Titus 3

Verse 9: But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and arguments and quarrels about the law, because these are unprofitable and useless.

Paul thinks arguments and quarrels about the law are unprofitable and useless. I can't imagine a church-body without arguments and quarrels... it's almost a fantasy.

So are we wasting time or is Paul wrong?

Yes and yes... I think.

Paul wrote letters to churches that he helped get started. He helped them get organized and told them what to do. His letters told the Christians how to do and be church. They didn't need to argue, because Paul would tell them what was right and that would be the end of the discussion. Paul was the man in charge, just like Peter was the man in charge of other churches when he served as the first pope.

We, as Lutherans, do not have a pope, we make decisions together. Decisions involve discussions, which sometimes get heated and become arguments and quarrels... but decisions do get made.

I think the process of making decisions is necessary for the health of the church.

Unfortunately while necessary, the decision making process can often be unprofitable. Even when the process is done right there is always someone who gets their feelings hurt and often takes their ball and goes home... or starts another church. Division in the church is not a good thing.

Arguing, while unprofitable is sometimes necessary, but not as necessary as we think it is.

We would have a lot less to argue about if we realized that our church is God's church. We are not in charge, God is.

It's not about what we want, but what God wants and there isn't much to argue about when it comes to the mission of the church.