“If it were not for preachers or elders there would be no con-troversies and the church would be at peace.”

Common Complaint in the Church

• Old Testament– Elijah and Ahab, 1 Kgs 16-18– Ahab, Jehoshaphat and Micaiah, 1 Kgs 22

• New Testament Paul– 1 Cor 5, Adultery– 2 Cor 2:3-4, his message not popular– 2 Cor 7:8-9, unpopular, but produced good

• “Have I therefore become your enemy because I tell you the truth?” Gal 4:15

OT, NT Examples of this Illogic

• Two attitudes–Acceptance of error–Compromise with error

• When people are afraid of controversy in in defending the truth they lose the militant spirit vital to the purity of the church.

Danger of This Kind of Reasoning

• Truth is worth defending.• Those who love truth have no choice.

– Jude 3-4, contend earnestly

– Phil 1:27-28, stand fast, not terrified

– 2 Pet 2:1-3, destructive heresies

– 1 Pet 3:15, give a defense

– Titus 1:9-11, convict, stop mouths

– 2 Cor 10:4-6, warfare

– Eph 6:10-17, armed for battle

God’s Word Demands Militancy

• Defenders are often marked for creating controversy– Causing needless confusion and argumentation.– Therefore, they say there is no real issue.– If no real issue, no sincere investigation follows. – Therefore, there is no need to take a stand.

• Shift from seeking truth to attacking people– Some don't want to be involved.– Don't want to study to determine what is truth.– Don’t want to discover they may be wrong.– Don't want to take a stand.– Don't want to "earnestly contend for the faith"– Become compromisers.– A compromiser is either too lazy or is a coward– So attack people as a defense of error.

Result of Not Contending