Make room in your hearts for us. We have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have taken advantage of no one. I do not say this to condemn you, for I said before that you are in our hearts, to die together and to live together. I am acting with great boldness toward you; I have great pride in you; I am filled with comfort. In all our affliction, I am overflowing with joy.
The one place there should be no conflict is a church. The one place there is definitely conflict is a church. The one place where conflict should seek restoration in a Biblical way is the church. The above passage helps us understand and practice the thought of restoration after conflict. Paul is writing to the church at Corinth. There is a problem between them and Paul. They were hurt by the letter he wrote them to correct the young man living in adultery with his step-mother. They were hurt by him for correcting the way they handled the Lord’s Table. They were hurt by the correction of their use of spiritual gifts. In this letter he is trying to restore his relationship with them. They even accused him of poor administration of the money they sent him (chapter two). He has spent the last six chapters trying to seek restoration. In chapter seven he wants to encourage them by telling them to make room in your hearts for us. The word heart is not actually in the Greek text. It is rather implied. He goes on to write that he has done them no wrong, in any way. They were accusing him of overstepping his authority and doing wrong. He tells them he has not. This is a picture of when Moses was accused of overstepping his authority by the sons of Korah. Moses stated his same innocence:
Numbers 16:15
And Moses was very angry and said to the LORD, “Do not respect their offering. I have not taken one donkey from them, and I have not harmed one of them.”
But Paul does not simply continue to defend himself. He gives us a prefect formula for bringing them along in a relationship with him: He compliments them. He wants them to know that he is proud of their response to his exhortations and he is filled with joy about their fellowship in Christ with him. To Paul, all was not doom and gloom. He was wanting to move forward in a deeper relationship with him. He sought restoration not condemnation. They might have a war in their hearts and mind with him, but he has nothing but love and joy in his heart for them. That is the way we are to respond to conflict in the church. We are to confront the real issues of the conflict but also express love and joy in the midst of the conflict. This is what the world cannot do. The world looks for ways to continue the conflict. They wish to exploit the conflict. They want to take advantage of and create leverage in the conflict. Believers want to resolve the conflict through the power of love and joy through the power of Christ.
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