Utah, Shawn, let us have a word, brothers. More specifically, let us have the Word.
He who corrects a coffer gets dishonor for himself. Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you, reprove a wise man and he will love you. Prov 9:7-9
In the multitude of words, sin is not lacking; but he who restrains his lips is wise. Prov 10:19
He who is devoid of wisdom despises his neighbor, but a man of understanding holds his peace. Prov 11:12
A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. The tongue of the wise uses knowledge rightly, but the mouth of fools pours forth foolishness...A wrathful man stirs up strife, but he who is slow to anger allays contention. Prov 15:1-2, 18
The beginning of strife is like the releasing of water; therefore stop contention before a quarrel starts...He who has knowledge spares his words, and a man of understanding is of a calm spirit. Even a fool is counted wise when he holds his peace; when he shuts his lips, he is considered perceptive. Prov 17:14, 27-28
Happy is the man who is always reverent, but he who hardens his heart will fall into calamity. Prov 28:14
Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth...Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Matt 5:5, 9
Brothers, we see no restraint, we see no reverence, we see no meekness. Both of you speak as if you have authority over each other, and yet authority is only given by God, and if you were speaking God's Word, we would see it in that which you speak. We do not see it. We see only strife and contention. Both of you, not one or the other of you, continue to provoke and prolong contentions, when either the conviction of the Spirit or the wisdom of the Word would have shown you thus:
And whoever will not receive you nor hear you, when you depart from there, shake off the dust under your feet as a testimony against them. Mark 6:11
And the word of the Lord was being spread throughout all the region. But the Jews stirred up the devout and prominent women and the chief men of the city, raised up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them from their region. But they shook off the dust from their feet against them, and came to Iconium. Acts 13:49-51
Now Barnabas was determined to take with them John called Mark. But Paul insisted that they should not take with them the one who had departed from them in Pamphylia, and had not gone with them to the work. Then the contention became so sharp that they parted from one another. Acts 15:37-39
It doesn't matter who is right or wrong. There comes a point when the person you are speaking to is not listening, and Christ, Paul, and Barnabas show us that it is better to shake the dust from your feet, and WALK AWAY. But why don't we do that? We do we have to be right, to the bitter end, brother? Because of our FLESH. Because of our EGOS.
What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? Is not the source your pleasures that wage war in your members? [James is speaking to members of the early church.]...Do not speak against one another, brethren. He who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks against the law and judges the law; but if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge of it. There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the One who is able to save and to destroy; but who are you to judge your neighbor? James 4:1, 11-12
If you were in the Spirit on this, we would have come to a point where would say, "ENOUGH!" and walk away. We are not told who was in the right concerning the disagreement between Paul and Barnabas, but there came a point where they simply ended it and walked away.
I know these things because I myself have spoken in a similar manner as the two of you on these very forums, and I too have come under the conviction of the Spirit for allowing my flesh and ego to speak to my brothers and sisters in such a manner. Of this wrongdoing, I am chief! I have been called out for speaking in such a manner, and felt the sting and humiliation that comes with having to publicly acknowledge that I had not spoken to my brothers in the manner instructed by Solomon, by Paul, by James, by Christ.
But no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men...from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be this way. James 3:9-12
Has there been cursing between the two of you? These shall be the only quotations of yours that I shall point out:
"Really? How is that working out for you? 50 and not married, and yet your hanging around all the godly women. What happened?"
"I'll type slower so you can keep up."
"Amazingly you've out-dumbed your own dumbness. Welcome to reality, kid."
"Your a old prideful man who thinks because of age alone, your by default superior because no one is above your intellect. You can keep throwing around the word "kid" and how sad I am, but one thing the older generation always forgets about the younger generation is they should watch how they treat them, because we are your replacement."
It doesn't matter that you think you're justified by "righteous indignation." It doesn't matter who is right between the two of you. It doesn't matter who started it. The contention between the two of you has completely eclipsed whatever points you were trying to make, and now, both of you have been reduced to this:
Though I speak with the tongues of men and angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. 1 Cor 13:1
Your arguments have become NOISE. They are clatter, they have become a cacophony, because through these words, we see that YOU HAVE NOT LOVE. Jesus may have overturned tables and called out the scribes, Pharisees, Sadducees, and lawyers, but He NEVER stooped to petty insults and personal attacks. He spoke to their ACTIONS, He used their fruit to bear witness against them. What fruit has been seen of our words today?
A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another. John 13:34-35
My brothers, put this behind you. No good can come of this. To continue further is an exercise in pride, to prove one's own correctness over the other. We must humble ourselves, step away from the contention, forgive each other in love, and leave the who's-right-and-who's-wrong to God, because clearly, it is not with any of us.
Peace and blessings,
Shour