Christians obviously disagree, individually or corporately, over many matters—distinctive beliefs, ministerial philosophy, practical applications, etc. But disagreement is not necessarily the same as persistent disobedience or unbelief. If possible, we should enjoy what levels of fellowship we can have and handle disagreements as charitably as possible.

We must contend for the faith. Jude commands us, “Contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3).
But we must not be contentious. Speaking on head coverings, Paul gave a prohibition against contentiousness that applies to any situation: “If anyone is inclined to be contentious, we have no such practice, nor do the churches of God” (1 Cor 11:16).
What does it meant to contend? What does mean to be contentious? And how can we contend while not being contentious? By reviewing the meaning of contend and considering the meaning of contentious, I’ll attempt to answer these questions below.
Defining the Term Contend
In a previous post, we examined the word contend:
The word translated “contend” has the idea of expending intense effort and energy. It comes from epagōnizomai, a relative of agōnizomai, from which we receive our English word agonize. Jude’s form of the word is used only here, but its relative refers elsewhere to fighting (John 18:36) or to participating in an athletic contest (Heb 12:1). Whether as a verb or noun, the New Testament repeatedly uses this word as a metaphor for aspects of the Christian life: salvation (Luke 13:24), perseverance (Heb 12:1), self-control (1 Cor 9:25), prayer (Col 4:12), suffering persecution (1 Thess 2:2), and the gospel ministry in general (Phil 1:30; Col 1:29; 2:1; 1 Tim 6:12; 2 Tim 4:7).
Following Christ, controlling ourselves, praying, suffering, and ministering to others—all of these activities require intense efforts on our part, a struggle made possible by the power of Christ (cf. Col 1:29). Opposing false teachers and their teaching, contending, is one of these struggles, and Jude urges us to contend for the faith.
So, here in Jude, contending is intensely opposing heretics and their heresies that have crept into God’s church.
For this post, I thought it would be helpful to add some thoughts on contending without being contentious.
Defining the Term Contentious
Paul concluded his instruction on head coverings with a prohibition against being contentious: “If anyone is inclined to be contentious, we have no such practice, nor do the churches of God” (1 Cor 11:16).
“Contentious” stems from philoneikos, used only here in the New Testament. If broken into its parts, this word literally means “a lover of victory.” Someone who has an inordinate love for victory has to be right in every dispute. And the sad thing is this—sometimes this love for being right is so blinding that a contentious person thinks he is right in his love for being right. People like this are contrarian, quarrelsome, and contentious.
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What the ant teaches us is that diligence and productivity are fit for a wise and flourishing life. Man was made to work and to work hard. Adam, even before his fall, was created and called by God to work, to tend to and “keep the Garden” (Genesis 2:15). 

Solomon, in wanting his son to pursue and know wisdom, instructs him to “consider the ant” (Proverbs 6:6). The command is to observe and learn the ways of this small but impressive creature. What impressive wisdom does the ant teach us? Diligent. Hard. work. In short, the ant is productive. And this is one essential feature to wise living. “Go to the ant, O Sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise” (Proverbs 6:6). In considering and watching the work-ethic of the ant, the man who is a sluggard can learn and grow in wisdom; he has a model on which to follow. This is natural theology at its best!
As John Kitchen writes in his excellent commentary on Proverbs, “such reflection will yield a new work ethic which prioritizes self-motivation, industry, diligence and planning. Embracing such a work will cause one to ‘be wise.’ Wisdom is not some esoteric, other-worldly rhetoric. Wisdom is practical success in the real world. Hard work lies in its path.”[1]
What wisdom can we learn from the ant on being diligent and productive? Well first, the ant is self-motivated. She does not need a manager or boss or task-master to get her to work, she is able to do the work of her own accord. As verse 7 and 8 tells us, “without having any chief, officer, or ruler, she prepares her bread in summer.” Here is a creature who gets to the work without being told to; the ant is disciplined and self-controlled.
Ryan McGraw, in his helpful little booklet How Should I Manage Time writes, “We can redeem the time only if we enjoy the work that God has given us to do each day. Ecclesiastes 3:22 says, ‘Wherefore I perceive that there is nothing better, than that a man should rejoice in his own work; for that is his portion: for who shall bring him to see what shall be after him?’ Enjoying our work is a gift from God… We must learn to enjoy our work even when our work is not enjoyable”[2] There is wisdom in learning to enjoy our work. Perhaps that begins with asking God to help you do that and fervently praying to make you more like the ant in being self-motivated. Ask God to help you work hard. Is this not something of what Moses requested when he prayed to “Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands upon us; yes, establish the work of our hands” (Psalm 90:17)?
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Written by H.B. Charles Jr. |
Thursday, May 16, 2024
Why does Moses ask God for satisfaction? “That we may rejoice and be glad all our days.” Divine satisfaction brings joy externally (“rejoice”) and internally (“be glad”). It is a life of heavenly blessing, spiritual contentment, and complete fulfillment. Unfortunately, we look for satisfaction in the wrong places. But the futile and foolish things of this world only offer temporary satisfaction. But the hand of the Lord gives satisfaction that beings rejoicing and gladness “all our days.” Whatever the day brings, the Lord can give peace that surpasses all understanding to guard your heart and mind (Philippians 4:6-7). 

Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days. – Psalm 90:14

“How can I pray for you?” When I am asked this simple question, it is a great kindness from the Lord. Not knowing what to say, I often answer by asking that person to pray Psalm 90:12 for me: “So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.”
Psalm 90 is a prayer of Moses – the only psalm attributed to Moses. The psalm begins by declaring the eternality of God (Psalm 90:1-2). In contrast to the God who is from everlasting to everlasting, Moses then declares the brevity and frailty of human life (Psalm 90:3-11). It is not until verse 12 that the prayer of Moses makes a request. He petitions God to teach us to number our days so that our hearts may become wise.
What does Psalm 90:12 mean? There are many implications to this prayer request that we should consider. But it may be that the best way to understand verse 12 is to keep reading to verse 14: “Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.” In a real sense, the two verses are two different ways of saying the same thing. A wise heart is a heart that is satisfied in God.
Moses and the children of Israel learned the hard way that the years of our lives are but “toil and trouble, they are soon gone, and we fly away” (Psalm 90:10). It is a waste of life to invest in things that cannot save and do not satisfy. There is a void in every life that only God can fill.
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