Dealing With Difficult Coworkers Biblically

Biblical teachings offer guidance for interacting with difficult coworkers, emphasizing patience, compassion, and a focus on one's own conduct. The Apostle Paul, for instance, describes how believers should respond to adversity in the workplace: "When we are vilified, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it" ^[2]. This suggests a posture of grace and resilience rather than retaliation.

A foundational principle is to exercise compassion and sympathy towards others, recognizing that all individuals, including those who are difficult, are subject to weaknesses ^[4]. Christ himself exemplified compassion for the weary, the weak in faith, the tempted, and the afflicted ^[6]. This divine example encourages believers to extend understanding and pity to those around them ^[1]. The Torrey's Topical Textbook highlights the importance of sympathizing with others, bearing them in mind, and comforting them ^[1]. This includes praying for them, as seen in Acts 12:5 and James 5:14-16 ^[1].

The concept of "fellow workers" is also significant. Paul refers to individuals who struggled alongside him in the gospel as "fellow workers" ^[3]. This implies a shared purpose and mutual support, even when challenges arise. Ministers of the Gospel are described as "workers together with him" (referring to God or Christ), emphasizing a collaborative effort in service ^[9]. This perspective can reframe interactions, viewing colleagues as partners in a broader mission, even if their behavior is challenging.

When dealing with those who are "unruly" or "disorderly," the instruction is to "warn them" ^[5]. John Gill interprets this as addressing idle persons who busy themselves with others' matters and live off the church's resources, suggesting a need for reproof and exhortation ^[7]. However, this warning should be balanced with patience towards all people ^[5].

Augustine discusses the challenge of addressing difficult situations, noting that some passages of scripture are hard to understand and should be presented carefully, or only when necessary ^[8]. He also touches on the idea of "co-working for good" in all things for those who love God, even amidst "terrible and cruel sufferings" ^[13]. This suggests that even difficult interactions can ultimately serve a greater purpose. Augustine also advises against allowing personal faults to go unaddressed in others, especially when one's own conduct is different, unless there is a charitable reason to refrain from rebuke, such as preventing further harm to the individual or discouraging others from faith ^[14].

The Babylonian Talmud offers a practical insight into interpersonal communication, suggesting that one should not conclude conversations in an atmosphere of frivolity or purposelessness. Instead, interactions should ideally end with discussions of halakha (Jewish law) or words of praise and consolation, drawing from the example of the early prophets ^{[10, 11, 12]}. This principle can be applied to workplace interactions, encouraging a focus on substantive and edifying communication, even when dealing with difficult individuals.

Sources

Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Afflicted, Duty Toward The — To pray for them -- Ac 12:5; Php 1:16,19; Jas 5:14-16. To sympathise with them -- Ro 12:15; Ga 6:2. To pity them -- Job 6:14. To bear them in mind -- Heb 13:3. To visit them -- Jas 1:27. To comfort them -- Job 16:5; 29:25; 2Co 1:4; 1Th 4:18. To relieve them -- Job 31:19,20; Isa 58:10; Php 4:14; 1Ti 5:10. To protect them -- Ps 82:3; Pr 22:22; 31:5.”
I Corinthians “I Corinthians 4:12 (BSB) — We work hard with our own hands. When we are vilified, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it;”
Philippians “Philippians 4:3 (LEB) — Yes, I ask also you, true yokefellow, help them, who struggled along with me in the gospel with both Clement and the rest of my fellow workers whose names are in the book of life.”
Hebrews “The high priest can deal gently with those who are ignorant and going astray, because he himself is also surrounded with weakness. -- Hebrews 5:2”
I Thessalonians “I Thessalonians 5:14 (DRC) — And we beseech you, brethren, rebuke the unquiet: comfort the feeble minded: support the weak: be patient towards all men.”
Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Compassion and Sympathy of Christ, The — Necessary to his priestly office -- Heb 5:2,7. Manifested for the Weary and heavy-laden. -- Mt 11:28-30. Weak in faith. -- Isa 40:11; 42:3; Mt 12:20. Tempted. -- Heb 2:18. Afflicted. -- Lu 7:13; Joh 11:33,35. Diseased. -- Mt 14:14; Mr 1:41. Poor. -- Mr 8:2. Perishing sinners. -- Mt 9:36; Lu 19:41; Joh 3:16. An encouragement to prayer -- Heb 4:15.”
1 Thessalonians (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on 1 Thessalonians 5:14: Now we exhort you, brethren,.... This is said either to the ministers of the word that laboured among them, presided over them, and admonished them; and the rather, because some of these things here directed to are pressed upon the members of the church in Th1 5:11 and which otherwise must make a repetition here; or to the members in conjunction with their pastors: warn them that are unruly; or disorderly, idle persons, working not at all, busying themselves with other men's matters, and living upon the church's stock, reprove them for their sloth, exhort t”
Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “NPNF1 Vol 2: Augustine — City of God, Christian Doctrine — CHAP. 9.--HOW, AND WITH WHOM, DIFFICULT PASSAGES ARE TO BE DISCUSSED.: 23. For there are some passages which are not understood in their proper force, or are understood with great difficulty, at whatever length, however clearly, or with whatever eloquence the speaker may expound them; and these should never be brought before the people at all, or only on rare occasions when there is some urgent reason. In books, however, which are written in such a style that, if understood, they, so to speak, draw their own readers, and if not underst”
2 Corinthians (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on 2 Corinthians 6 (introduction): We then, as workers together with him,.... The ministers of the Gospel are workers or labourers; their ministry is a work, and a very laborious one, which none have strength equal to, and are sufficient for; of themselves: it is a work that requires faithfulness and diligence, is honourable; and those who perform it aright deserve respect. These do not work alone: according to our version, they are "workers together with him"; meaning either God or Christ, not as co-ordinate with him, but as subordinate to him: he is the chief shepherd, they under o”
Babylonian Talmud (Jewish (Rabbinic)) “Babylonian Talmud, Berakhot 128a.61:12: Similarly, a person should neither take leave of another from an atmosphere of conversation, nor from an atmosphere of laughter, nor from an atmosphere of frivolity, nor from an atmosphere of purposeless matters. Rather, one should take leave of another from involvement in a matter of halakha . As we found in the books of the Bible dealing with the early prophets, that they would conclude their talks with words of praise and consolation.”
Babylonian Talmud (Jewish (Rabbinic)) “Babylonian Talmud, Berakhot 31a.12: Similarly, a person should neither take leave of another from an atmosphere of conversation, nor from an atmosphere of laughter, nor from an atmosphere of frivolity, nor from an atmosphere of purposeless matters. Rather, one should take leave of another from involvement in a matter of halakha . As we found in the books of the Bible dealing with the early prophets, that they would conclude their talks with words of praise and consolation.”
Babylonian Talmud (Jewish (Rabbinic)) “Babylonian Talmud, Berakhot 128b.61:12: Similarly, a person should neither take leave of another from an atmosphere of conversation, nor from an atmosphere of laughter, nor from an atmosphere of frivolity, nor from an atmosphere of purposeless matters. Rather, one should take leave of another from involvement in a matter of halakha . As we found in the books of the Bible dealing with the early prophets, that they would conclude their talks with words of praise and consolation.”
Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “NPNF1 Vol 5: Augustine — Anti-Pelagian — CHAP. 33 [XVII.]--A GOOD WILL MAY BE SMALL AND WEAK; AN AMPLE WILL, GREAT LOVE. OPERATING AND COOPERATING GRACE. (part 2): His co-working with us, when we will and act by willing, the apostle says, "We know that in all things there is co-working for good to them that love God."[8] What does this phrase, "all things," mean, but the terrible and cruel sufferings which affect our condition ? That burden, indeed, of Christ, which is heavy for our infirmity, becomes light to love. For to such did the Lord say that His burden was light,[9] as Peter was when h”
Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “NPNF1 Vol 2: Augustine — City of God, Christian Doctrine — CHAP. 9.--OF THE REASONS FOR ADMINISTERING CORRECTION TO BAD AND GOOD TOGETHER. (part 2): may be made worse by his rebuke, or that other weak persons may be disheartened from endeavoring to lead a good and pious life, and may be driven from the faith; this man's omission seems to be occasioned not by covetousness, but by a charitable consideration. But what is blame-worthy is, that they who themselves revolt from the conduct of the wicked, and live in quite another fashion, yet spare those faults in other men which they ought to repreh”

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