Blake Long

Division in the church always hurts, definitely when it comes to your church. There are different types of division, though. Many cry foul of conservative Christians whose mission is to preserve the authority and inerrancy of Scripture—and in doing so, we divide. They say, “Doctrine divides.” Yes, indeed it does.

Doctrine divides truth from falsehood; truth from lies; orthodoxy from heresy. We need not apologize for dividing over gospel truths. We must do that.

But that’s not the division I’m speaking of. The division I’m talking about—the sin of schism—is unnecessary division that happens within the church. This division, this schism, is ravaging the church.

What does the word schism mean, exactly? It is derived from the Greek word schisma, which the Apostle Paul used for “divisions” specifically in 1 Corinthians 1:10-11,

I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment. For it has been reported . . . that there is quarreling among you, my brothers.

There will always be divisions in the church. Division over doctrine, church government, hermeneutics, and the like. But the type of division Paul is addressing—and what I’m referring to—is unnecessary division.

“Schism is a division within or split from a church,” writes Michael G. Brown at Ligonier. “It occurs in a congregation or denomination when a faction is formed on the basis of something other than the faith once for all delivered to the saints” (italics mine).

Though we have room for discussions—even animated ones—over different theological doctrines and other things, there are many in the church who “quarrel over opinions” (Romans 14:1) on topics that matter, but not to the point of unnecessary division. Instead of being unified on the gospel, these people make it their mission to fight, argue, and criticize everything about everyone else.

You name it, these people have an opinion on it. Ranging from doctrine to politics, from church government to the United States government, those who seek division stop at nothing to argue. I don’t mean to be overtly negative here, but the sin of schism is a massive issue within the church. So, what must we do with those who desire to cause division in the church? What is the best course of action?

The first point of action should be a loving, but firm, rebuke. Any Christian will need a loving rebuke from time to time because we can all be rather dumb on occasion. But the reason we rebuke is not for its own sake. We rebuke to restore. We rebuke to invite them to repent. In a perfect world, rebuke should lead to repentance. But many times, unfortunately, a rebuke only leads to the hardening of the person’s heart.

At some point—if you are going through the process of church discipline—excommunication must come into play. Again, just like with rebuking, we don’t excommunicate because it’s a drastic step. We excommunicate out of love for that person and of the church that Jesus bought with His blood. We ultimately excommunicate so “the sinner experience the full, painful consequences of his sinful choices so that he will repent, submit to God, and be saved from spiritual ruin. The motive for excommunication is not punishment or vengeance but reformation and spiritual health” (source).

The sin of schism is serious because the health of Christ’s body is serious. Leaders in the church should not mess around with those who seek to cause division, stir up strife, and argue at every corner. They must be dealt with—and biblically so. We don’t ever want things to progress to excommunication, but the Lord Jesus instituted it for a reason—to ensure His bride is healthy and thriving.