They have an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in … strife…
Summary: Controversies and quarrels about words are weapons that Satan uses to cause division.
If we were talking about the best poisons to murder a Christian church with, strife would be among the top choices.
The Greek word Paul used is “eris,” which means quarreling. By implication, it means contention, debate, strife, variance;* in a word — disagreement.
(If you are interested, when Paul writes, “They have an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words …” the word he used for “quarrels about words” is “logomachia,” which Strong’s Lexicon defines as “strife of words.”†)
Words have meanings — oftentimes more than one. Words are used in a context that influences how we understand their meaning. We also provide context when we hear the words used.
What does this mean?
In short, it means that ten people can listen to the same sentence and come away with ten different understandings of what was said.
What?
Yes. Let me repeat that: Ten people can hear the exact same sentence, and each one can come away with a different understanding of what was said. They could, in fact, all be “right” from their own perspective.
Of course, context changes how we understand the meaning of words. For ten people with different understandings of a sentence to agree on the meaning, they need to engage with the context and the other listeners.
For example, the Bible says, “Judge not, that ye be not judged” (Matthew 7:1, KJV).
The word Paul used for “judge,” “krinō,” is a word with many meanings. According to some, it can be used in almost a dozen distinctly different ways.** Add to that how we hear the word, and the differences multiply.
A lawyer will hear the word differently than a plumber, and a politician will hear it differently than a pastor. You and I each have different backgrounds that affect how we feel about what we hear at a given time. The more they engage with each other about what they have read, the better they will understand the text.
The point of all this is that hearing words differently is normal. Arguing about how we hear words is not productive. Practically speaking, controlling what others think is impossible. The person might say they agree, just to avoid conflict, but what is the context of their words? What do they really mean?
God commands us to love (agapē) one another (Matthew 22:39). Forcing others to submit to our way of seeing things is not love.
Application: Strive for mutual understanding instead of control.
Food for Thought: What would happen to the churches of the world if we gave up striving about words?
*”G2054 – eris – Strong’s Greek Lexicon (NIV).” Blue Letter Bible. Web. 15 Jul, 2026. <https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g2054/niv/mgnt/0-1/>.
†”G3055 – logomachia – Strong’s Greek Lexicon (NIV).” Blue Letter Bible. Web. 15 Jul, 2026. <https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g3055/niv/mgnt/0-1/>.
**”G2919 – krinō – Strong’s Greek Lexicon (NIV).” Blue Letter Bible. Web. 15 Jul, 2026. <https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g2919/niv/mgnt/0-1/>.
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