Author: Daniel Tomberlin

BS, MDiv, DMin. Ordained bishop in the Church of God (Cleveland, TN); pastor for 37 years; Assistant Professor of Pastoral Ministries at Pentecostal Theological Seminary (Cleveland TN).
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Church Conflict as Spiritual Warfare

Conflict is the absence of shālôm.  The Hebrew word shālôm refers to the overall welfare of the human soul.[1] Shālôm means to be complete, or whole; to be safe; to be in good health; to prosper; to live and die in tranquility. In matters of human community, shālôm refers to friendship and peacemaking. In relationship to God shālôm refers to the salvific covenant between God and humanity.[2] When the apostolic authors of the New Testament spoke of peace they used the word to reflect its usage in the Septuagint, which corresponds to the Hebrew shālôm.[3] Jesus Christ is the “Prince of Peace” and his disciples are call to be peacemakers.[4] Throughout the New Testament, the apostolic greetings and benedictions speak of the blessing of peace.[5]

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False-christs, False-prophets, and False-apostles: Toxic Leaders in the Church

As the Apostle Paul offered his farewell address to the church at Ephesus he offered a paradigm for leadership in the church. Throughout his farewell address, Paul’s words reflect three years of diverse conflict as he served the church. Paul’s time at Ephesus was marked with tears. His straightforward declaration of the gospel of Jesus Christ provoked the conflict. The sources of conflict were “the plots of the Jews,” “savage wolves” from outside the assembly, and leaders within the church that will arise to speak “perverse things” in an effort to divide the church. As Paul takes leave of these believers, he warns them of continuing conflict and urges them to “be on guard” and “be on the alert.” Even as he transitions to another area of ministry Paul declares that “the Holy Spirit solemnly testifies to me in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions await me.” In other words, conflict cannot be avoided. In fact, it is the Holy Spirit that is guiding him from conflict to conflict. The goal of Paul’s ministry is to “build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified” (Acts 20:18-32).

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Teaching on Tithing with a Gentle and Patient Spirit

Jesus’ example of grace is the model that pastors should seek to emulate when teaching on the discipleship of giving. In teaching on tithing, pastors must acknowledge that God’s people have suffered much spiritual abuse. Church leaders are not exempt from the temptations associated with the love of money. As Paul warned Timothy about these temptations, he encouraged Timothy to “pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness” (1 Timothy 6:6-11 NKJV). Pastors should recognize the financial difficulties that many believers face. Some new converts come to church overloaded with debt. Many young couples try to provide for their families with a sub-standard income. Many senior adults live on a fixed income that is not adequate to their needs. These believers often struggle with tithing and giving. Pastors must have a patient and gentle spirit while encouraging these disciples to be faithful stewards.

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Food, Sex, and Idols: Who can be Saved?

Who can be saved? That is a question Christians have sought to answer for millennia (Mark 10:26). When Cornelius and his house received the Holy Spirit (Acts 10:44-45), God provoked a major controversy within the church. Can uncircumcised Gentiles inherit the Kingdom of God? “Some men came down from Judea and began teaching the brethren, ‘Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved’” (Acts 15:1). It’s amazing how many times preachers of the good news of Christ try to prohibit God’s outpouring of grace. For some Jewish believers, confession in Christ and baptism (water and Spirit) were not sufficient. To their way of thinking, to be saved the Greeks must become Jews. Peter witnessed the Spirit’s outpouring upon the Gentiles, and the Spirit had prepared him through a visionary experience (Acts 10:9-16). Peter declared, “I most certainly understand now that God is not one to show partiality, but in every nation the man who fears Him and does what is right is welcome to Him” (Acts 10:34-35).

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A REFLECTION – Firestorm: Preventing and Overcoming Church Conflicts

This book should be required reading for every ministerial candidate. I have read dozens of good books on conflict resolution in the church, but none better than Firestorm. The narrative style makes the principles of conflict resolution accessible to all readers. Ron Susek’s story of Pastor Steven Gates and Central Baptist Church is the narrative in which Susek weaves much pastoral wisdom. The presentation is so straightforward that a pastor, or church leader, could easily use this material for sermons or training church leadership.

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Remembering 9/11/2001

On Tuesday morning, September 11, 2001, I was sitting in class at Pentecostal Theological Seminary. During a break, someone told me that a jet had flown into one of the World Trade Center towers. At that point I thought, “What a terrible accident.” Later, back in class, someone interrupted the class to announce that the Pentagon had been attacked. We were still in the dark, but we knew a horrible tragedy was occurring. Classes were dismissed and the entire student body gathered in the chapel to pray. Later, someone brought a television to the student center and we all gathered to watch the events. It was there that I saw the towers fall.

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