The greatest threat to unity among believers is pride and arrogance, asserts the article. Looking at some biblical figures it shows how this is true.

Source: Witness, 2016. 3 pages.

Arrogance and Strife

When at divinity college, I remember one professor telling us that every congregational fall-out was basically about money. He asserted that if you looked carefully you would find the love of money somewhere and we know that it is the root of all evil. There is certainly much truth in what the old man said. After a parent dies there are often pathetic squabbles over the inheritance and sometimes a total breakdown in relationships. One man tried to draw Jesus into such a dispute but our Lord would have none of it:

Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you? And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.Luke 12:14-15

Our Saviour proceeded then to tell the story of the rich fool and what a warning that is! It is sad how professing Christians can let ‘filthy mammon’ trouble their relationships with their brothers and sisters in Christ. Ministers, particularly, must guard their reputation in this area or it will undermine their ministry. They should avoid all but essential involvement with congregations’ finances and mortify any tendency they have to love money.

However there is something even more damaging to peace and unity in the congregations of God’s people and that is pride and arrogance, and there is some of this in us all, even in those who seem most humble.

An Old Testament Example🔗

One of the worst crisis points in Israel’s journey through the wilderness provides a clear demonstration of the problem. Korah, Dathan and Abiram (Numb. 16) were jealous of Moses and Aaron. They arrogantly argued that Moses and Aaron were taking too high a position to themselves. They asserted that the whole congregation was holy and others were just as able to lead in civil and ecclesiastical affairs. Moses was greatly upset and fell upon his face when he heard it (v 4). He knew that he did not choose to be Israel’s leader, he had no desire for the position, he had felt inadequate for the task and he had indeed to be compelled by God’s call. He challenged the rebels to take censers and offer incense before the Lord to see who would be accepted by God (v 7). In their pride they came before the Lord with their censers but the earth opened her mouth and swallowed them up (vv 32-33) and fire came from the Lord and consumed the two hundred and fifty princes who associated with them (v 35). A further 14,700 died of a plague from the Lord because they blamed Moses for the death of the rebels (v 49). Moses was one of the meekest and humblest men that ever lived. Pride was the cause behind this strife.

The Disciples🔗

There was often strife among the disciples of the Lord. They were mainly just working-class folk, several being fishermen, yet each one, it appeared, wished to be the greatest. Mark records that Jesus on one occasion in Capernaum asked His disciples what they were arguing about on the road. They said nothing. Obviously their consciences were bothering them. They ‘had disputed among themselves, who should be the greatest’ (Mk. 9:34) and they knew this was wrong. The Lord, who could read their hearts, rebuked them. He told them plainly that the one who desired the first place would be last and the servant to the others. On another occasion James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Him with the request that one be on His right hand and the other on His left in His glory (Mk. 10:37).When the other ten heard of this they were very angry. Why? In pride each thought they deserved the special honour. Jesus called them to Him and said,

Ye know that they which are accounted to rule over the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and their great ones exercise authority upon them. But so shall it not be among you: but whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister: and whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all. Mk. 9:42-44

The teaching of Christ is clear but just like us they found it a hard lesson to learn. Even at the Last Supper, the night of Jesus’ betrayal, none would humble himself to wash the feet of the others, so that in the end Jesus took a basin and towel and washed their feet, shaming them and at the same time giving them the perfect example:

Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you. John 13:13-15

If we took this teaching of the Lord to heart how peaceful and loving our churches would be!

Philippians🔗

Paul had a special bond with the church in Philippi. He had planted the church there and he had suffered beating and imprisonment among them at that time: they loved him and sent him gifts for his support and he thanked God upon every remembrance of them (Phil. 1:3) and prayed constantly for them. However there were divisions among them. He wrote to them, ‘Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind’ (Phil. 2:2). Later in the same epistle he had to write to two lady members, ‘I beseech Euodias, and beseech Syntyche, that they be of the same mind in the Lord’ (4:2). What was causing the fall-outs? He tells us, ‘Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves’ (Phil. 2:3). If they mortified pride and respected others there would be no strife. Instead of humility, sadly, there was vainglory and arrogance. If we thought of other Christians as better than ourselves we would find it difficult to fall out with them. He advises, ‘Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others’ (v 4). Instead of being concerned for our own interests and striving to exalt ourselves, look out for others and seek to advance them. The mind of Christ is commended, who being God, humbled himself to become a man, indeed a servant, and eventually to die the cursed death of the cross (v 8). What an example He is! And Paul reminds the Philippians what happened to Christ as a reward for His self-humiliation:

Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. vv 9-11

The path to true greatness is deep humility.

Peter🔗

Peter was a natural leader. To begin with, he was as arrogant as any. He thought it possible for all the other disciples to deny Christ but he was sure he would not. He would die with Christ if need be. He had to learn his own failing and the threefold denial of his Master had a profound humbling effect upon him. Later, Paul, on at least one occasion, had to correct him (Gal. 2:14). He appears to have taken it graciously and bore no grudge. He writes lovingly and admiringly of Paul – ‘Our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other Scriptures, unto their own destruction’ (2 Pet. 3:15-16). He earlier wrote to the elders and ministers that they must not be ‘lords over God’s heritage’, but be ‘examples to the flock’ (1 Pet. 5:3). It is a temptation to ministers to lord over others, but the godly minister is a servant to the church. Peter sets the ideal before the whole congregation, ‘Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time’ (1 Pet. 5:5-6). What a wonderful and loving harmony would be in our churches if we were all subject to one another and gave honour to everyone else and were clothed with humility!

John🔗

John, as we noted, once sought for himself a seat at the right hand of Christ’s throne in glory. Noting the love, godliness and humility which characterised him in his later long life of service to the Saviour, that may well be his final position. It shall be given by the Father to the one for whom it is prepared, whoever that is (Mk. 10:40). Writing in his Third Epistle, John speaks of one, ‘Diotrephes, who loveth to have the preeminence’ (3 Jn. 9). Such people cause great harm to the church. Let us pray to God that we be kept from such folly. John presents a beautiful picture of heaven in the book of Revelation. The throne of God is central and all the inhabitants of heaven cast their crowns at God’s feet:

The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created. Revelation 4:10-11

Man at best is wholly vanity. All glory belongs to God. We were created to glorify and enjoy God. Let us remember that we are but worms. If we all crucify pride and arrogance there will be no strife in our churches:

The servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth. 2 Tim. 2:24-25

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