Bible Questions Answered:
“Our church has a division between
its membership. Traditionalists versus Contemporary believers, and
the division is sharp and separating and nothing is making it go
away, if the church leans towards the more traditional, then thee
opposing group makes a ruckus and the same if it moves towards the
more contemporary with the traditional members being upset and put
out...”
Arnold/ Fayetteville, North Carolina
U.S.A.
Bible Answer:
Bible Texts:
The Word Of God
has a thing or two to say concerning church divisions:
Divisions
Within The Church, Condemned:
I Corinthians
1:10-17 NLT
10 I appeal to
you, dear brothers and sisters, by the authority of our
Lord Jesus
Christ, to live in harmony with each other. Let there be
no divisions in the church. Rather, be of one mind, united
in thought and purpose.
11 For some
members of Chloe’s household have told me about your quarrels,
my dear brothers and sisters.
12 Some of you
are saying, “I am a follower of Paul.” Others are saying, “I
follow Apollos,” or “I follow Peter,” or “I follow only
Christ.”
13 Has Christ
been divided into factions? Was I, Paul, crucified for you? Were any
of you baptized in the name of Paul? Of course not!
14 I thank God
that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius,
15 for now no
one can say they were baptized in my name.
16 (Oh yes, I
also baptized the household of Stephanas, but I don’t remember
baptizing anyone else.)
17 For Christ
didn’t send me to baptize, but to preach the Good News—and not
with clever speech, for fear that the cross of Christ would lose its
power.
Carnal spirit:
I Corinthians
3:3 NLT
For you are
still controlled by your sinful nature. You are jealous of one
another and quarrel with each other. Doesn’t that prove you are
controlled by your sinful nature? Aren’t you living like people of
the world?
I Corinthians 11:18 NLT
18 First, I
hear that there are divisions among you when you meet as a church,
and to some extent I believe it.
22"...Do
you want me to praise you? Well, I certainly will not praise you for
this!
Unbecoming
a church of The Lord Jesus Christ:
I Corinthians
12:12-27 NLT
12 The human
body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it
is with the body of Christ.
13 Some of us
are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But
we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all
share the same Spirit.
14 Yes, the
body has many different parts, not just one part.
15 If the foot
says, “I am not a part of the body because I am not a hand,” that
does not make it any less a part of the body.
16 And if the
ear says, “I am not part of the body because I am not an eye,”
would that make it any less a part of the body?
17 If the whole
body were an eye, how would you hear? Or if your whole body were an
ear, how would you smell anything?
18 But our
bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where he wants
it.
19 How strange
a body would be if it had only one part!
20 Yes, there
are many parts, but only one body.
21 The eye can
never say to the hand, “I don’t need you.” The head can’t say
to the feet, “I don’t need you.”
22 In fact,
some parts of the body that seem weakest and least important are
actually the most necessary.
23 And the
parts we regard as less honorable are those we clothe with the
greatest care. So we carefully protect those parts that should not be
seen,
24 while the
more honorable parts do not require this special care. So God has put
the body together such that extra honor and care are given to those
parts that have less dignity.
25 This makes
for harmony among the members, so that all the members care
for each other.
26 If one
part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is
honored, all the parts are glad.
27 All of
you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it.
Division Is In
Opposition To The Will Of The Lord Jesus:
John 17:21-23
KJV
21 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.
22 And the
glory which thou gavest Me I have given them; that they may be
one, even as we are one:
23 I in them,
and thou in Me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that
the world may know that thou hast sent Me, and hast loved them, as
thou hast loved Me.
Our Lord's Will,
Unity:
John 10:16 KJV
And other sheep
I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they
shall hear My voice; and there shall be one fold, and one
Shepherd.
I Corinthians
12:13 NLT
Some of us are
Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But
we have all been baptized into one body by one
Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit.
Avoid
those who cause divisions:
Romans 16:17 KJV
Now I beseech
you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offenses contrary
to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.
Division and its
result:
Matthew 12:25
KJV
And Jesus knew
their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against
itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided
against itself shall not stand:
The Answer Is
The Word Of God:
Proverbs 29:18
NLT
When people do
not accept divine guidance, they run wild. But whoever obeys the law
is joyful.
Isaiah 8:20 KJV
To the law and
to the testimony: if they speak not according to this Word, it is
because there is no Light in them.
John 12:48 KJV
He that
rejecteth Me, and receiveth not My Words, hath one that judgeth him:
The Word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last
day.
I Thessalonians
2:13 NLT
Therefore, we
never stop thanking God that when you received His message from us,
you didn’t think of our words as mere human ideas. You accepted
what we said as the very Word Of God—which, of course, it is. And
this Word continues to work in you who believe.
God's Word, is
Sacred:
Deuteronomy 4:2
KJV
Ye shall not
add unto The Word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish
ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of The Lord your God
which I command you.
Deuteronomy
12:32 KJV
What thing
soever I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto,
nor diminish from it.
Proverbs 30:6
KJV
Add thou not
unto His Words, lest He reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.
Ecclesiastes
3:14 NLT
And I know that
whatever God does is final. Nothing can be added to it or taken from
it. God’s purpose is that people should fear Him.
Matthew 5:17,18
KJV
17 Think not
that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to
destroy, but to fulfill.
18 For verily I
say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall
in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
Luke 21:33 KJV
Heaven and
earth shall pass away: but My Words shall not pass away.
Galatians 1:8,9
KJV
8 But though
we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than
that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.
9 As we said
before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto
you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.
Revelation 22:19
KJV
And if any man
shall take away from The Words of the book of this prophecy, God
shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy
city, and from the things which are written in this book.
God's People Are
Called To “Search The Scriptures.”
John 5:39 KJV
Search the
scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they
are they which testify of Me.
Acts 17:10,11
KJV
10 And the
brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea:
who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews.
11 These were
more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received The
Word with all readiness of mind, and searched the
scriptures daily, whether those things were so.
II Timothy 2:15
KJV
Study to shew
thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed,
rightly dividing The Word Of Truth.
I John 5:3 KJV
For this is the
love of God, that we keep His commandments: and His commandments are
not grievous.
Psalm 119:165
KJV
Great peace
have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them.
Matthew 5:9 KJV
Blessed are the
peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
