CAUSES OF DIVISION (1)

Victor M. Eskew

 

INTRODUCTION

 

A.   If a person were to honestly look at the religious world, he would think that the Bible supports religious division.

1.    The religious world is divided by names.

2.    The religious world is divided by doctrines.

3.    The religious world is divided by personalities.

4.    The religious world is divided by strife.

5.    The religious world is divided by race.

 

B.   How much is actually said about the division that abounds in the religious world?  Very little.

 

C.   Two religious leaders, Jesus the Head of the church, and Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ prayed and exhorted the disciples of Christ to be united.

1.    Jesus (John 17:20-21)

 

Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; that they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us:  that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.

 

a.    The Intercession:  Neither pray I for these alone, but for them

b.    The Individuals:  for them also which shall believe on me through their word

c.    The Inquiry:  that they all may be one

d.    The Illustration:  as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee

e.    The Interconnection:  that they also may be one in us

f.     The Intent:  that the world may believe that thou has sent me

2.    Paul (1 Cor. 1:10)

 

Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.

 

a.    The Appeal:  Now I beseech you, brethren

b.    The Authority:  by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ

c.    The Actions:

1)    That ye all speak the same thing

2)    That there be no divisions among you

3)    But that ye be perfectly joined together

4)    In the same mind

5)    And in the same judgment

 

D.   Any honest Bible student cannot read the two texts we just set forth and continue to believe that religious division is something desired by Jesus and His divine ambassadors.

 

E.   Yet, division prevails in the world.  The question that we want to answer is simply:  “Why?”  Let’s look at at some of the causes of division.

 

I.             FALSE DOCTRINE

 

A.   The basis for unity is the truth of God’s Word.

1.    According to Acts 2:46, the early church manifested a “singleness of heart.”

In Acts 2:42, we learn that this singleness of heart involved their continuing “steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine.”

2.    Philippians 3:16

 

Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing.

 

B.   False doctrine leads individuals away from the truth.

1.    Romans 16:17

 

Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.

 

a.    We are sometimes under the impression that the one who preaches the truth is the one who creates division. 

b.    This is not so according to Paul.  Those who create divisions and offenses are those who teach things contrary to the doctrine of Christ.

2.    Peter warned of false teachers who would speak against the truth and lead many away (2 Pet. 2:1-2).

 

But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.  And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.

 

C.   The church has divided over several issues in the past.

1.    Marriage, divorce, and remarriage

2.    Instrumental music

3.    Fellowship with denominations

4.    Premillennialism

5.    The Holy Spirit

6.    The proper use of the treasury of the church

7.    Women’s roles in the church

 

II.           A PARTY SPIRIT AMONG MEMBERS

 

A.   Definition: 

1.    Dictionary.com:  “a group of persons with common purposes or opinions who support one side of a dispute, question, debate”

2.    Sometimes we just refer to it as “taking sides”

 

B.   In the church at Corinth, this practice was a major problem.  In fact, it was the first problem Paul addressed (1 Cor. 1:11-12).

 

For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the household of Chloe, that there are contentions among you.  Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Christ.

 

C.   Parties can develop around different things.

1.    Different elders within of the eldership

2.    The preacher

3.    A wealthy member of a congregation

4.    The patriarch of the church

5.    Certain families that make up the church

D.   When parties develop, those who are involved in them have taken their eyes off of someone.  That someone is Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 1:13).

 

Is Christ divided?  was Paul crucified for you?  or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?

 

E.   In the third chapter of Corinthians, Paul continues to address the division in Corinth.  He opens 1 Corinthians 3:5 with two questions:

1.    Who then is Paul?  And who is Apollos?

2.    This is the question to always ask:  Who is this person that I am rallying around and dividing over?

3.    Paul answers the question in the same verse, 1 Corinthians 3:5.  “…but ministers by whom ye believed…” 

a.    The best that any man can respond to the question is that we are ministers, servants, slaves.

b.    We certainly cannot say we are the Lord, the Master, and the Savior.

 

F.    This is the reason that denominations need to give up their man-made names:  Luther, Meno, Wesley, Baptists (John the Baptist), and Russellites, etc.

 

III.         ANGER, HATRED, STRIFE, AND CONFLICT

 

A.   Negative emotions followed by negative actions can divide brethren from one another.

 

B.   We see examples of this in the Old Testament and the New Testament.

1.    Old Testament:  The herdmen of Abraham’s cattle and the herdmen of Lot’s cattle (Gen. 13:7).

 

And there was a strife between the herdmen of Abram’s cattle and the herdmen of Lot’s cattle.

 

2.    New Testament:  Paul and Barnabas over John Mark (Acts 15:39).

 

And the contention was so sharp between them, that they departed asunder one from another…

 

C.   Paul put these evil emotions and evil actions in the list of the works of the flesh (Gal. 5:20)

 

Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies.

 

1.    Hatred:  hostility, malicious feelings toward another person

2.    Variance:  contention, strife, wrangling

3.    Emulations:  fierceness of indignation, an envious and contentious rivalry

4.    Wrath: heated anger, boils and subsides

5.    Strife:  a partisan and factious spirit

6.    Seditions:  disunion, dissention, division

7.    Heresies:  a body following their own tenets and opinions

 

D.   None of these feelings and actions will ever bring unity.

1.    Ephesians 4:2-3

 

With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

 

2.    Ephesians 4:31-32

 

Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:  and be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.

 

CONCLUSION

 

A.   In this lesson, we have studied three causes of division:  false teaching, a party spirit, and the practice of various works of the flesh that lead to strife and conflict.

 

B.   As the church, we have a high standard that has been set for us.  We are to be one just as the Father and Son are one (John 20:20-21).

 

C.   When unity prevails, the environment among brethren is both good and pleasant according to the psalmist (Ps. 133:1).

 

Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!