Have you ever disagreed with someone in your congregation? Maybe you’re one of the blessed few who has NEVER seen something differently than one of your brothers or sisters in Christ, but for most of us, the answer would be a definitive “Yes.” So how do Christians deal with it, when we disagree?

If you’ve been following this column, you know that in the days since my election last summer, I have been writing about the impelling force that our common convictions have toward our common cause—reaching those who are far from God with the precious Gospel. They are convictions maintained and a cause pursued best when we work together in common community. See 1 Timothy 4:16, 2 Corinthians 5:14ff., Acts 15:1-31, and 1 Corinthians 12:4-31.

Whenever we’re engaged in a common community with others, there’s the potential for disagreement. Perhaps the community that we share in our congregations and the disagreements that we have there are particularly emotional. Why? Well, because what takes place in our congregations is important, after all. In fact, it’s of eternal importance!

In fact, there are some things that are so important in our congregations that we should contend for them. St. Paul urges the Philippians to “(contend) as one man for the sake of the gospel” (Philippians 1:27) and the writer of Jude urges his readers “to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints” (Jude 3). Our common convictions are critical!

How we carry that out in our common community is also significant. Contend for the faith—yes—but never be contentious (2 Timothy 2:14; Titus 3:9,10), doing so with gentleness and respect (1 Peter 3:15), and maintaining a spirit of humility (Philippians 2:3-5). Since we are fallible human beings, we could be wrong, after all!

The many gifts that God gives to his church (1 Corinthians 12:4-31) mean that sometimes we perceive things differently. That’s not a weakness. That’s a strength of the body of Christ. By conversing with one another in a Christlike manner (Acts 15:1-31), we come closer to understanding—and living out—the absolute truth of God’s Word.

Challenging one another in common community in a spirit of love and forgiveness—let’s contend for that, too!

By Jon Braunersreuther, D.Min.
President