Jeremiah: A Man Of Strife And A Man Of Contention

Sometimes we emphasize the Bible’s warnings against strife (Galatians 5:20), debate (Romans 1:29), contention (Proverbs 17:14), etc., to the point that our audience gets the idea a Christian should not be described by these traits in any sense. Of course, the Bible teaches a rightful place for these characteristics.

The difference is in what we are striving, debating, or contending for. The Bible teaches us to “strive not about words to no profit” (II Timothy 2:14). This has to do with striving for false doctrine (II Timothy 2:16,18), or striving about questions the gospel does not concern itself with (I Timothy 1:4). On the other hand, the Christian is to strive “to preach the gospel” (Romans 15:20).

Certain kind of “debates” are condemned in the Bible (II Corinthians 12:20). Another kind is enjoined (Proverbs 25:9). Paul’s example of reasoning “out of the scriptures” is commended to us in Acts 17:2. Apollos debated with the Jews, “shewing by the scriptures that Jesus was Christ” (Acts 18:28). Debates are right and good as long as we are debating for the truth of the scriptures, and not false doctrine or our own opinions and ideas.

It is wrong to be “contentious” against God’s ordinances (I Corinthians 11:16,2). It is right, however, to contend for God’s ordinances. Michael the archangel was “contending with the devil” in a righteous way (Jude 9). The Bible even commands us to “earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints” (Jude 3).

Jeremiah was “a man of strife and a man of contention to the whole earth” (Jeremiah 15:10). That was a good thing. We should certainly be the same today, even though many Christians won’t appreciate it. That shouldn’t surprise us; many children of God in Jeremiah’s day didn’t appreciate what he did either. As a matter of fact, we should make it a point to become like, and do like Jeremiah. We should work to “be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh” us “a reason of the hope that is in” us (I Peter 3:15). We should always be “set for the defence of the gospel” (Philippians 1:17).

If you think about it, Jesus and Paul were both men of “strife and … contention,” weren’t they?  And we should imitate them, correct (I Corinthians 11:1)?  Let’s just always be kind and loving (like they were) when doing so (Ephesians 4:15,32).

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