The causes of quarrel in the church

“Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, ….” (Philippians 2:3a)

                One of the causes of quarrel in the church is empty conceit (Phil. 2:3).  If there are people who are pursuing outward glory that goes too far and is hallow, then there is bound to be quarrel in the church.  A good example is “the congregation in the wilderness” (Acts 7:38).

                If the wilderness church is a Presbyterian church, its pastor is Moses and its elder is Aaron.  And in the session of the wilderness church, there is a teaching elder, Moses, and a ruling elder, Aaron.  However, “Korah the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, with Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben” (among these four people, I think Korah was the leader of the faction against the wilderness church) made the group of faction (why few people in the church make a group of faction) and rose up  against pastor Moses and elder Aaron, together with some of the sons of Israel, 150 leaders of the congregation (usually the leaders in the church start quarrel?), chosen in the assembly, men of renown (Num. 16:1-2).  This is what they said to Moses and Aaron: “You have gone far enough, for all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the LORD is in their midst; so why do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the LORD?” (v. 3)  When Moses heard this, he fell on his face and prayed to God (v. 4) (what can a pastor do except kneel down and cry out to God).  Then Pastor Moses rebuked Korah and all the crowds: " You have gone far enough, you sons of Levi!” (v.  7)  How did Korah and all the crowds go too far?  They looked upon the grace of God small.  It wasn’t enough for them that God had separated them from the rest of the Israelite community and brought them near Himself to do the work at the Lord’s tabernacle and to stand before the community and minister to them (v. 9).  So they sought for the priesthood of Aaron (v. 10).  Because they considered their office that God had given them small and lightly, their thought went too far in their thoughts and actions (they exalted themselves in pride) and said the things to pastor Moses and elder Aaron.  They did this because they had empty conceit vanity in their hearts (Phil. 2:3).  They went too far and went against the session of the wilderness church because they sought vain glory.  The Bible says that they not only went against pastor Moses and elder Aaron, but also against the Lord who established them as the leaders in the wilderness church (Num. 16:11).

                Just as there were people who had empty conceit and went too far in their thought, talk and action in the wilderness church, there is a person in the big city church (especially the big church?) who is like Korah with empty conceit and who build a faction with famous or powerful people in the congregation and cause conflicts and problems in the church.  It is surprising how one person like this can cause big problems in the church.  Why is he causing such a big problem in the church right now?  What is the person's intention?  I think of James 4:1-2: “What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? Is not the source your pleasures that wage war in your members?  You lust and do not have; so you commit murder. You are envious and cannot obtain; so you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask.”  Now he is quarreling because of the source of his pleasures that wage war.  And the reason he argues so much is because he is greedy.  What is he greedy about?  Perhaps he is going too far in his thought that he wants to be exalted in the congregation.  Perhaps he wants vain glory.   However, even if he wants to be exalted and glory, since he is not getting what he wants he is quarreling and fighting more and more.  Who is “he” here?  Who is now quarreling and fighting in the church by going too far in his thinking, speaking, and acting and who is filled with empty conceit in the Presbyterian Church?  Is he a church elder or a church pastor?  This is indeed a serious problem.  The big problem in the Presbyterian Church is not the lay people, but the pastors and the elders.  Why do elders disagree with the pastors?  Did elder Aaron, who spoke so well, dismiss Moses the wilderness church because he said he could not speak well?  Are the elders so good that they criticize the pastors?  Why is the pastor so displeased with the elders?  Did Moses, whom the Lord spoke to face to face (Exod. 33:11), deprive Aaron’s eldership because he let the Israelites get out of control (32:25)?  In this way, how can the church be peaceful when the pastor and the elders, who are the members of the session of the Presbyterian Church, are arguing and quarreling instead of being one mind and one will.

                Pastor, elders.

The saints are hurting now.

The saints are leaving the church now.

Now the church is being humiliated, not only by the people of the world

but also by other church members who are brothers and sisters in the Lord.

Now we are breaking the heart of the Lord who is looking at us, the church.

Pastor, elders,

Please stop fighting.

Please be reconciled to each other and live in harmony.

Please have one mind and one heart.

I pray that you be able to have His humble heart (Phil. 2:5).