Bodes. Fracas. Conflict | Part 9!

Here we are for the penultimate installment on the series on conflict blah de blah amazing intro here as I usually do. Lol.

Based on the book ‘If ye bite and devour one another’ by Alexander Straugh. Read parts 1 to 8 if you haven’t already and lezgeddittttt!

Chapter 9 : Face False Teachers

I didn’t understand the relevance of this chapter intially tbh, but with time, and with reading I realized it is an important aspect of conflict resolution. False teachers can stir up conflict and also prevent believers from dealing with issues in the manner prescribed by our Lord. The person you get your counsel from in sticky situations should be rooted in the Word, otherwise their advice is only going to lead to more division between you and the other party.

The false teachers may not necessarily be a foreigner who charms their way into the fold, but may be known residents who appear to be sheep but are actually wolves. People like this can blend in so well that they catch us off guard. They can appeal to our fleshly desire to be right and in our weakness we listen to them, and would rather have our egos fluffed than be challenged to do right by the person we in bodes with.

We see in Acts 15: 1-27 that Paul and Barnabas faced false teachers head on, and when they were stumped or needed further clarity they brought their issues to the elders and apostles for guidance. They didn’t waste time with pointless debating and fighting but actively pursued the truth. We also see in Galatians 2:1-5 that Paul refused to be passive, but actively contended for the faith when addressing the church at Galatia who allowed themselves to be swayed by false teachers. Verses 11-14 of Galatians 2 show us attributes of Paul’s character which helped him to fight the good fight: he was bold, brave, stern, unwavering, passionate and most importantly, he did all with love and with God’s glory in mind.

In 2 Timothy 2:24-26 we can see more character traits of the “Lord’s servant” which are essential for being a teacher or a leader who can handle the threats which will come to attempt to divide the flock. The servant should not be quarrelsome, but be kind, patient, able to teach and gentle, even when correcting. I think Paul is a great mashup of all these attributes as well as those we saw in Galatians. Balance is key friends.

Ephesians 6:11&12 show us that the true source of these false teachers is the devil himself, it doesn’t stop at the human level. He is the chief liar apres tout. So we need to be on guard always, ready to give an answer and equipped with the tools given by God to help us fight his minions (See Ephesians 6).

I hope these lil expositions have been helpful to someone out there on the internet. For sure it’s been good for me to see where I’ve been lacking and what I need to work on. I pray God can continue to reveal these truths to me and that I can be honest with myself about where I’ve done wrong. Part 10 to follow in due time.

K LOVE YALL BYYYYYYYE

Verse(s) of the day: “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.” – Ephesians 6:10-18