Paul was in Jerusalem, where he had been urged to do a vow of purification.  He did this so “…all will know that there is nothing to the things which they have been told about you, but that you yourself also walk orderly, keeping the Law.”  (Acts 21:24 NASB)

Paul did everything he could to please his adversaries.  It didn’t work!  It is impossible to please people who are against you, for whatever reason.  Adversaries will not find anything commendable but will only condemn.

Are you an adversary toward anyone?  An adversary desires to destroy, to get rid of and/or to kill another.  An adversary causes chaos and confusion.  Talking about another, demeaning them, is being an adversary.

Paul was caught up in such a situation.
(NASB) Acts 21:27-31 “When the seven days were almost over, the Jews from Asia, upon seeing him in the temple, began to stir up all the crowd and laid hands on him,
28 crying out, ‘Men of Israel, come to our aid!  This is the man who preaches to all men everywhere against our people and the Law and this place; and besides he has even brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place.’
29 For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian in the city with him, and they supposed that Paul had brought him into the temple.
30 Then all the city was provoked, and the people rushed together, and taking hold of Paul they dragged him out of the temple, and immediately the doors were shut.
31 While they were seeking to kill him…”

Contentious adversaries were not satisfied with killing Paul’s reputation; they were seeking to kill him, period.  The contention of Paul’s adversaries assumed what they thought they saw…and it was not true.  They thought they saw him take a Gentile into an area of the temple that was unlawful.  He had not.

You and I need to be careful of bias, of being an adversary of anyone.  Being an adversary will cause confusion and chaos even in a church.  You and I can get caught up in a “smear” campaign causing chaos and killing a person’s reputation.

There are many verses in Scripture that could be used…this is one of many.

 (Amplified) 1 Corinthians 13:5 “It (love) is not conceited (arrogant and inflated with pride); it is not rude (unmannerly) and does not act unbecomingly.  Love (God’s love in us) does not insist on its own rights or its own way, for it is not self-seeking; it is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it [it pays no attention to a suffered wrong].”

Followers of Christ we are not to be adversaries, it leads only to chaos and confusion.

Followers of Christ we are to love others, no matter what they say or do against us.