Pugnacious

One of God’s fabulous gifts is that of a melange of languages, and thus, of words, amongst His creation. 

When I am reading Scripture, and come across a word like “pugnacious,” well, I stop right there and go to the dictionary to discern exactly what this delightful sounding word means.

Dictionary.com defines “pugnacious” as:

“inclined to quarrel or fight readily; quarrelsome; belligerent; combative.”

We find this word in Titus 1:7:

“For the overseer must be above reproach as God’s steward, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not addicted to wine, not pugnacious, not fond of sordid gain,”

Which may or may not cause us to wonder: if we are not an “overseer,” is it okay for us to be pugnacious—argumentative and quarrelsome? 

Well, basic Christian common sense, from a thorough reading of Scripture, would say,

“No, it is not okay for us to be pugnacious.”

But just so we have all corners swept, let’s look at dictionary.com's definition of “overseer:”

“a person who oversees; supervisor, manager.”

Well, even a six-year old is an overseer if they have a pet dog, cat or goldfish! So a child ought not to bully his pup or be mean-spirited towards his cat!

Seriously, though, if we think we are off the hook in Scripture just because the context sometimes appears as though “this message is for someone else,” think it through and search the Bible.

We can ask ourselves, 

“Am I an overseer in any capacity? A parent? An older sibling? A Boss? A babysitter? A caregiver? An employee overseeing production or customer service? A teacher? A leader of any kind?"

Perhaps I am stretching the very context of Titus, which I understand to be specifically talking about the overseers in the Christian community. But here again, if we are in Christian community, and oversee anyone—even if not officially appointed by a committee or consistory—we are not to be pugnacious.

This also goes for when others are pugnacious towards us (in other words, the “they started it” syndrome). 

Here’s our chance to live out the “turning of the other cheek” (Matthew 5:39). 

Just because someone is argumentative towards us, does not mean we must be argumentative back. We can abstain. We can simply not go there. 

I speak from a lengthy history of failure when I say that turning the other cheek is a very difficult thing to do, especially when led by emotions or intellectual logic rather than by Christ Himself. 

This is when “having the mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:16) is all-important. 

We grow that mind through the committed discipline of reading Scripture, praying Scripture, listening to God in quiet, talking to Him, and partnering with Christ’s Spirit by listening to and complying with it. 

Like anything, if we are not prepared, then when a quarrel erupts, a debate beckons, or an antagonistic opponent taunts, we will be blindsided, making a shipwreck of our faith (1 Timothy 1:19). 

But Christ is greater (1 John 4:4). And His Spirit in us allows us to rise above the flawed human level—prevailing, composed, at His level

I had to unequivocally get to this point—to truly agreeing that this is certainly the case—that Christ is greater. In fact, He is our ultimate overseer:

“Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart” (Hebrews 12:1-3).

Because, in all honesty, it was and still is sometimes assuaging and satisfying to be argumentative, or to strike back from an opposing position, as warped as that may sound, and as regrettable as it may come to feel in its aftermath. 

Pugnacious is a word I have rarely heard used, but I see its meaning lived out in daily conversation, especially when it comes to politics (office or government). 

Sit in a hospital or clinic waiting room that has a television tuned into shows such as The View or any news program, and you will be astounded as to the import placed on politics, and the way its negative tentacles strangle the talking heads in their daily lives, killing their joy. 

This was the case yesterday as I waited to speak with a doctor. As I heard a talk show guest delineate the many ways the United States presidential election of two years ago traumatized every aspect of her life, I, incredulous, said to myself “Really?” 

And then I was just sad for her—that the person who sits in the Oval Office was her only thing going.

I hadn’t watched a show such as this for more than a decade. It was a stark reminder of how, without a strong and increasing foundation in Christ, the world and those in it will suck people in and swallow them whole.

Pugnacious.

It is an attitude as much as it is spoken words. 

It claims its victims when, coming from others, we let it rule our perspectives, curse our motivations and sour our outlook.

It holds us in its vice when it invades our internal stream of consciousness—building things up into grandiose perspectives of victimhood, despair, drama, annoyance, superiority, being interrupted and offended. 

So even though we believe ourselves to be the politest of people, inside we can be quite quarrelsome—seething over, I’m sorry to say, rather silly things. 

Titus 1:7 is simple and good advice: don’t be pugnacious, not only for the sake of others, but for our own, which can always benefit from a healthy dose of directly calming down.

Copyright Barb Harwood