You must be in fellowship prior to your Bible study, so that the spiritual information you receive can become a source, of blessing to your soul and produce spiritual growth.
15 But [de] if [ei] ye bite [dakno] and [kai] devour [katesthio] one
another [allelon], take heed [blepo] that ye be [anaideia] not [me] consumed [analisko] one [allelon] of [hupo] another [allelon]. KJV-Interlinear
15 But if
you bite and devour one another, take care lest you be consumed by one another.
NASB
Biting and devouring, are terms that relate to carnivorous animals killing and consuming their prey. And here, when applied to people it relates to animosity and bitterness and in-fighting and nagging and arguing and so forth. But what is in view here, is the destruction of ones soul as a result of any and all of these adversarial relationships.
Quite a contrast to the relationship of love by means of principle, described in the previous verse.
A legitimate relationship with God completes and enhances the individual.
A relationship of animosity and contentiousness or bitterness, or simply self-righteousness with regard to ones own false beliefs, utterly destroys the individual.
And it is the destruction of the soul which is important.
We all have the equal opportunity to advance to spiritual greatness and completion of ourselves, simply by engaging in a daily study of the scriptures. Not self-study, but by means of an orderly and consistent and constructive study.
And we can always get angry and opinionated and lose ourselves and our destiny, if we choose that course.
The trick too, is to not get caught up in the arguments of others. For evil will try as it may, and come in many different forms, to draw you into its debates. Evil believes that debates are more important than your principles. Destroying you is its only objective.
Evil will represent you as the suborn one, not willing to listen to its side. But the side of evil is not worth listening to, because it leads only to failure and destruction.
Remember that evil wants to destroy, utterly destroy, your soul. Winning you over is never an issue, because there is nothing in evil to win you over, too. So, Paul says, take heed, be on your guard, do not get fooled into a petty argument.
All is fair in love and war. You have love and its boundless array of principles on your side and certain victory. And evil has nothing more than its derisiveness and deception and certain destruction. Which do you suppose it better?
