Paul’s Leadership: Choosing Unity Over Conflict

The Apostle Paul was a leader par excellence.

More than any other individual, Paul is responsible for Christianity becoming the world’s most populous religion with over 2.3 billion adherents.

But the survival of the early churches was far from assured. Christianity faced state persecution, doctrinal disputes and internal conflicts. Paul himself was personally under attack.

Paul had a choice – he could either fan the flames of conflict and encourage retribution, or douse the flames and sue for unity. His choice would determine the course of Christianity.

Here’s what Paul writes to the early church in Ephesus in Ancient Greece: “Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamour and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving each other.”

All great enterprises encounter conflict – the greater the enterprise, the higher the stakes and the more bitter the conflict.

Paul was prepared to take the hits. He was patient when wronged and able to endure discomfort without fighting back.

When it comes to internal conflicts, the best fightback is not to fight back.