Also I found this very good sermon by Steven Cole called "Dealing with Factious People"

I found especially helpful his discussion of "prideful"
people promoting "peripheral" or "uncertain matters" as if they were essential, and trying to build a following by forcing people to choose between their views and those of godly church leaders. I think his conclusion is especially apt:

Quote
"It is far easier to debate theology or abstruse points of doctrine than to love your wife as Christ loves the church; to love your children and bring them up in the instruction of the Lord; to be a good worker at your job; and, to practice the fruit of the Spirit on a daily basis. This is not to say that theology is unimportant or irrelevant. Quite the contrary! Rather, it is to say that it is easy to use theological debates as a cover for sins, such as selfishness, pride, anger, impatience, and laziness. Properly understood, sound doctrine leads to submission to God, humility, and holiness before God, beginning on the thought level. Speculation about matters that do not lead to godliness and good deeds are unprofitable and worthless. We want to keep our focus on the gospel that changes lives.

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