What other Scriptures address jealousy and strife within the church community? Jealousy and Strife in Corinth 1 Corinthians 3:3 sets the tone: “For you are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and dissension among you, are you not worldly? Are you not walking in the way of man?” Paul exposes two tell-tale signs of worldliness among believers: jealousy (the inner resentment of another’s blessing) and strife/dissension (the outward conflict that follows). Scripture treats both as spiritual toxins, never harmless irritants. New-Testament Echoes of the Same Warning • James 3:14-16 – “But if you harbor bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast in it and deny the truth. Such wisdom does not come down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every evil practice.” • Galatians 5:19-21 – Jealousy, rivalries, and factions appear on the list of “acts of the flesh” that keep people from inheriting God’s kingdom. • Romans 13:13 – “Let us behave decently, as in the daytime… not in dissension and jealousy.” • 2 Corinthians 12:20 – Paul fears finding “quarreling, jealousy, rage, rivalries, slander, gossip, arrogance, and disorder” in Corinth. • Philippians 2:3 – “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or empty pride, but in humility consider others more important than yourselves.” • Titus 3:3 – Before Christ we were “living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.” • James 4:1-2 – Desires left unchecked erupt into conflicts, coveting, and fights inside the body. Old-Testament Wisdom Still Speaking • Proverbs 14:30 – “A tranquil heart is life to the body, but envy is rottenness to the bones.” • Proverbs 27:4 – “Wrath is cruel and anger is a flood, but who can withstand jealousy?” • Psalm 133:1 – “Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in harmony.” These verses reveal that envy rots from within while harmony refreshes the whole community. Practical Steps Toward Peaceful Fellowship • Recognize jealousy as sin, not personality. Scripture names it alongside sorcery, idolatry, and fits of rage. • Replace envy with gratitude. Celebrate another believer’s gift or advancement as evidence of God’s generosity to the whole body. • Trade strife for service. Pour energy into building others up; strife withers when self-giving love becomes normal. • Guard the thought-life. James places jealousy in the heart long before it surfaces in quarrels. Confess it early. • Pursue the Spirit’s fruit. Galatians 5 lists love, peace, patience, and kindness as the Spirit’s antidotes to fleshly rivalry. When believers honor these commands, the church displays the unity Jesus purchased—showing a watching world that grace really does triumph over jealousy and strife. |
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