The Scriptures tell us that an elder is not to be quarrelsome (2 Tim. 2:24). Being quarrelsome is different from having arguments. A quarrelsome person doesn’t just find conflict, he creates it, goes looking for it. He inserts himself into conflicts. Often he is a fault-finder, constantly critiquing others. Quarrelsome people view themselves as having a ministry of correction.
The apostle Paul warns against those who have an “unhealthy craving for controversy and for quarrels about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions, and constant friction among people…” (1 Tim. 6:4b-5a). He states that “quarreling over words” succeeds “only in leading the listeners to ruin” (2 Tim. 2:14). The apostle is not describing someone who simply has arguments, but rather one who is characterized by them.
Yet what does this quarrelsomeness root in? Because only when we understand the root of the problem can we begin to find the solution.
WHAT IS THE ROOT OF QUARRELSOMENESS?
A quarrelsome person finds a sense of purpose and worth in arguments.
It’s that sense of purpose and worth which causes problems. James clarifies that we get into quarrels precisely because of the desires in our hearts (James 4:1-2). We have fights and quarrels not because another person is wrong
To continue...read the full-length post originally published on this site.
