Confrontation

Psalm 18:18

They confronted me in the day of my calamity, but the Lord was my support.

I have seen much of late that puts the issues of confrontation to mind. As I searched the scripture I was surprised to find that the word confront was only found in the Old Testament when looking at most of our standard translations. By standard I mean the KJV, ESV, NASB, and NIV.

As we search other more liberal translations we will find the word confront used many more times in both the OT and the NT. Rather than going afoul of my mandate to refrain from politics I will allow you the reader to draw your own conclusions as to why that has happened.

Relying on my trusted KJV and ESV for answers from the Lord, I settled upon Psalm 18:18 as to my answer to confrontation. My Lord is my only trusted support in fighting my battles.

I wasn’t always this way. At one time in my budding Christian life I loved to argue.

I was wrong. Confronting fellow believers on the issues of faith is not a loving way to speak with grace.

Colossians 4:6

Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man. (KJV)

Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person. (ESV)

Be wise in your behaviour towards non-Christians, and make the best possible use of your time. Speak pleasantly to them, but never sentimentally, and learn to give a proper answer to every questioner. (J.B. Phillips)

The issue of translations becomes clearer when comparing them side by side. This is but one example of how we should treat all our conversations verses only being careful when speaking to non-Christians.

This goes to the heart of confrontation when we treat any group differently than we do others. We will be called hypocrites for doing so and that does not place our Lord in a favorable light. Are we not born again in Christ? Then we need to sound like it.

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