Strife at Meetings . . .

must be banned. The leading brothers must see to it and watch over it with all firmness.

Civil strife is the worst kind of strife. There is nothing worse! The whole world is full of strife and contention. We must be completely free from it in the church.

The desire to argue is present prior to a person coming to the church, so it is normal and natural that this can manifest itself in people who are relatively new in the church. Then it is the leading brothers’ glorious task to help them to correct their ways on the way of peace, with which they themselves are well acquainted and on which they are rooted and grounded.

Unfortunately, it can also happen that the leader himself is the cause of turmoil and unrest. This is completely ironic! Then he is worse than the ones he is supposed to lead!

This shows his lack of salvation and gives him an especially good reason to be very modest in giving his personal testimony.