Strife arising from conflicting wills — either sinful (divisive quarreling, selfish ambition) or righteous (earnest contending for truth). Proverbs portrays contention as rooted in pride (Proverbs 13:10) and as destructive as a constant dripping (Proverbs 27:15). Paul lists it among the works of the flesh (Galatians 5:20 — "strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries"). Yet Scripture also commands earnest contention for the faith (Jude 3), and Paul himself contended publicly with Peter over gospel compromise (Galatians 2:11). The difference is motive: carnal contention seeks to win; righteous contention seeks to protect. The first destroys fellowship; the second preserves it. A man who refuses all contention in the name of "peace" often ends up peacekeeping for error rather than truth.
CONTENTION, n.
CONTENTION, n. 1. Strife; struggle; a violent effort to obtain something, or to resist a person, claim, or injury. 2. Strife in words or debate; quarrel; angry contest. 3. In a good sense, earnest endeavor; zeal; as, a contention for truth. Contention is always attended with heat; it usually implies some angry feeling and less regard to truth than to victory. Yet the word is sometimes used in a good sense: "Strive together for the faith of the gospel" implies a holy contention.
Jude 1:3 — "Contend earnestly for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints."
Proverbs 13:10 — "By insolence comes nothing but strife, but with those who take advice is wisdom."
Galatians 5:20 — "...enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions..."
Galatians 2:11 — "But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned."
Modern church culture pathologizes all contention — "conflict is bad, unity is good, can't we all just get along?" — ...
Modern church culture pathologizes all contention — "conflict is bad, unity is good, can't we all just get along?" — turning conflict-avoidance into a virtue and bold truth-telling into rudeness. The result: heresy goes unchallenged, false teachers go unrebuked, and "niceness" replaces faithfulness. On the other extreme, internet Christianity has reversed this entirely, turning contention into a sport — theological Twitter, outrage culture, hot takes, dunking on opponents — where contending for the faith becomes an excuse for carnal aggression. Jude commands us to contend earnestly for the faith — with weight and seriousness — not to perform virtue through combat. The contender who loves truth will also love his opponent enough to grieve over their error rather than celebrate his own wit.
Entries that share at least one Hebrew/Greek root with this word.
G2054 — ἔρις (eris): "strife, contention, wrangling" — a work of the flesh (Galatians 5:20)
G1864 — ἐπαγωνίζομαι (epagōnizomai): "to contend earnestly" — the righteous command in Jude 3 to fight for the faith