Strife

Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament

It was not unnatural that strongly marked varieties of character and opinion should appear in the living Apostolic Church, for the proverb ‘many men, many minds’ had its application there as elsewhere.

1 . Party-spirit (ἔρις, ἐριθεία), which was stimulated by the free institutions of the Hellenic city-States, soon invaded the equally democratic Christian communities. The result was a species of religious warfare which no doubt afforded a certain evidence of the vitality of the primitive faith; but the last thing which St. Paul, Apollos, and Cephas desired was that they should be constituted leaders of rival sects and acclaimed by eager partisans. In his First Letter to the Corinthian church St. Paul gravely rebukes a divisive, quarrelsome spirit, and endeavours to divert the strong currents of religious life into better channels ( 1 Corinthians 1:10-13).

2 . But St. Paul himself was compelled, like Jeremiah ( Jeremiah 15:10), to be a man of strife. Against Jews and Judaizers he had to fight the battle of spiritual freedom. His gospel inevitably created antagonisms wherever he preached it. ‘Fightings (μάχαι) without’ as well as ‘fears within’ were his appointed lot ( 2 Corinthians 7:5). In things indifferent he was the most yielding of men ( 1 Corinthians 9:19-22), but on matters of principle he would not give place to any one for an hour ( Galatians 2:5). He withstood even St. Peter to the face ( Galatians 2:11). And, when he had largely succeeded in exorcizing the legal spirit from the Church, he was obliged, in his old age, to sharpen his weapons once more, and begin an entirely new battle with an incipient Gnosticism (see Colossians).

3 . Whilst St. Paul was a keen controversialist, he never wrote a letter that did not contain the word ‘peace.’ He pleaded with his fellow-workers (e.g. Euodia and Syntyche,  Philippians 4:2; cf.  Romans 12:16;  Romans 15:5,  2 Corinthians 13:11) to be of one mind; and he urged the Christians of Rome to be at peace, if possible, with all men ( Romans 12:18). His dispute with Barnabas is described as a παροξυσμός, a sharp contention ( Acts 15:39). Human frailty mingled in both these apostles with what was very noble and honourable. Their quarrel was one of which only good men were capable. It was essentially a conflict of ideals, a strife between justice on the one hand and generosity on the other. ὁ Παῦλος ἐξήτει τὸ δίκαιον, ὁ Βαρνάβας τὸ φιλάνθρωπον (Chrysostom, Hom. in Acta Apost. xxxiv.).

4 . The infection of the sub-Apostolic Church by the subtleties of the full-blown Gnostic system led to a widespread, barren warfare of words (λογομαχία,  1 Timothy 6:4), far removed from the realities of the Christian conflict with sin. This condition of things is reflected in the Pastoral Letters, which charge all believers ‘that they strive not about words, to no profit’ ( 2 Timothy 2:14). Empty discussions merely engendered strifes (μάχας,  2 Timothy 2:23), and the bond-servant of Christ must not strive (οὐ δεῖ μάχεσθαι,  2 Timothy 2:24).

5 . There is, however, an altogether different kind of strife, which at once commends itself to the Christian heart and conscience. St. Paul indicates its nature by two words of the arena-ἀγωνίζομαι and ἀθλέω, with their compounds. To strive for the incorruptible crown ( 1 Corinthians 9:25); to labour and strive as a servant of God, cheered by a sense of His own mighty working in us ( Colossians 1:29); to invite others to strive with us in their prayers ( Romans 15:30); and, again, to strive for Christ’s sake in the spirit of a soldier or an athlete, and to do it lawfully ( 2 Timothy 2:5); to strive, in spiritual fellowship with others, for the faith of the gospel ( Philippians 1:27)-all this seems to the Apostle to be of the very essence of the Christian life. In that life, as the writer to the Hebrews indicates ( Hebrews 12:4), men may at last have to resist unto blood, striving against (antagonizing) sin.

James Strahan.

Vine's Expository Dictionary of NT Words

1: Ἔρις (Strong'S #2054 — Noun Feminine — eris — er'-is )

"strife, contention," is the expression of "enmity,"  Romans 1:29 , RV, "strife" (AV, "debate");  Romans 13:13;  1—Corinthians 1:11 , "contentions" (RV and AV);  1—Corinthians 3:3;  2—Corinthians 12:20 , RV, "strife" (AV, "debates");  Galatians 5:20 , RV, "strife" (AV, "variance");  Philippians 1:15;  1—Timothy 6:4;  Titus 3:9 , RV, "strifes" (AV, "contentions"). See Contention , A, No. 1.

2: Ἐριθεία (Strong'S #2052 — Noun Feminine — erithia — er-ith-i'-ah )

see Faction.

3: Ἀντιλογία (Strong'S #485 — Noun Feminine — antilogia — an-tee-log-ee'-ah )

"strifes,"  Hebrews 6:16 , AV: see Dispute , A, No. 4.

4: Μάχη (Strong'S #3163 — Noun Feminine — mache — makh'-ay )

"strifes,"  2—Timothy 2:23 : see Fighting , A.

5: Φιλονεικία (Strong'S #5379 — Noun Feminine — philoneikia — fil-on-i-kee'-ah )

"strife,"  Luke 22:24 , AV: see Contention , A, No. 3.

6: Λογομαχία (Strong'S #3055 — Noun Feminine — logomachia — log-om-akh-ee'-ah )

"strife of words,"  1—Timothy 6:4 : see Dispute , A, No. 2.

Vine's Expository Dictionary of OT Words

A. Verb.

Rı̂yb ( רוּב , Strong'S #7378), “to strive, contend.” This verb occurs 65 times and in all periods of biblical Hebrew.

In Exod. 21:18 rı̂yb is used in connection with a physical struggle: “And if men strive together, and one smite another with a stone, or with his fist, and he die not.…” rı̂yb appears in Judg. 6:32 with the meaning of “to contend against” through words.

B. Nouns.

rı̂yb ( רִב , Strong'S #7379), “strife; quarrel; dispute; case; contentions; cause.” This noun has a cognate only in Aramaic. Its 60 occurrences appear in all periods of biblical Hebrew. The noun rı̂yb is used of conflicts outside the realm of law cases and courts. This conflict between individuals may break out into a quarrel, as in Prov. 17:14: “The beginning of strife is as when one letteth out water: therefore leave off contention, before it be meddled with.” In Gen. 13:7-8 (the first occurrence of rı̂yb ) the word is used of “contention” prior to open fighting between two groups: “And there was a strife between the herdmen of Abram’s cattle and the herdmen of Lot’s cattle.…” In such a case the one with the “strife” is clearly the guilty party.

Rı̂yb sometimes represents a “dispute” between two parties. This “dispute” is set in the context of a mutual law structure binding both parties and a court which is empowered to decide and execute justice. This may involve “contention” between two unequal parties (an individual and a group), as when all Israel quarreled with Moses, asserting that he had not kept his end of the bargain by adequately providing for them. Moses appealed to the Judge, who vindicated him by sending water from a rock (cliff?) smitten by Moses: “And he called the name of the place Massah, and Meribah, because of the chiding [quarrel] of the children of Israel …” (Exod. 17:7). God decided who was the guilty party, Moses or Israel. The “contention” may be between two individuals as in Deut. 25:1, where the two disputants go to court (having a “case or dispute” does not mean one is a wrongdoer): “If there be a controversy between men, and they come unto judgment, that the judges may judge them; then they shall justify the righteous, and condemn the wicked.” So in Isa. 1:23 the unjust judge accepts a bribe and does not allow the widow’s just “cause” (NASB, “widow’s plea”) to come before him. Prov. 25:8-9 admonishes the wise to “debate thy cause with thy neighbor” when that neighbor has “put thee to shame.”

Rı̂yb may represent what goes on in an actual court situation. It is used of the entire process of adjudication: “Neither shalt thou [be partial to] a poor man in his cause” (Exod. 23:3; cf. Deut. 19:17). It is also used of the various parts of a lawsuit. In Job 29:16, Job defends his righteousness by asserting that he became an advocate for the defenseless: “I was a father to the poor: and the cause which I knew not I searched out.” Here, then, the word means the false charge brought against a defendant. Earlier in the Book of Job (13:6), rı̂yb represents the argument for the defense: “Hear now my reasoning, and hearken to the pleadings of my lips.” Elsewhere the word represents the argument for the prosecution: “Give heed to me, O Lord, and hearken to the voice of them that contend with me [literally, “the men presenting the case for the prosecution”]” (Jer. 18:19). Finally, in Isa. 34:8 rı̂yb signifies a “case” already argued and won and awaiting justice: “For it is the day of the Lord’s vengeance, and the year of recompenses for the controversy of Zion.”

Two other related nouns occur rarely. Meribah occurs twice, and it means “strife.” The word refers to an extra-legal (Gen. 13:8) and to a legal confrontation (Num. 27:14). Yarib appears 3 times to mean “disputant; opponent; adversary” (Ps. 35:1; Isa. 49:25; Jer. 18:19).

King James Dictionary

STRIFE, n. See Strive.

1. Exertion or contention for superiority contest of emulation, either by intellectual or physical efforts. Strife may be carried on between students or between mechanics.

Thus Gods contended, noble strife, who most should ease the wants of life.

2. Contention in anger or enmity contest struggle for victory quarrel or war.

I and my people were at great strife with the children of Ammon.  Judges 12 .

These vows thus granted, raisd a strife above betwixt the god of war and queen of love.

3. Opposition contrariety contrast.

Artificial strife lives in these touches livelier than life.

4. The agitation produced by different qualities as the strife of acid and alkali. Little used.

Webster's Dictionary

(1): ( n.) The act of striving; earnest endeavor.

(2): ( n.) Exertion or contention for superiority; contest of emulation, either by intellectual or physical efforts.

(3): ( n.) That which is contended against; occasion of contest.

(4): ( n.) Altercation; violent contention; fight; battle.