Strife (2054) (eris) means contention, wrangling, quarrels. It refers to engagement in rivalry, especially with reference to positions taken in a matter, such a belief in the meaning of a genealogy! strife, a general term that carries the ideas of all kinds of self-centered rivalry and contentiousness about the truth. Strife is an expression of enmity with bitter sometimes violent conflict or dissension. It refers to persistent contention, bickering, petty disagreement, and enmity. It reflects a spirit of antagonistic competitiveness that fights to have its own way, regardless of cost to itself or of harm to others. It is produced by a deep desire to prevail over others, to gain the highest prestige, prominence, and recognition possible. Strife is characterized by self-indulgence and egoism. It has no place even for simple tolerance, much less for humility or love. Eris - 9x in NT - Ro 1:29-note; Ro 13:13 -note; 1Co 1:11; 3:3; 2Co 12:20; Gal 5:20; Php 1:15-note; 1Ti 6:4; Titus 3:9. There are no uses in the Septuagint (LXX). Barclay writes that strife (eris)... is the contention which is born of envy, ambition, the desire for prestige, and place and prominence. It comes from the heart in which there is jealousy. If a man is cleansed of jealousy, he has gone far to being cleansed of all that arouses contention and strife. It is God-given gift to be able to take as much pleasure in the successes of others as in one’s own...Eris is the spirit that is born of unbridled and unholy competition. It comes from the desire for place and power and prestige and the hatred of being surpassed. It is essentially the sin which places self in the foreground and is the entire negation of Christian love...(Eris) is a word of battles. It denotes rivalry and competition, discord about place and prestige. It is the characteristic of the man who has forgotten that only he who humbles himself can be exalted. (Barclay, W: The Daily Study Bible Series, Rev. ed. Philadelphia: The Westminster Press) Strife is typical of those who are unsaved (Ro 1:29-note) and of who are who are of the night (Ro 13:13-note), is productive of divisions (1Cor 1:11), is one of the deeds of the flesh (1Co 3:3, 2Co 12:20), it characterized those who preached Christ from selfish motives (Php 1:15-note) and which if constantly practiced strongly suggests that person is an unbeliever (Gal 5:20). Paul explains the relationship between controversial questions (zetesis = controversies here in Titus 3:9) and strife recording that... 1Timothy 6:3-4 If anyone advocates a different doctrine, and does not agree with sound words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the doctrine conforming to godliness, he is conceited and understands nothing; but he has a morbid interest in controversial questions (zetesis) and disputes about words (logomachia = literally "word battles") out of which arise envy, strife (eris), abusive language, evil suspicions..." Comment: Here we see one man constantly contradicting the other which in the language of mythology is as if Eris, the goddess of strife has a field day. "Copy and paste the address below into your web browser in order to go to the original page which will allow you to access live links related to the material on this page - these links include Scriptures (which can be read in context), Scripture pop-ups on mouse over, and a variety of related resources such as Bible dictionary articles, commentaries, sermon notes and theological journal articles related to the topic under discussion." http://www.preceptaustin.org/titus_39-11.htm#strife