Christian Conflict Resolution
Like all people, Christians have conflict over ideas, practices, preferred traditions, and how to spend money. Conflict is good. It helps solve problems. But we frequently handle this conflict in ways that contradict the purpose of the church and the content of the gospel message! When we value a minor thing as though it were a major thing, we let our emotional response guide us rather than truth, practicality, or ethics. And so below, I’ll explain what appears to me to be a New Testament guide to conflict resolution among Christians:
The life of the mind in early Christianity
This is the best couple of paragraphs from N.T. Wright's massive two volume tome:
That is the point at which Paul found himself inventing and developing this new discipline we call, in retrospect, ‘Christian theology’. The radically new worldview in which he and his converts found themselves was bound to face the question ‘why’ at every corner, and in order to answer it, and to teach his churches to answer it for themselves, he had to speak of one particular God, and of the world, in a way nobody had done before.
Levels of Analysis in the Sermon on the Mount: A brief outline
What is the Sermon on the Mount? How do we read it? What I have in mind is Matthew 5-7. Let's leave Luke 6 out for now. Below are some potential layers of analysis for understanding the Sermon on the Mount. Now, the most simple way to read it is: hear these words and do them. But to do so requires a life of reflection.
Think Rightly About Yourselves
[This is a repost from 2013 with an additional translation added to the list below]
Text
Λέγω γὰρ διὰ τῆς χάριτος τῆς δοθείσης μοι παντὶ τῷ ὄντι ἐν ὑμῖν μὴ ὑπερφρονεῖν παρ᾽ ὃ δεῖ φρονεῖν ἀλλὰ φρονεῖν εἰς τὸ σωφρονεῖν, ἑκάστῳ ὡς ὁ θεὸς ἐμέρισεν μέτρον πίστεως. (Rom 12:3 BGT)
Translation
Upon first glance the obvious translation/meaning is, "For, I say to all of you through the grace which was given to me, do not think about yourselves more highly than it is necessary to think, but rather think [w/respect to yourselves] in a manner that leads to temperance; each one as God has given a measure of faith. (Romans 12:3)
Eric Johnson's Proposal for Christian Reading
Eric L. Johnson, Foundations for Soul Care: A Christian Psychology Proposal[1]
Below is a summary of Johnson’s rules for Christian reading. It’s a useful part of his book. Because these are my own words, anything poorly stated is my own fault, not Johnson’s.
- The goal of Christian reading, even leisure reading, is conformity to Christ. Therefore what and how we read matter.
- The Holy Spirit is the Christian reading light. This metaphor indicates that while reading, the Christian is cooperating with the Holy Spirit in coming to have self-knowledge, knowledge about what is being read, knowledge about the author, knowledge about the world, and knowledge about God.
- New Christians should ask wise guides for help in reading, both what to read, and how to understand it.
- There is a natural hierarchy in the texts we read:
- The canon of Scripture.
- Classic texts of the Christian traditions.
- Other quality texts (I would add, classical texts of one’s national, ethnic, or intellectual tradition).
- Inferior texts that aren’t worth reading.
- Bad texts which draw the readers from what is true, good, or beautiful.
- Banned texts, some texts are simply justifiably censured and censored.
- Non-Canonical texts need to be read with trust and suspicion.
- Reading non-Christian texts wisely increases wisdom and is therefore worthwhile.
References
[1] Eric L. Johnson, Foundations for Soul Care: A Christian Psychology Proposal (InterVarsity Press, 2007), 222-226.Are you really better?
Stephanie, at Girl with the Dragonfly Tattoo, criticizes a blogger for her reasoning that outrage over actions like pedophilia is improper due to our own moral failures. Here is her main thought:
She “laughs” at the incongruity of normal people daring to judge a child molester when calling for justice to be done.Why would a Christian laugh at a situation dealing with something so clearly evil, and something we are supposed to view with soberness and yes, we are called to judge and expose evil (Eph 5).
Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil
Thou shalt not take up a false report: put not thy hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness. Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil; neither shalt thou speak in a cause to turn aside after a multitude to wrest justice: neither shalt thou favor a poor man in his cause. (Exodus 23:1-3 ASV)In ancient cultures, conformity to the majority was near the top of the hierarchy of values. In fact, the Old Testament takes great pains to enforce conformity to social norms through various and elaborate status rituals and harsh legal penalties. But, the Old Testament vision of social conformity is not conformity to society as such. Instead, the vision is of society conforming to the good, rather than the individual becoming a microcosm of society. The expectation of breaking rank when the rank and file turn to evil is an implicit demand to contemplate social norms and reason whether they be good or evil. This passage also calls for a rejection of social naivete which implies gaining some degree of contemplative virtue. And as a strange conclusion, the passage also proscribes allowing pity to substitute for truth. A conservative error is to equate poverty with vice. The liberal error is to equate poverty with virtue. The Biblical middle-ground is to pursue the good generally and legal justice particularly. The following passages from Proverbs illustrate the same principles in aphoristic format:
A faithful witness does not lie, but a false witness breathes out lies. (Proverbs 14:5)The wisdom of the prudent is to discern his way, but the folly of fools is deceiving. (Proverbs 14:8)
Love Your Neighbor and Marus Aurelius
In the passage below, the word “as” can mean ‘as though’ or ‘while.’ This is so in the Hebrew and Greek Old Testament:
“You shall not hate your brother in your heart, but you shall reason frankly with your neighbor, lest you incur sin because of him. You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD. (Leviticus 19:17-18)Most interpreters take the word 'as' to mean 'as though.' So 'love your neighbor as though he were yourself.' But it might be a useful thought experiment to think of it this way, 'love [seek the well-being of] your neighbor as you love [seek the well-being] of yourself.' I'm not saying that's what the passage means. I'm just saying that it's suggestive. Below is a paragraph from Marcus Aurelius about doing good by others in such a way that it benefits more than just them:
This will be clearer to you if you remind yourself: I am a single limb (melos) of a larger body— a rational one. Or you could say “a part” (meros)— only a letter’s difference. But then you’re not really embracing other people. Helping them isn’t yet its own reward. You’re still seeing it only as The Right Thing To Do. You don’t yet realize who you’re really helping.Aurelius, Marcus. Meditations: A New Translation (Modern Library) (Kindle Locations 1657-1661). Random House Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
Asking for Wisdom
In James’ letter to the early churches, he makes the claim that God will, without fail, give wisdom to any who ask without doubting. This is a staggering claim. What does it mean? Here’s the main passage (James 1:2-7):
2 Count it all joy, my brethren, when you meet various trials, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives to all men generously and without reproaching, and it will be given him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For that person must not suppose that a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways, will receive anything from the Lord.There are apparently three conditions for receiving free wisdom from God:
- That those suffering through trials should be seeking moral perfection rather than mere relief.
- That God gives wisdom to those who lack it is the next. More on that later.
- Third, that they pray without doubting.
More proof of this may be found in James 4:2-3:
A Spiritual Exercise From Genesis 4:1-7
The Introduction to Cain's Story
Now the man had relations with his wife Eve, and she conceived and gave birth to Cain, and she said, "I have gotten a manchild with the help of the LORD." And again, she gave birth to his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of flocks, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. So it came about in the course of time that Cain brought an offering to the LORD of the fruit of the ground. And Abel, on his part also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of their fat portions. And the LORD had regard for Abel and for his offering; but for Cain and for his offering He had no regard. So Cain became very angry and his countenance fell. Then the LORD said to Cain, "Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? "If you do well [make the best of it], will not your countenance be lifted up? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it." (Gen 4:1-7 NAS)The Lord tells Cain the best thing a resentful person could hear and he says it in two ways: