Tim Maas Retired Quality Assurance Specialist with the U.S. Army

As Paul noted elsewhere (in Romans 12:18), "If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all." This recognizes that, despite every effort that Christians might make to avoid conflict with others, there still might be individuals who choose to make them their enemy, either for reasons related to the Christians' faith, or out of pure malice.

The most that Christians can do, in my opinion, is to follow (with the help of the Holy Spirit) the second great command of the Law to love their neighbors as themselves (Matthew 22:37-39), as well as Christ's command to love their enemies (Matthew 5:44), and to do whatever they can to avoid, through attitudes or behavior, being the instigator or propagator of conflict with others, by following guidance such as Proverbs 15:1, and similar practical advice found elsewhere in Proverbs.

That is not to say that they should avoid conflict to the point of compromising the core tenets of their faith. They should not respond to faith-related conflicts in anger or by seeking to harm those who disagree with them or who persecute them, but, at the same time, they should stand firm for their beliefs, and give a God-honoring witness to them through their actions.

August 09 2017 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report