PUTTING CONFLICT IN PERSPECTIVE

2 Corinthians 1:23-2:11

INTRODUCTION

The section we have chosen to study tonight offers us a perspective on conflict, whether it be conflict in the church, conflict in the home, or conflict in human relationships in general. Paul was the kind of man who never backed away from conflict. There were times that he initiated it, but he knew how to engage in it without tearing the church up. He knew how to manage conflict without ruining relationships. It was not in his nature to deliberately alienate people.

We need to learn how to manage conflict effectively. A few years ago, I took a course in church leadership and I told the professor that I would like to develop more skills in the area of conflict resolution. He said, "Perhaps it would be more realistic to talk about conflict management." He didn't think that it's always possible to resolve conflict, but we can learn how to manage it.

I will admit to you that I am the kind of person who does not like conflict. I would prefer never to have it. There are some people who love conflict. I know a lawyer who told me that he would probably die if he couldn't be involved in conflict. I didn't have too much trouble understanding while he chose to become an attorney.

Whether you like it or not, conflict is inevitable in human relations. No community of people will exist very long without conflict. There's no family, no church, no organization, no athletic team, no work place where there is a total absence of controversy. I know why I don't like conflict. For one thing it's my not my nature to manage it well. For another, I realize that when you have conflict, you also have the potential for hurt, alienation, distrust and dissension.

The text we have reveals Paul's sensitive handling of a delicate relationship controversy. Scholars are divided as the exact nature of the conflict. Some believe Paul is talking about the man who committed incest, who is described in 1 Corinthians chapter 5. Others think he's talking about a totally different person, perhaps even some false teacher, about whom we know nothing. It doesn't really matter, because what we need to see are the principles that Paul uses in handling controversy.

PAUL MANAGED CONFLICT BY DEALING WITH IT DECISIVELY

Notice the way he starts the second chapter, - I made up my mind. There wasn't a moment's hesitation in the apostle's thinking. He was not a vacillating kind of person who says one thing today and another tomorrow. He was not plagued by mood swings. What had he made up his mind about?

To answer that question, we need to drop back into chapter 1. In verse 23, he said, "I call God as my witness that it was in order to spare you that I did not return to Corinth." Paul had planned a return visit to Corinth. According to 12:14, he was contemplating a "third" visit to Corinth. His first visit is mentioned in Acts 18:18 and we have no way of knowing when the second visit took place. What we do know is that Paul had planned to visit Corinth for a third time, but now had come to the decisive conclusion that he needed to postpone that visit. So he went to Plan B and sent a letter to the church at Corinth. He mentioned the chapter in 2:3. (Some people think that the letter he refers to was 1 Corinthians, while others believe he's referring to a piece of correspondence which has been lost. It's beyond the scope of this lesson to deal with those issues).

It is important for us to understand that Paul acted out of a sense of decisiveness. He made up his mind. Why did he make us his mind not to make the visit? The timing wasn't right. He knew that if he had made the visit at the time he had initially set aside, it would create unnecessary problems. Apparently his previous visit had been somewhat traumatic, so he said, "I would not make another painful visit to you."

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