More than a century and a half ago, C. H. Spurgeon said:  “No man can be a Christian in these days without being a controversialist.”  What he meant by that is that it is not possible to stand for the truth without standing against falsehood.  The truth has always been controversial.  And contrary to much opinion, scriptural truth has never been popular.  Someone who stands for the Word of God will always have his detractors—often the most vociferous ones from within the religious camp.  Someone whose message never ruffles any feathers (note:  message, not manner) is not being faithful to the Word of God.  It is in the nature of the Word of God to disturb the pride, complacency, and self-righteousness of all of us.  Even those who believe the Word and determine to obey it will sometimes find ourselves offended in the flesh by God’s view of some aspect of our lives:  it is inevitable because we live in  weak, rebellious flesh.

            It is difficult to read more than a page or two of the Bible anywhere without coming across some contention arising from a prophet or another minister of God faithfully declaring the Word of God.  The Lord instructed His prophet Isaiah to “go, write it before them in a table, and note it in a book, that it may be for time to come for ever and ever:  That this people is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear the law of the Lord:  Which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits” (30:8-10).  In many cases today, it is the ministers themselves who are preaching “smooth” things, giving audiences what they want to hear and telling them that it should be so.  But the fact remains that the truth of God’s Word always opposes our flesh and its doctrines always run contrary to mere reason.

            The Apostle Paul lived a life filled with controversy and contention—not because he had a pugnacious spirit but because he insisted on being faithful to the Word of God, which faithfulness often offended his hearers.  Nor was it merely the unbelievers with whom he contended.  A reading of his two letters to the church at Corinth and his letter to the Galatians reveals how much strife he faced among believers who he loved in those two churches.  Writing to the Corinthians but speaking of yet a third church, Paul tells them of his purpose to stay in Ephesus until Pentecost “for a great and effectual door is opened unto me, and there are many adversaries” (I Cor. 16:9).  The truth is that everywhere Paul and the other apostles went they met opposition.  Toward the end of his life, Paul exhorted his young protege Timothy to “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.  For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears” (II Tim. 4:2, 3).

            We live in an age when people demand that their ears be tickled, and they find many ministers who will oblige them in that desire.  Such men are not faithful to God, faithful to His Word, nor faithful to their hearers.  Remember, it was God who told Adam something that he did not want to hear:  that he should not eat of the tree. It was Satan who told Eve something she wanted to hear:  that the fruit of the tree was good to eat and able to make her wise.  We must be wary of those who always tell us what we want to hear, for such men are not the servants of God.  And if we are going to be faithful to the Word of God ourselves, we must be willing to tell others what they may not want to hear when their lives are not in line with God’s Word.   Contention and controversy are the standard fare for those who will be faithful to the Lord.  It has ever been thus, and it will not change this side of eternity.