1. CONTENTION AND STRIFE
MATTHEW 12:34

2. Contention and Strife Hebrew RIB physical struggle Ex. 21:18
Verbal contention Judges 6:32
Waters of MeRIBah Ex. 17:7
Legal disputes Deut. 25:1, Prov. 25:8-10
Greek ERIS debate in Rom. 1:29
Strife is behavior of envy Rom. 13:13
Chambering is behavior of wantonness
Rioting is behavior of drunkenness
A work of the flesh Gal. 5:20 between hatred & jealousy

3. Contention and Strife
A work of the flesh Gal. 5:20 organized into divisions: strife, seditions, heresies
Can affect the church 1 Cor. 1:10-13
Who is our Lord? Who died for us?
Pride in human teachers 3:1-7; 4:6
All teachers are servants for God
God to receive the glory!
Don’t be prideful of teachers
Don’t go beyond what is written
Even they may not have right motives Phil. 1:15

4. Contention and Strife
Paul and Barnabas had a sharp contention Acts 15:39
Turned out better than either preferred
Barnabas Col. 4:10; 1 Cor. 9:6 Mark 2 Tim. 4:11
Like Abraham and Lot Gen. 13:5-17
How to avert strife Gen. 26:12-22; Prov. 13:10; 15:18,1; 17:14; 20:3; 22:10; 1 Tim. 6:4; Jm 4:2-4
But some never learn Prov. 18:6
Those who strive with God will perish Isaiah 41:11
God will not strive with us forever Ps. 103:9
Surrender to His terms Luke 14:31-33; Mk 16:16