The Church doesn’t need outside discord when conflict among the brethren can threaten the very fabric of the Church. Here Paul likens their conflicts, hostility, and envy to wild animals fighting…rather than brothers and sisters in the Lord. Instead of loving and serving one another, Paul had witnessed them engaging in harmful words and actions, which led to the utter destruction of relationships, which in turn then led to the very unity and mission of the Church being threatened. So how can the Church of today heed Paul’s warnings? The first is to remember that gossip is no small sin, and it can destroy a person’s character with mere words. Secondly, Church is not a competition… thus jealously, envy, and resentment have no place within the pews. Finally, we as the Church Body need to be very spiritually aware of any brewing hostility…instead decisively choosing love, patience, and mutual edification one for another….for simmering division in the Church will only lead to disunity and strife in the long run.
Safetypinlove 