And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful.  Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.

2 Timothy 3:24 – 26

My eyes fell on these words today, The Lord’s servant must be kind to everyone.  I ask, even to those with whom we disagree, people who are wrong?  I suppose, because they are included in the “everyone.”  This set my spirit to work, asking if my attitudes are pleasing to the Lord.  I tend to disdain those I find fault with.  Ouch!

How about this for a negative paraphrase?  Be quarrelsome because some people will not respect you unless you are.  Do not even try to teach anything at all to dimwitted people!  Carry a critical attitude for everyone but yourself and those who agree with you. Blast your opponents out of the water with hard arguments and even harder criticism. And hope that God will strike dead the people who do not think like you.

That is the worldly approach. It is of the enemy, not of God.  Instead, Paul urged Timothy, be kind. Gently teach.  Carry no resentment toward anyone. Instruct opponents lovingly. That is the way of Jesus, the way of the Spirit of Holiness.