Fee, Gordon D. The First Epistle to the Corinthians. The New International Commentary On the New Testament. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm B. Eerdmans, 1987.
Keener, Craig S. The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 1994.
Lathrop, John P. Answer the Prayer of Jesus: A Call for Biblical Unity. Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock, 2011.
Liefeld, Walter L. The NIV Application Commentary: 1 & 2 Timothy, Titus. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1999.
Stedman, Ray C. Body Life. Ventura, CA: Regal, 1972.
Stott, John. The Spirit, the Church and the World. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 1990.
This article originally appeared: Lathrop, John Paul. “Conflict In The Church: The Uncomfortable Reality.” Jurnal Jaffray 13.2 (2015): 185-194. Used with permission.
Category: Ministry, Winter 2016
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