When Churches Eat Their Own*

*No particular church inspired this article – well, except for one.

A divisive doctrinal controversy gained a foothold in a previously placid congregation. Sides were chosen. The bulk of the church divided. Confusion hung in the air. Over time, relationships strained and then shattered. Casualties mounted. The once peaceful church was at its own throat, on the verge of an exodus or even a split. Where was the Spirit of God in all this? Though this could describe one of a thousand churches today, it actually occurred in the First Century to a local church in Galatia.

To this church, the apostle Paul wrote, “if you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another” (Galatians 5:15). The Christians in Galatia were on the verge of devouring their own!

The controversy in the Galatian church was a heated one. Teachers had come into the congregation seeking a following (Thank goodness we have evolved past such things today!). They taught that non-Jewish believers needed to be circumcised—i.e. become Jews—to gain eternal life. Their teaching also held the promise of lessening persecution by nonbelieving Jews (Gal. 6:12). Paul writes the letter of Galatians to refute this false teaching.

But as with most church conflicts, sinful behavior, assumptions and choices amplify such controversies if the leaders get caught up in it and are not sensitive to the Spirit of God. The way the Galatian leaders reacted threatened to damage the church as much as the initial dispute. Paul beseeches the leaders and congregation to engage with the Holy Spirit amid the controversy. He uses three phrases that are worth exploring, especially if your church is struggling with conflict right now:

• “Walk by the Spirit” (Gal. 5:16) What does it look like to “walk by the Spirit” during a church conflict? The word “walk” refers to how we comport ourselves, our behavior. It’s almost easier to describe what that doesn’t look like: hyper-sensitivity to opposition, assuming the worst motives on their part, knee-jerk reactions, and speaking/acting in the flesh. In the heat of controversy, it only takes a nano-second for the precious fruit of the Spirit Paul describes (Gal. 5:22-23) to wither. Walking by the Spirit means crucifying self, seeking His enablement, and maintaining one’s objectivity as he or she is sustained by the “peace that passes understanding.”
• Be “led by the Spirit” (Gal. 5:18) The difference between “walking by” and being “led by” the Spirit may seem slight, but if you’re going to “walk” by the Spirit’s enabling, you must have a sense where He will take you and be willing, even committed, to go because the path may not be easy. It may require humility. It may require the tough work of reconciliation. Being led by the Spirit includes recognizing God’s providence in your church’s controversy, that there may be a larger reason God has allowed the church and its leaders to experience the pain of the controversy, i.e., to expose attitudes or immaturity that might be under the surface (1 Cor. 11:17-19). Sometimes we get so caught up in a church crisis we neglect to discern God’s purpose for allowing it. Have you stepped back from your church crisis and asked for the Spirit’s discernment as to His purpose for your church’s pain? The Spirit may not lead you through it until you discern why He allowed it and then are committed to follow what the Spirit leads you to do about it.
• “Live by the Spirit” (Gal. 5:25) When Paul reminds the Galatians (and us) that we “live” by the Spirit, he hopes we will recall the grace of God revealed in our salvation from our deep sinfulness (the very issue at stake in the Galatian church). We were made alive by the Spirit’s regenerative powers. The danger is that our salvation testimony can be compromised by the ungracious way we treat others during a church controversy. And let’s face it, most church controversies these days don’t reach the level of a salvation defining doctrinal dispute as it did in Galatia. Today we more often tarnish our testimony due to controversies over willful attachments to personal preferences.

If you are facing a difficult church controversy, my sincerest advice to you is to position yourself as near to the Spirit of God as you possibly can. And stay in that position. Remember that the Spirit of God can still do the miraculous (Gal. 3:5). He can sort out the most complicated church controversy in a way that reflects His Genius. He can enable us to deal with a church controversy in a way that does not tarnish our testimony. And He can save us from having to go through the same kind of pain again by discerning why such a controversy should land on our church’s doorstep in the first place.

Mark Barnard serves with Blessing Point Ministries which helps ministries experience healing from internal crises. He is coauthor, with Dr. Kenneth Quick, of The Dance of the Gifts: How Ministry Leaders Can Discern God’s Will.