Question 3: The compromise question. Do I need to defer in some way in this conflict?
Often the issue is not so much about what the other person did to you, but about your role in the conflict. Sometimes we should defer, yield, or let go of the issue. Compromise never means watering down truth or your convictions. Neither does not mean you are weak.
In the case facing the early church, the Judaizers had to give up their wrong notion that becoming a follower of Jesus required that a person had to become a Jew first. And the Gentile believers had to yield to some of their Jewish Christian brothers on some dietary issues that could have a caused a rift in their relationships with them.
A sign of a mature follower of Jesus is loving compromise.
Question 4: The clarity issue. Have I clarified the issue?
Often conflicts get so muddied that both parties loose sight of the real issue. The conflict reflects something deeper or even something not related to the ‘presenting’ issue.
The early church clearly clarified their issue by appealing to history, to the facts, and to God’s Word. They dialogued, listened to each other, and even recorded in a letter what they had resolved.
When they clarified the issue they presented a united front, avoided a split, and encouraged each other. When we truly resolve conflict in the church, everybody feels a sense of relief, just like the early church did.
Some when you deal with conflict, make sure you clarify the real issue.
These four questions based on how the early church resolved a conflict can guide leaders toward successful conflict resolution in their churches.
This article originally appeared here, and is used by permission.
