A kingdom divided?
Posted: Sat Oct 22, 2005 12:20 am
Forum brothers and sisters,
I’m a regular contributor to this forum, but I felt that I should post this anonymously to protect the identity of individuals and church movements by my association. Only Steve will really know who I am. This is a topic that many people have spoken and written about, but it has been on my mind a lot lately and I felt compelled to write about it and sort out my own thoughts. It is possible (and even probable) that I have not thought every part of this subject through entirely. I do confess that my opinion is not altogether objective at this time. I welcome (and indeed solicit) any and all constructive feedback and/or correction to my reasoning or usage of scripture. This is a very complicated issue and this essay is strictly an opinion piece. I claim no authority or special insight on this, or any other related subject. I also claim no innocence related to this topic either. It is a fairly long read, but I couldn’t figure out how to express it more briefly. I apologize for that. Thank you in advance for reading and commenting on it.
A Kingdom divided?
Anonymous
How do divisions in the Body of Christ (the church) affect the Kingdom of God?
In Matthew 12:25, Jesus said:
"Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand.”
Granted, Jesus was referring to the kingdom of Satan in this passage, not His own. However, is it possible that we can apply this principle to the kingdom of God as well? Jesus demonstrated how absurd it would be for a kingdom to have internal warring going on and still hope to stand. Of course we know that Christ’s kingdom will never become desolate. The Bible assures us that Christ’s kingdom is an everlasting kingdom that will never pass away (Dan 4:3, 7:27, 2 Pet 1:11, Ps 145:13, etc.). But in what sense can we say that the divisions we see in the Church today help cause the kingdom of God to be weakened, or, for a time, less effective then He intends it to be? Every true believer is a cherished part of that kingdom. Paul said that:
“He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love”
Col 1:13
And elsewhere exhorted believers that we:
“would walk worthy of God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory”. (1 Thess 2:12)
In this essay, I hope to explore the ramifications and causes of a divided kingdom as well as some possibilities to help us work together, with one mind…“till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ”
Eph 4:13-14
What is the “Fruit” of division?
Anyone who has been in Christian circles for any amount of time soon discovers the petty, and often vicious disputes that go on within the church. Needless to say, this is very unhealthy for the body of Christ. Whether the division is about doctrine, liturgy, or acceptable Christian living, one thing is certain. Fallen man will always find ways to take what is good, and pervert it into an idol suited to his own taste. Even those who are on the outside looking in can easily see that this is a church divided. And a divided church is, for all intents and purposes, impotent to reach a lost and dying world. Our testimony is ruined when we can’t prove out Jesus’ affirmation:
“By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."
John 13:35
This statement was later issued as a commandment:
“This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.” John 15:12
And still later as an exhortation from the apostle John:
“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.” 1 John 4:7
We’ve all had Christian friends that have left the fellowship we attend and fade into a distant memory. Most of us have even know some that have become so disheartened with the church, that they have stopped seeking Christian fellowship altogether. Of course, there are varying reasons and degrees of blame to be shared for these situations but for one reason or another, many of these people have felt alienated, unwelcome, or simply unloved in the place where they come to worship God among the brethren.
Virtually every Protestant denomination today has originated from a small group of dissenters that has broken off from a bigger denomination to “reform” what they believed were impurities in the church and practice what they feel is “true” Christianity. Many of these movements were incredible revivals and mighty works of God. In most cases, the founders of these movements could hardly be blamed for breaking off because they were up against a stubborn and obstinate church leadership that was unwilling to be led by the Spirit of God. Ironically, it doesn’t take long (a generation or two) for these movements of God to gradually become just as carnal, infantile, and exclusionary as the denomination they come from. Once man gets a hold of it and tries to contain it, it ceases to be a pure movement of the Holy Spirit and begins to be just another human institution. What a tragedy.
Whatever the reasons for the divisions in the body, the result is nonetheless the same, a slicing and dicing up of the Body of Christ into little pieces rather than growing into a whole and mature new man. The church becomes nothing more than a series of warring factions that each believe hold the truth.
Why would unbelievers look at this and be attracted to the love of God?
What are the “signs” of a divisive spirit in a church?
If you visit a variety of churches, you see a rather peculiar phenomenon. Have you ever wondered why everyone at one church are of a certain type and everyone at another church are of another type? The vast majority of people within a particular congregation all dress, act and worship in a like manner. Likewise, the overwhelming majority of people think and believe the same way as the pastor on virtually every topic. Is this just a matter of like attracting like? Maybe. But it’s quite possible that it goes much deeper than that. One might look around their own church and see harmony and think that all is well “we have no divisions. Everyone loves each other and gets along”. However, I think it’s important for us to look outside our building walls to check the vital signs of the body of Christ. Is the church at large a healthy body? Could some of the maladies that we see in the church universal be coming from within our own denomination?
A divisive spirit is like a cancer. It can be so subtle that it can easily go unnoticed for a long period of time until it’s too late. Early detection and intervention is the key. There are some observable signs that I believe could be indicators that there might be a subtle divisive spirit within our own particular fellowship. As Christ’s disciples, I think we ought to closely examine these signs when we see them to be sure we ourselves are not in any way contributing to this grievous sin within the body.
1) Unhealthy emphasis on a non-essential topic.
Whether it’s Calvinism/Amenianism, spiritual gifts, eschatology, you name it, there’s usually something that man comes up with to sharply disagree upon. Mere Christianity is simply too easy to figure out. A child can understand it and be saved. The minute someone comes upon John 3:16, they have all the doctrine they need to get right with God. Paul understood this in speaking to the Corinthians.
“For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.”
(1 Cor 2:2)
Yet he was greatly distressed at the divisions he heard about sprouting up in the Corinthian church. Back then it was:
"I am of Paul," or "I am of Apollos," or "I am of Cephas," or "I am of Christ."
(1 Cor 1:12)
Today he might hear: “I am of Calvin” or “I am of Wesley” or “I am of Darby” etc.
Now, I believe wholeheartedly in defending essential Christian doctrine and even rigorously debating the non-essentials. We ought to be lovers of sound doctrine. It’s important that we are “rightly dividing the Word of Truth” so we can understand the “whole counsel of God” and “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ”. Each person should be searching the scripture daily as the Bereans were in Acts 17. We all know that there are those who twist the scriptures for their own purposes, and Peter tells us what their end will be (2 Pet 3:16). It’s important that we learn to recognize this.
However, when someone starts claiming that you are in rebellion if you don’t believe the rapture is coming soon, or that you must be an atheist if you don’t believe that God makes all the decisions in the universe, then I’m sorry, but we have a problem Houston. In my experience, overemphasis on non-essential topics is often the beginning of a divisive spirit within a church.
I won’t list what I believe to be non-negotiable essentials. But I will say that I have come to believe the list is much shorter than most of us think it is.
2) Homogeneous environment.
Does everyone in your church generally think the same way on peripheral issues? While this may appear to be an ideal situation, it seems rather unbalanced in a kingdom where there are such widely varying opinions about these issues among genuine God-fearing believers. Just as we have discovered the foolishness of racial segregation, so too is the foolishness of doctrinal segregation. It is not necessarily the case, but I think it can be a sign that there may be some exclusionary policy or attitude in the church. Sometimes church leadership, with the best of intentions, feels compelled to put up a hedge of protection around a particular doctrine to protect the flock from what they consider false doctrine (i.e. all other views). This can create an unwelcoming atmosphere for those who don’t hold the same convictions. If people don’t feel welcome and free to express contrary opinions about scripture or Christian living without fear of alienation, then it is likely that those people will not come back.
Are people in your church required to declare, either verbally or in writing, that they believe all of the philosophies of the church before being allowed to teach or lead others? It is sometimes suggested that it is for the sake of “unity and peace” in the body that we need to have all the teachers and leaders on the same page doctrinally. It seems that the idea behind this is that the flock needs to have confidence in its shepherds.
This, of course, is total hogwash. First of all, it sets up an inappropriate caste system within the body which was never intended by the Jesus or the apostles (Gal 3:28 ). Secondly, the emphasis on having confidence in the leadership, I think, is grossly misplaced. We don’t need to have that degree of confidence in the church leadership. We need to have confidence in God and in His Word as the final authority. Yes, we should be able to trust the good intentions of the leadership, but it should not be the least bit threatening or confusing if church elders and teachers disagree on a few secondary doctrinal issues. Every Christian soon discovers that much of scripture is difficult to interpret and that many intelligent and Godly men have disagreed on the interpretation of a variety of scripture over the course of church history. If we forbid those with the gift of teaching to exercise those gifts in the body, are we not quenching the Holy Spirit? Paul warned against this to the church in Thessalonica (1 Thess 5:19 ).
If one were to take the time to examine closely the doctrinal beliefs of the leadership, I think you would likely find many things that they don’t all completely agree upon. It’s only certain doctrine that has been chosen to be non-negotiable. This, in my opinion, is an unacceptable man-made line that is drawn in the sand. One which I don’t believe the apostles would have stood for.
Finally, it has been my own personal experience that exposure to doctrinal views contrary to my own has driven me deeper into the Word of God. This is a good thing. The heart of a Christian should always be towards truth. If I simply yield myself to the views of church leadership, I’m more apt to just soak up what is taught from the pulpit like a sponge. This is not in keeping with Paul’s admonition to test all things and hold fast to what is good. (1Thess 5:21 ).
3) Judgmental attitude towards others who hold different views.
Often times this takes the form of gossip disguised as concern. You know, the type that usually starts with “Be praying for so and so. He’s being deceived about _____”. Then it usually heads south from there. Besides the sin of gossip, I think we also see another problem in these situations. It’s always tempting to believe that our denomination or fellowship is the one that has it all right. It doesn’t take long for an elitist and exclusive attitude to develop within the congregation. So much so that people will generally talk to each other about some issues with the general assumption that other person must naturally share their views also. I can remember a particular situation in which a brother began talking to me about his particular take on current events and how they applied to end times prophesy in the bible. He spoke to me as if he was expecting an “Amen”. He was obviously certain I would agree with his assessment. When I let him know that I do not share his view, he was absolutely floored. He told be that I “dropped a bomb on him” and later told me he was “very burdened” about this. I later received a letter from him letting me know in no uncertain terms that I was deceived by the devil and he compared one of my favorite bible teachers with Hitler. When I invited the brother to reason together with me from scripture, he was not interested. His mind was made up that his favorite authors and radio bible teachers were infallible, and that I, as a lay person with no formal bible education, must be wrong.
This, in my mind, is a very telling outcome to a disagreement about a very non-essential issue. Granted, it is probably not the normal reaction one can expect in their church under similar circumstances, but I think it illustrates just how much like dumb sheep we truly are if we don’t think for ourselves. If we place our bible teachers on a too high of a pedestal, we begin to believe that they can not possibly misinterpret scripture. There is nothing wrong with respecting a particularly gifted teacher, and trusting the judgment of such. But we must be very careful not to assign the trait of omniscience to mere humans. That quality belongs only to God. All of our favorite bible teachers are matched or exceeded by another with an opposing viewpoint. Some topics are just exceedingly difficult to be dogmatic about and what is important to remember is that we don’t need to. We don’t have to know every nuance in the bible. We simply need to respond correctly to the light we are given.
4) Rhetoric and Ridicule from the pulpit.
The apostle Paul said “knowledge puffs up” (1 Cor 8:1). The moment we think we got it all figured out, it’s our nature to start poking fun of the other guy who is not quite as “enlightened” as we are. Nobody is immune to this. The apostle himself needed a “thorn in the flesh” to keep him from becoming conceited by all the revelations given to him by God (2 Cor 12:7 ). Pastors, teachers, and authors are no different. When refuting a position opposite their own, they will often resort to contentious rhetoric and scoffing rather than a sound exegetical rebuttal. Catchy phrases and clever misleading titles to describe someone else’s theology is the norm in today’s doctrinal debates. Let’s face it. A good quick laugh from your audience yields much more mileage than a dry and dull scholarly approach to making your case. This is a very hard temptation to pass up for most bible teachers in a society that just wants to get to the bottom-line as quickly as possible. Forget the details, just get to the point. We sometimes feel the need to pack a punch with as few words as possible. If you can make a congregation laugh, you’ve won their hearts and often their respect for your opinion.
However, this must never be tolerated in the church. Misrepresenting the views of another during a monologue is completely unfair, and is tantamount to bearing false witness in my opinion. And on that Jesus said:
But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man. 19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. (Matt 15:18-19 )
This particular aspect is quite possibly the most damaging blow against having unity in the faith that is in the church today. It is very likely that all previous points mentioned so far begin with this one error in judgment. And usually it leads to the next symptom of a divisive spirit in the church.
5) People leaving the fellowship for non-essential doctrinal differences.
I don’t have much experience with this personally, but I have talked to several Christians who have left a church because of either doctrinal issues they had with the pastor, or because they felt unwelcome because of their differing views. This, in my opinion, is totally infantile and adds to the problem of divisiveness. If a church is edifying in all other ways, is worshipping and serving God wholeheartedly, providing opportunities for fellowship and body ministry, then minor, and honest, doctrinal differences are completely peripheral and are not even worthy of being a issue at all. Each Christian must decide in his or her own mind where the line is drawn. I say “honest” because there are those in the church that would knowingly twist scripture and manipulate people in their congregation for their own purposes. However, these people are not difficult to identify and I would not see it as inappropriate to leave a fellowship when such as these are leaders.
I have heard it said that it is to be desired to attend a church where people are “like-minded” to maintain unity and peace. This was stated in the context that all, or most, in the congregation have the same convictions on most doctrinal issues, major and minor. I would have to disagree with that assessment. Peter told the church he was writing to:
8 Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; (1 Peter 3:8 )
Notice how he qualifies “one mind”. Having compassion, love, tender hearts, and courtesy. It would seem that in our day, it would be better expressed as being “like-hearted” rather than “like-minded”. Paul gives similar exhortations in his epistles as well (Phil 2:2, 2 Cor 13:11, Rom 15:6 ).
I feel that I need to clarify one thing here. I can appreciate the value in selecting a fellowship based on style preferences. Some Christians find one form of worship more edifying than another. Some are more charismatic, and some are more solemn. Some like a lot of structure in their meetings, and some like it more casual and open for the Spirit to lead. I wouldn’t put this in the same category as dividing over petty differences. I would simply say that one should seek fellowship based on where he or she finds the greatest advantages of drawing into a closer relationship with God. That is, where there is strong emphasis on biblical authority (2 Tim 3:16 ), love of the brethren (1 John 4 ), and spiritual worship (John 4:24 ).
What is the cause of a divisive spirit within a church?
Proverbs 13:10 says that “By pride comes nothing but strife”. Make no mistake about it. Where there is division in the church, pride is lurking somewhere behind the scenes. Stubborn pride is often at the root of dogmatic positions on difficult and debatable issues. In my opinion, this is primary cause of a divisive spirit.
Virtually every bible teacher I know uses James 3:1 as the basis of their mantra, and rightfully so. Most will phrase it something like this: “I take very seriously what James says”:
My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment. (James 3:1-2)
However, one has to wonder just how seriously some teachers actually take this. This verse, in my opinion, is a warning and a call to sober-minded humility in teaching others, knowing that many of the people we teach see us as possessing some knowledge they don’t and are very likely to believe the things we teach as absolute truth. This should cause us to be extremely cautious of what we say in the context of our teaching, and especially in preaching (monologue). The more I learn about reasonable alternate views on various subjects, the more I cringe when I hear one view taught exclusively and dogmatically. This is especially true when there is uncharitable criticism and ridicule espoused towards the other views. When I hear these things, I think “but what if you’re wrong? Are you not in danger of calling what is good evil, and what is evil good?”
C.S. Lewis, in Mere Christianity called pride the “anti-God state of mind”. All Christians, whether teachers or not, need to come to a place of humility in their approach to others. Paul said to Timothy:
24 And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, 25 in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, ( 2 Tim 2:24-25)
I will leave it at that.
Brethren, what shall we do?
Lest I seem to be merely on a self-righteous rant here, let me just say one thing. In my years of studying the bible and forming my views, I’ve found that I have often been guilty of the very things I’m writing about in this essay. I have wished that the Lord would only let me open my mouth when what I had to say was from Him (like He did to Ezekiel). I have sometimes taken the Pharisaical attitude that I know more than others, and that I have some superior knowledge about some section of scripture that many of my peers and even elders do not have. Because of this, I have often been thankful that I have not been called to regularly teach large groups of people. The few times that I have taught large groups, it’s been a very humbling experience and I’ve had to wrestle through that tendency to begin to esteem myself and the views I hold. This was especially true when I would receive compliments. Oh! how hard it must be for leading Christian teachers to have notoriety. I remember Paul’s warning that a Christian should “not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly (Rom 12:3)”. The funny thing is, the Lord has to show me from time to time that I really don’t know much at all. I am occasionally challenged by others that are much more biblically literate than I am and reminded that:
if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. (Gal 6:3-4)
Thus, I am learning to be less and less dogmatic on peripheral issues and as a result, more understanding and loving towards others who hold different views than mine. However, it is a process.
But the inevitable question arises, at least in my mind, what does the body of Christ do about the problem of divisiveness? Paul begged the Corinthians:
Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. (1 Cor 1:10 ).
Each of us must be committed to combat divisiveness in the body of Christ. I don’t think the teaching of Jesus and the apostles could be any clearer on this.
1) Start with the man (or woman) in the mirror
With any kind of constructive criticism of fellow Christians or the church, I think it’s always a good idea to start by examining ourselves. This is a principle straight from the mouth of Jesus. In giving His famous sermon on the mount he said:
First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck out of your brother's eye. (Matt 7:5)
My pastor often says “funny how our sin always looks worse on someone else”. How true that is. The people that usually offend me most are the ones that do the same things I do. I’ve also heard it said that we judge others by their deeds, and ourselves by our intentions.
As believers, we need to learn how to identify the spirit of pride and divisiveness in ourselves whenever it begins to arise and then repent of it immediately. This is especially true for those of us who have teaching ministries. Paul rebuked the divisive Jews in Rome about this:
You, therefore, who teach another, do you not teach yourself? You who preach that a man should not steal, do you steal? 22 You who say, "Do not commit adultery," do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? 23 You who make your boast in the law, do you dishonor God through breaking the law? (Rom 2:21-23)
Let’s be careful though. If we do happen to identify this in ourselves, let us not think for a moment that we are disqualified to address this issue in someone else. Once we repent, we are forgiven (1 John 1:9) and free to humbly come before others and exhort them to repentance also. Which leads me to the next point.
2) Peer pressure
Peer pressure is a two way street. It can work for both negative and positive influence in people’s lives. For the Christian, the hope is that we are having a positive influence on other Christians, and that they are having a positive influence on us. That is probably why we are told to:
consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, 25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another. (Heb 10:24-25)
Perhaps one of the hardest things to do is correcting a friend when they do something wrong. We hate the idea of straining a good relationship by confronting sinful attitudes. However, if the people we call our friends are indeed true Christians, then we must assume that they also want to do what is right and glorifying to God. The proverb says: “Reproofs of instruction are the way of life (Prov 6:23)”
Even if instruction is not received well, a believer will eventually recognize his folly and yield to the conviction of the Holy Spirit and even appreciate your correction.
Rebuke a wise man, and he will love you. (Prov 9:8 )
I think it is our duty, both to the body of Christ, and to our friends to gently correct a divisive spirit when we see it. Friends don’t let friends continue in sin.
3) Approaching church leadership
This is possibly one of the most critical steps in promoting charity and unity within the body. It’s at least where we can a great deal of mileage. Leadership sets the tone and attitude in this area, and especially the primary teaching pastor. The sheep tend to follow their shepherd. Technically, Jesus is the only true shepherd (John 10) and we, as His sheep, know Him. We hear His voice and follow Him. But I don’t’ think it would be out of line to say that pastors and leaders are like sheep dogs, assigned by the Shepherd to feed the flock and protect it from wolves. Jesus commissioned Peter to this very thing after His resurrection (John 21:15-17). Pastors and leaders of a congregation have a difficult balancing act to deal with. They are called to both protect the flock from wolves (Acts 20:28-32), and help them grow into mature disciples for ministry (Matt 28:19-20, Eph 4:11-12). But we have to remember, these men are sheep themselves and also need to be watched out for and encouraged to growth when necessary. Everyone is a work in progress, and nobody is beyond reproach. Nobody can claim that they have all the right answers either. Even the most gifted teacher and theologian only sees a dim reflection of the truth (1 Cor 13:9-12). Therefore, we must be prepared to address divisive thinking among the leaders of our fellowship.
Having said all that, I think it is also necessary to emphasize that this is a very delicate matter, and is to be handled appropriately. We can easily say all the right things in the wrong manner and the result is the same as if we say the wrong things. If we storm into our pastor’s office with our guns blazing and begin to rebuke him for being divisive, I don’t think we will get very far at all. The proverb says:
A soft answer turns away wrath,
But a harsh word stirs up anger.(Prov 15:1)
Fortunately, we are given some direction on this in scripture. Paul told Timothy:
Do not rebuke an older man, but exhort him as a father, younger men as brothers, 2 older women as mothers, younger as sisters, with all purity. (1 Tim 5:1-2 )
The word for “exhort” here is parakaleo in the Greek. It means to call near, invite, or implore someone. The idea here is one of pleading with someone in gentleness and humility, for the sake of Christ and His bride, to come along with us in doing what is right. Coming to our church leaders in humility and respect, I think, greatly increases the chances that they will be open to conviction and agreement.
Another important point is that this should be kept a private matter between you and the individual you are approaching. We should allow for the Lord to work in a person’s heart alone without the embarrassment of being publicly humiliated. We must first approach people privately, in humility, and reverence if our objective is truly for correction, and not public humiliation. This means that we must not discuss the matter with others in any way that could lead someone to discover who it is you’re talking about. This calls for great discernment in seeking biblical counsel. It must be kept very vague, or not discussed at all. I do think that there can come a point that it should be made more public, but not initially.
Now, what if you approach your pastor as described, and he is simply obstinate and unwilling to bend on this? Well, I think we have direction from the scripture here as well. Paul said:
Reject a divisive man after the first and second admonition, 11 knowing that such a person is warped and sinning, being self-condemned. (Titus 3:10-11)
Paul is speaking to a leader here, Titus, about rejecting someone who just wants to argue for the sake of argument, someone not necessarily interested in truth. But I think it can be applied in reverse as well. If a leader is the one being divisive and unrepentant of it, he is not acting in love and is being carnal according to Paul (1 Cor 3). Unfortunately, to “reject a divisive man” in this case will usually mean leaving the fellowship he is leading. There may be some church structures that provide a means for further discipline of the pastor, through the elders board or the congregation, but in denominations (and non-denominations) that set the pastor up as a benevolent dictator, often times the only option is to leave.
If it gets to this point, I think we are free to discuss the disagreement with our friends and others in the church. I don’t see any problem in letting people know why you are leaving. But, even at this point, it should be done in a loving and respectful manner lest we appear (and indeed become) embittered.
A final call to arms
That is, arms lifted up in prayer for Agape love in the church. I don’t want it to seem like I’m espousing another 5-point humanistic system to church success here. Only the Holy Spirit can bring about revival and reformation on any problem. But, this problem is one that the church, led by the Spirit, will need to address if we are to become the bride that Christ is worthy of. Petty differences that divide us are a serious blemish on the wife of the Lamb. In fact, to the unsaved world, it stands out like a huge zit on her nose ready to explode into a bloody mess. If that sounds a little too graphic and disgusting, just think how God feels about it. We are exhorted to be of “one mind” many times in scripture (Rom 15:6, 2 Cor 13:11, Phil 1:27, Phil 2:2, 1 Pet 3:8 ). In all of these cases, the context is charity and love toward one another. I can’t find anywhere in scripture that instructs us to go our separate ways if we don’t agree upon minor issues.
I personally believe that Christ is coming back for a bride that has prepared herself (Rev 19:7) and that we have been implored by Peter to hasten that day (2 Pet 3:12).
Each one of us, as dedicated followers of Christ, must resist a divisive spirit at all costs. This means that each one of us must be committed to deal with this issue within ourselves, our peer groups, and our churches as the Spirit leads us to do so. This, in my opinion, is absolutely necessary if we are to have unity in the faith and fulfill the wishes, no, commandment of our Lord:
“This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.” John 15:12
I’m a regular contributor to this forum, but I felt that I should post this anonymously to protect the identity of individuals and church movements by my association. Only Steve will really know who I am. This is a topic that many people have spoken and written about, but it has been on my mind a lot lately and I felt compelled to write about it and sort out my own thoughts. It is possible (and even probable) that I have not thought every part of this subject through entirely. I do confess that my opinion is not altogether objective at this time. I welcome (and indeed solicit) any and all constructive feedback and/or correction to my reasoning or usage of scripture. This is a very complicated issue and this essay is strictly an opinion piece. I claim no authority or special insight on this, or any other related subject. I also claim no innocence related to this topic either. It is a fairly long read, but I couldn’t figure out how to express it more briefly. I apologize for that. Thank you in advance for reading and commenting on it.
A Kingdom divided?
Anonymous
How do divisions in the Body of Christ (the church) affect the Kingdom of God?
In Matthew 12:25, Jesus said:
"Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand.”
Granted, Jesus was referring to the kingdom of Satan in this passage, not His own. However, is it possible that we can apply this principle to the kingdom of God as well? Jesus demonstrated how absurd it would be for a kingdom to have internal warring going on and still hope to stand. Of course we know that Christ’s kingdom will never become desolate. The Bible assures us that Christ’s kingdom is an everlasting kingdom that will never pass away (Dan 4:3, 7:27, 2 Pet 1:11, Ps 145:13, etc.). But in what sense can we say that the divisions we see in the Church today help cause the kingdom of God to be weakened, or, for a time, less effective then He intends it to be? Every true believer is a cherished part of that kingdom. Paul said that:
“He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love”
Col 1:13
And elsewhere exhorted believers that we:
“would walk worthy of God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory”. (1 Thess 2:12)
In this essay, I hope to explore the ramifications and causes of a divided kingdom as well as some possibilities to help us work together, with one mind…“till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ”
Eph 4:13-14
What is the “Fruit” of division?
Anyone who has been in Christian circles for any amount of time soon discovers the petty, and often vicious disputes that go on within the church. Needless to say, this is very unhealthy for the body of Christ. Whether the division is about doctrine, liturgy, or acceptable Christian living, one thing is certain. Fallen man will always find ways to take what is good, and pervert it into an idol suited to his own taste. Even those who are on the outside looking in can easily see that this is a church divided. And a divided church is, for all intents and purposes, impotent to reach a lost and dying world. Our testimony is ruined when we can’t prove out Jesus’ affirmation:
“By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."
John 13:35
This statement was later issued as a commandment:
“This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.” John 15:12
And still later as an exhortation from the apostle John:
“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.” 1 John 4:7
We’ve all had Christian friends that have left the fellowship we attend and fade into a distant memory. Most of us have even know some that have become so disheartened with the church, that they have stopped seeking Christian fellowship altogether. Of course, there are varying reasons and degrees of blame to be shared for these situations but for one reason or another, many of these people have felt alienated, unwelcome, or simply unloved in the place where they come to worship God among the brethren.
Virtually every Protestant denomination today has originated from a small group of dissenters that has broken off from a bigger denomination to “reform” what they believed were impurities in the church and practice what they feel is “true” Christianity. Many of these movements were incredible revivals and mighty works of God. In most cases, the founders of these movements could hardly be blamed for breaking off because they were up against a stubborn and obstinate church leadership that was unwilling to be led by the Spirit of God. Ironically, it doesn’t take long (a generation or two) for these movements of God to gradually become just as carnal, infantile, and exclusionary as the denomination they come from. Once man gets a hold of it and tries to contain it, it ceases to be a pure movement of the Holy Spirit and begins to be just another human institution. What a tragedy.
Whatever the reasons for the divisions in the body, the result is nonetheless the same, a slicing and dicing up of the Body of Christ into little pieces rather than growing into a whole and mature new man. The church becomes nothing more than a series of warring factions that each believe hold the truth.
Why would unbelievers look at this and be attracted to the love of God?
What are the “signs” of a divisive spirit in a church?
If you visit a variety of churches, you see a rather peculiar phenomenon. Have you ever wondered why everyone at one church are of a certain type and everyone at another church are of another type? The vast majority of people within a particular congregation all dress, act and worship in a like manner. Likewise, the overwhelming majority of people think and believe the same way as the pastor on virtually every topic. Is this just a matter of like attracting like? Maybe. But it’s quite possible that it goes much deeper than that. One might look around their own church and see harmony and think that all is well “we have no divisions. Everyone loves each other and gets along”. However, I think it’s important for us to look outside our building walls to check the vital signs of the body of Christ. Is the church at large a healthy body? Could some of the maladies that we see in the church universal be coming from within our own denomination?
A divisive spirit is like a cancer. It can be so subtle that it can easily go unnoticed for a long period of time until it’s too late. Early detection and intervention is the key. There are some observable signs that I believe could be indicators that there might be a subtle divisive spirit within our own particular fellowship. As Christ’s disciples, I think we ought to closely examine these signs when we see them to be sure we ourselves are not in any way contributing to this grievous sin within the body.
1) Unhealthy emphasis on a non-essential topic.
Whether it’s Calvinism/Amenianism, spiritual gifts, eschatology, you name it, there’s usually something that man comes up with to sharply disagree upon. Mere Christianity is simply too easy to figure out. A child can understand it and be saved. The minute someone comes upon John 3:16, they have all the doctrine they need to get right with God. Paul understood this in speaking to the Corinthians.
“For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.”
(1 Cor 2:2)
Yet he was greatly distressed at the divisions he heard about sprouting up in the Corinthian church. Back then it was:
"I am of Paul," or "I am of Apollos," or "I am of Cephas," or "I am of Christ."
(1 Cor 1:12)
Today he might hear: “I am of Calvin” or “I am of Wesley” or “I am of Darby” etc.
Now, I believe wholeheartedly in defending essential Christian doctrine and even rigorously debating the non-essentials. We ought to be lovers of sound doctrine. It’s important that we are “rightly dividing the Word of Truth” so we can understand the “whole counsel of God” and “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ”. Each person should be searching the scripture daily as the Bereans were in Acts 17. We all know that there are those who twist the scriptures for their own purposes, and Peter tells us what their end will be (2 Pet 3:16). It’s important that we learn to recognize this.
However, when someone starts claiming that you are in rebellion if you don’t believe the rapture is coming soon, or that you must be an atheist if you don’t believe that God makes all the decisions in the universe, then I’m sorry, but we have a problem Houston. In my experience, overemphasis on non-essential topics is often the beginning of a divisive spirit within a church.
I won’t list what I believe to be non-negotiable essentials. But I will say that I have come to believe the list is much shorter than most of us think it is.
2) Homogeneous environment.
Does everyone in your church generally think the same way on peripheral issues? While this may appear to be an ideal situation, it seems rather unbalanced in a kingdom where there are such widely varying opinions about these issues among genuine God-fearing believers. Just as we have discovered the foolishness of racial segregation, so too is the foolishness of doctrinal segregation. It is not necessarily the case, but I think it can be a sign that there may be some exclusionary policy or attitude in the church. Sometimes church leadership, with the best of intentions, feels compelled to put up a hedge of protection around a particular doctrine to protect the flock from what they consider false doctrine (i.e. all other views). This can create an unwelcoming atmosphere for those who don’t hold the same convictions. If people don’t feel welcome and free to express contrary opinions about scripture or Christian living without fear of alienation, then it is likely that those people will not come back.
Are people in your church required to declare, either verbally or in writing, that they believe all of the philosophies of the church before being allowed to teach or lead others? It is sometimes suggested that it is for the sake of “unity and peace” in the body that we need to have all the teachers and leaders on the same page doctrinally. It seems that the idea behind this is that the flock needs to have confidence in its shepherds.
This, of course, is total hogwash. First of all, it sets up an inappropriate caste system within the body which was never intended by the Jesus or the apostles (Gal 3:28 ). Secondly, the emphasis on having confidence in the leadership, I think, is grossly misplaced. We don’t need to have that degree of confidence in the church leadership. We need to have confidence in God and in His Word as the final authority. Yes, we should be able to trust the good intentions of the leadership, but it should not be the least bit threatening or confusing if church elders and teachers disagree on a few secondary doctrinal issues. Every Christian soon discovers that much of scripture is difficult to interpret and that many intelligent and Godly men have disagreed on the interpretation of a variety of scripture over the course of church history. If we forbid those with the gift of teaching to exercise those gifts in the body, are we not quenching the Holy Spirit? Paul warned against this to the church in Thessalonica (1 Thess 5:19 ).
If one were to take the time to examine closely the doctrinal beliefs of the leadership, I think you would likely find many things that they don’t all completely agree upon. It’s only certain doctrine that has been chosen to be non-negotiable. This, in my opinion, is an unacceptable man-made line that is drawn in the sand. One which I don’t believe the apostles would have stood for.
Finally, it has been my own personal experience that exposure to doctrinal views contrary to my own has driven me deeper into the Word of God. This is a good thing. The heart of a Christian should always be towards truth. If I simply yield myself to the views of church leadership, I’m more apt to just soak up what is taught from the pulpit like a sponge. This is not in keeping with Paul’s admonition to test all things and hold fast to what is good. (1Thess 5:21 ).
3) Judgmental attitude towards others who hold different views.
Often times this takes the form of gossip disguised as concern. You know, the type that usually starts with “Be praying for so and so. He’s being deceived about _____”. Then it usually heads south from there. Besides the sin of gossip, I think we also see another problem in these situations. It’s always tempting to believe that our denomination or fellowship is the one that has it all right. It doesn’t take long for an elitist and exclusive attitude to develop within the congregation. So much so that people will generally talk to each other about some issues with the general assumption that other person must naturally share their views also. I can remember a particular situation in which a brother began talking to me about his particular take on current events and how they applied to end times prophesy in the bible. He spoke to me as if he was expecting an “Amen”. He was obviously certain I would agree with his assessment. When I let him know that I do not share his view, he was absolutely floored. He told be that I “dropped a bomb on him” and later told me he was “very burdened” about this. I later received a letter from him letting me know in no uncertain terms that I was deceived by the devil and he compared one of my favorite bible teachers with Hitler. When I invited the brother to reason together with me from scripture, he was not interested. His mind was made up that his favorite authors and radio bible teachers were infallible, and that I, as a lay person with no formal bible education, must be wrong.
This, in my mind, is a very telling outcome to a disagreement about a very non-essential issue. Granted, it is probably not the normal reaction one can expect in their church under similar circumstances, but I think it illustrates just how much like dumb sheep we truly are if we don’t think for ourselves. If we place our bible teachers on a too high of a pedestal, we begin to believe that they can not possibly misinterpret scripture. There is nothing wrong with respecting a particularly gifted teacher, and trusting the judgment of such. But we must be very careful not to assign the trait of omniscience to mere humans. That quality belongs only to God. All of our favorite bible teachers are matched or exceeded by another with an opposing viewpoint. Some topics are just exceedingly difficult to be dogmatic about and what is important to remember is that we don’t need to. We don’t have to know every nuance in the bible. We simply need to respond correctly to the light we are given.
4) Rhetoric and Ridicule from the pulpit.
The apostle Paul said “knowledge puffs up” (1 Cor 8:1). The moment we think we got it all figured out, it’s our nature to start poking fun of the other guy who is not quite as “enlightened” as we are. Nobody is immune to this. The apostle himself needed a “thorn in the flesh” to keep him from becoming conceited by all the revelations given to him by God (2 Cor 12:7 ). Pastors, teachers, and authors are no different. When refuting a position opposite their own, they will often resort to contentious rhetoric and scoffing rather than a sound exegetical rebuttal. Catchy phrases and clever misleading titles to describe someone else’s theology is the norm in today’s doctrinal debates. Let’s face it. A good quick laugh from your audience yields much more mileage than a dry and dull scholarly approach to making your case. This is a very hard temptation to pass up for most bible teachers in a society that just wants to get to the bottom-line as quickly as possible. Forget the details, just get to the point. We sometimes feel the need to pack a punch with as few words as possible. If you can make a congregation laugh, you’ve won their hearts and often their respect for your opinion.
However, this must never be tolerated in the church. Misrepresenting the views of another during a monologue is completely unfair, and is tantamount to bearing false witness in my opinion. And on that Jesus said:
But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man. 19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. (Matt 15:18-19 )
This particular aspect is quite possibly the most damaging blow against having unity in the faith that is in the church today. It is very likely that all previous points mentioned so far begin with this one error in judgment. And usually it leads to the next symptom of a divisive spirit in the church.
5) People leaving the fellowship for non-essential doctrinal differences.
I don’t have much experience with this personally, but I have talked to several Christians who have left a church because of either doctrinal issues they had with the pastor, or because they felt unwelcome because of their differing views. This, in my opinion, is totally infantile and adds to the problem of divisiveness. If a church is edifying in all other ways, is worshipping and serving God wholeheartedly, providing opportunities for fellowship and body ministry, then minor, and honest, doctrinal differences are completely peripheral and are not even worthy of being a issue at all. Each Christian must decide in his or her own mind where the line is drawn. I say “honest” because there are those in the church that would knowingly twist scripture and manipulate people in their congregation for their own purposes. However, these people are not difficult to identify and I would not see it as inappropriate to leave a fellowship when such as these are leaders.
I have heard it said that it is to be desired to attend a church where people are “like-minded” to maintain unity and peace. This was stated in the context that all, or most, in the congregation have the same convictions on most doctrinal issues, major and minor. I would have to disagree with that assessment. Peter told the church he was writing to:
8 Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; (1 Peter 3:8 )
Notice how he qualifies “one mind”. Having compassion, love, tender hearts, and courtesy. It would seem that in our day, it would be better expressed as being “like-hearted” rather than “like-minded”. Paul gives similar exhortations in his epistles as well (Phil 2:2, 2 Cor 13:11, Rom 15:6 ).
I feel that I need to clarify one thing here. I can appreciate the value in selecting a fellowship based on style preferences. Some Christians find one form of worship more edifying than another. Some are more charismatic, and some are more solemn. Some like a lot of structure in their meetings, and some like it more casual and open for the Spirit to lead. I wouldn’t put this in the same category as dividing over petty differences. I would simply say that one should seek fellowship based on where he or she finds the greatest advantages of drawing into a closer relationship with God. That is, where there is strong emphasis on biblical authority (2 Tim 3:16 ), love of the brethren (1 John 4 ), and spiritual worship (John 4:24 ).
What is the cause of a divisive spirit within a church?
Proverbs 13:10 says that “By pride comes nothing but strife”. Make no mistake about it. Where there is division in the church, pride is lurking somewhere behind the scenes. Stubborn pride is often at the root of dogmatic positions on difficult and debatable issues. In my opinion, this is primary cause of a divisive spirit.
Virtually every bible teacher I know uses James 3:1 as the basis of their mantra, and rightfully so. Most will phrase it something like this: “I take very seriously what James says”:
My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment. (James 3:1-2)
However, one has to wonder just how seriously some teachers actually take this. This verse, in my opinion, is a warning and a call to sober-minded humility in teaching others, knowing that many of the people we teach see us as possessing some knowledge they don’t and are very likely to believe the things we teach as absolute truth. This should cause us to be extremely cautious of what we say in the context of our teaching, and especially in preaching (monologue). The more I learn about reasonable alternate views on various subjects, the more I cringe when I hear one view taught exclusively and dogmatically. This is especially true when there is uncharitable criticism and ridicule espoused towards the other views. When I hear these things, I think “but what if you’re wrong? Are you not in danger of calling what is good evil, and what is evil good?”
C.S. Lewis, in Mere Christianity called pride the “anti-God state of mind”. All Christians, whether teachers or not, need to come to a place of humility in their approach to others. Paul said to Timothy:
24 And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, 25 in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, ( 2 Tim 2:24-25)
I will leave it at that.
Brethren, what shall we do?
Lest I seem to be merely on a self-righteous rant here, let me just say one thing. In my years of studying the bible and forming my views, I’ve found that I have often been guilty of the very things I’m writing about in this essay. I have wished that the Lord would only let me open my mouth when what I had to say was from Him (like He did to Ezekiel). I have sometimes taken the Pharisaical attitude that I know more than others, and that I have some superior knowledge about some section of scripture that many of my peers and even elders do not have. Because of this, I have often been thankful that I have not been called to regularly teach large groups of people. The few times that I have taught large groups, it’s been a very humbling experience and I’ve had to wrestle through that tendency to begin to esteem myself and the views I hold. This was especially true when I would receive compliments. Oh! how hard it must be for leading Christian teachers to have notoriety. I remember Paul’s warning that a Christian should “not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly (Rom 12:3)”. The funny thing is, the Lord has to show me from time to time that I really don’t know much at all. I am occasionally challenged by others that are much more biblically literate than I am and reminded that:
if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. (Gal 6:3-4)
Thus, I am learning to be less and less dogmatic on peripheral issues and as a result, more understanding and loving towards others who hold different views than mine. However, it is a process.
But the inevitable question arises, at least in my mind, what does the body of Christ do about the problem of divisiveness? Paul begged the Corinthians:
Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. (1 Cor 1:10 ).
Each of us must be committed to combat divisiveness in the body of Christ. I don’t think the teaching of Jesus and the apostles could be any clearer on this.
1) Start with the man (or woman) in the mirror
With any kind of constructive criticism of fellow Christians or the church, I think it’s always a good idea to start by examining ourselves. This is a principle straight from the mouth of Jesus. In giving His famous sermon on the mount he said:
First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck out of your brother's eye. (Matt 7:5)
My pastor often says “funny how our sin always looks worse on someone else”. How true that is. The people that usually offend me most are the ones that do the same things I do. I’ve also heard it said that we judge others by their deeds, and ourselves by our intentions.
As believers, we need to learn how to identify the spirit of pride and divisiveness in ourselves whenever it begins to arise and then repent of it immediately. This is especially true for those of us who have teaching ministries. Paul rebuked the divisive Jews in Rome about this:
You, therefore, who teach another, do you not teach yourself? You who preach that a man should not steal, do you steal? 22 You who say, "Do not commit adultery," do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? 23 You who make your boast in the law, do you dishonor God through breaking the law? (Rom 2:21-23)
Let’s be careful though. If we do happen to identify this in ourselves, let us not think for a moment that we are disqualified to address this issue in someone else. Once we repent, we are forgiven (1 John 1:9) and free to humbly come before others and exhort them to repentance also. Which leads me to the next point.
2) Peer pressure
Peer pressure is a two way street. It can work for both negative and positive influence in people’s lives. For the Christian, the hope is that we are having a positive influence on other Christians, and that they are having a positive influence on us. That is probably why we are told to:
consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, 25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another. (Heb 10:24-25)
Perhaps one of the hardest things to do is correcting a friend when they do something wrong. We hate the idea of straining a good relationship by confronting sinful attitudes. However, if the people we call our friends are indeed true Christians, then we must assume that they also want to do what is right and glorifying to God. The proverb says: “Reproofs of instruction are the way of life (Prov 6:23)”
Even if instruction is not received well, a believer will eventually recognize his folly and yield to the conviction of the Holy Spirit and even appreciate your correction.
Rebuke a wise man, and he will love you. (Prov 9:8 )
I think it is our duty, both to the body of Christ, and to our friends to gently correct a divisive spirit when we see it. Friends don’t let friends continue in sin.
3) Approaching church leadership
This is possibly one of the most critical steps in promoting charity and unity within the body. It’s at least where we can a great deal of mileage. Leadership sets the tone and attitude in this area, and especially the primary teaching pastor. The sheep tend to follow their shepherd. Technically, Jesus is the only true shepherd (John 10) and we, as His sheep, know Him. We hear His voice and follow Him. But I don’t’ think it would be out of line to say that pastors and leaders are like sheep dogs, assigned by the Shepherd to feed the flock and protect it from wolves. Jesus commissioned Peter to this very thing after His resurrection (John 21:15-17). Pastors and leaders of a congregation have a difficult balancing act to deal with. They are called to both protect the flock from wolves (Acts 20:28-32), and help them grow into mature disciples for ministry (Matt 28:19-20, Eph 4:11-12). But we have to remember, these men are sheep themselves and also need to be watched out for and encouraged to growth when necessary. Everyone is a work in progress, and nobody is beyond reproach. Nobody can claim that they have all the right answers either. Even the most gifted teacher and theologian only sees a dim reflection of the truth (1 Cor 13:9-12). Therefore, we must be prepared to address divisive thinking among the leaders of our fellowship.
Having said all that, I think it is also necessary to emphasize that this is a very delicate matter, and is to be handled appropriately. We can easily say all the right things in the wrong manner and the result is the same as if we say the wrong things. If we storm into our pastor’s office with our guns blazing and begin to rebuke him for being divisive, I don’t think we will get very far at all. The proverb says:
A soft answer turns away wrath,
But a harsh word stirs up anger.(Prov 15:1)
Fortunately, we are given some direction on this in scripture. Paul told Timothy:
Do not rebuke an older man, but exhort him as a father, younger men as brothers, 2 older women as mothers, younger as sisters, with all purity. (1 Tim 5:1-2 )
The word for “exhort” here is parakaleo in the Greek. It means to call near, invite, or implore someone. The idea here is one of pleading with someone in gentleness and humility, for the sake of Christ and His bride, to come along with us in doing what is right. Coming to our church leaders in humility and respect, I think, greatly increases the chances that they will be open to conviction and agreement.
Another important point is that this should be kept a private matter between you and the individual you are approaching. We should allow for the Lord to work in a person’s heart alone without the embarrassment of being publicly humiliated. We must first approach people privately, in humility, and reverence if our objective is truly for correction, and not public humiliation. This means that we must not discuss the matter with others in any way that could lead someone to discover who it is you’re talking about. This calls for great discernment in seeking biblical counsel. It must be kept very vague, or not discussed at all. I do think that there can come a point that it should be made more public, but not initially.
Now, what if you approach your pastor as described, and he is simply obstinate and unwilling to bend on this? Well, I think we have direction from the scripture here as well. Paul said:
Reject a divisive man after the first and second admonition, 11 knowing that such a person is warped and sinning, being self-condemned. (Titus 3:10-11)
Paul is speaking to a leader here, Titus, about rejecting someone who just wants to argue for the sake of argument, someone not necessarily interested in truth. But I think it can be applied in reverse as well. If a leader is the one being divisive and unrepentant of it, he is not acting in love and is being carnal according to Paul (1 Cor 3). Unfortunately, to “reject a divisive man” in this case will usually mean leaving the fellowship he is leading. There may be some church structures that provide a means for further discipline of the pastor, through the elders board or the congregation, but in denominations (and non-denominations) that set the pastor up as a benevolent dictator, often times the only option is to leave.
If it gets to this point, I think we are free to discuss the disagreement with our friends and others in the church. I don’t see any problem in letting people know why you are leaving. But, even at this point, it should be done in a loving and respectful manner lest we appear (and indeed become) embittered.
A final call to arms
That is, arms lifted up in prayer for Agape love in the church. I don’t want it to seem like I’m espousing another 5-point humanistic system to church success here. Only the Holy Spirit can bring about revival and reformation on any problem. But, this problem is one that the church, led by the Spirit, will need to address if we are to become the bride that Christ is worthy of. Petty differences that divide us are a serious blemish on the wife of the Lamb. In fact, to the unsaved world, it stands out like a huge zit on her nose ready to explode into a bloody mess. If that sounds a little too graphic and disgusting, just think how God feels about it. We are exhorted to be of “one mind” many times in scripture (Rom 15:6, 2 Cor 13:11, Phil 1:27, Phil 2:2, 1 Pet 3:8 ). In all of these cases, the context is charity and love toward one another. I can’t find anywhere in scripture that instructs us to go our separate ways if we don’t agree upon minor issues.
I personally believe that Christ is coming back for a bride that has prepared herself (Rev 19:7) and that we have been implored by Peter to hasten that day (2 Pet 3:12).
Each one of us, as dedicated followers of Christ, must resist a divisive spirit at all costs. This means that each one of us must be committed to deal with this issue within ourselves, our peer groups, and our churches as the Spirit leads us to do so. This, in my opinion, is absolutely necessary if we are to have unity in the faith and fulfill the wishes, no, commandment of our Lord:
“This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.” John 15:12
I just wanted to point out that Paul said this to the Corinthians becase they were carnal and could not understand spiritual matters very well. (1 Cor 3:1+) I don't think Paul was setting the tone that everyone can avoid divisions by never growing beyond the most basic truth of the resurrection. We should go on to maturity (Hebrews 6:1).