Interpersonal Relationships
Secretariat of Christian Education
by
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CHAPTER 1 CONFLICT IN INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS "But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members” (Romans 7:23) Conflict in interpersonal relationships has been a legacy inherited by humanity and has existed since its beginning. There has always been conflict between individuals, between families, and between nations; even within the church, which strives to carry out the great commission, conflict exists. At the dawn of creation, Eve had a conflict with the serpent. Later, Cain killed his brother Abel. Afterward, strife arose between the herdsmen of Abram’s cattle and the herdsmen of Lot. Jacob was manipulated by his mother Rebekah to steal the blessing from Esau, his older brother, when Isaac was near death. This brought great conflict and separation to the family, as Jacob had to flee to Padan-aram because Esau had spoken of killing him. Thus, conflict is found in all families from the very beginning. Leah, one of Jacob’s wives, had conflict with her sister Rachel, who was also Jacob’s wife. This conflict between Leah and Rachel becomes evident when Reuben finds mandrakes and brings them to his mother Leah. When Rachel asks Leah for some of the mandrakes, Leah responds and says: “Is it a small thing that you have taken my husband, but now you would also take my son’s mandrakes?” And Rachel said: “Then he will lie with you tonight in exchange for your son’s mandrakes” (Genesis 30:15). From this incident, it can be deduced that there was conflict between Rachel and Leah, despite being sisters; both were wives of Jacob and had been turned into rivals. Joseph had provoked the envy of his brothers due to the dreams God gave him to fulfill a divine purpose. For this reason, they sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites, causing great pain in Jacob’s life. The history of humanity is a history of conflicts between families, between peoples, and between nations. Humanity has suffered the conflicts and wars that have caused millions of deaths, suffering, and pain. Most nations have experienced wars and plundering. In the twentieth century, two world wars were fought, in which millions of human beings died. Wars have been waged with swords, spears, and other weapons crafted by man. Moreover, man has discovered ways to create weapons of mass destruction and is willing to use them against his neighbor. The Word of God indicates that humanity will experience a third world war that will unfold in the valley of Armageddon. The majority of the earth’s nations will participate in this final battle. Only the return of Christ to the earth, with His church to establish His everlasting kingdom, will save humanity from complete self-destruction. I. CONFLICT IN THE CHURCH Conflict can also be found within the church, due to the different ways in which people think or believe. The church is the body of Christ, and it is a multicultural body composed of many individuals with diverse ways of thinking. Each person has distinct ideas and perspectives on life that can give rise to conflict. Some people enjoy a certain style of worship, while others may not like it because they consider it outdated. For others, more contemporary music might not be appealing, as they feel it sounds like worldly music. Some complain because women have less participation in the church than men; others believe women shouldn’t participate at all. Some argue that a particular ancient version of the Bible should be used, while others think the language should be more modern. Before there was so much technology and media in some homes, debates arose over whether Christians should go to the movies or even own a television. Some said no, others said yes. In some cases, certain pastors thought that if a Christian went to see movies, they should be put to the test. Some churches preached against having a Christmas tree, arguing that Jesus wasn’t born in December, that Christmas wasn’t a Christian festival, and that it was, in fact, a pagan celebration. However, for others, Christmas is an opportunity to evangelize their families, as it’s a time when they gather to celebrate the birth of Christ. A controversial question today is whether it is permissible to cremate the dead. While some say yes, because ashes are dust, others disagree and maintain that the dead should be buried. In short, there are many opinions. Each person has different ways of thinking and expressing their views.
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About the Book
Interpersonal relationships are the association or interaction between two or more people; human beings were created by God and need to relate, not only with God, but also with their fellow beings, for they are social creatures with such needs. Furthermore, it is essential that individuals maintain interpersonal relationships with various people, whether at work, school, with neighbors, or with those with whom they conduct business. These associations may be rooted in business, personal interests, or feelings such as love, which often lead to marriage. They form the foundation of how people interact with others in their daily lives.
Interpersonal relationships develop in diverse settings, such as the family, marriage, religious communities, social clubs, or the workplace. When speaking of interpersonal relationships, we refer to the manner of association that exists between two or more individuals, grounded in mutual interests. Similarly, alliances between nations are formed, along with ways of coexisting and conducting business. This enables the exchange and negotiation of products and goods each country produces. Therefore, it is vital that nations maintain good interrelations with other countries.
In any kind of interpersonal relationships, conflict always arises, sometimes even within the church; therefore, it is essential that people maintain healthy interpersonal relationships. Human beings partake in a fallen nature, and throughout biblical history, conflicts between individuals are observed, from the book of Genesis to the book of Revelation. The history of humanity is a history of wars and conflicts. Man needs to learn to coexist and love his neighbor, but this can only be achieved through the new birth in Christ.
About the Author
The author, Felix Bermejo, is a pastor of Hispanic roots who has dedicated more than 30 years to pastoral work and the teaching of Christian leaders. He is a graduate of the National Apostolic Biblical College (CBAN). He also studied at the Evangelical Seminary of Puerto Rico. Later, he earned a Master of Divinity and a Doctorate in Ministry from McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago, Illinois. He is currently the pastor of the church in Eloy, Arizona. He is a teacher at the Arizona Bible College and has served as an elder of Sector 4 for three different terms.