Blake Long

Tribalism is an ugly thing; there’s quite a danger to it. When we allow tribalism to run amuck, our sin shows up quickly in how we treat others. Instead of focusing on everything agreed upon, we quickly notice disagreement on non-essential topics.

In the church there must be no divisions, which is exactly what 1 Corinthians 1:10 says, “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” (italics mine). This doesn’t mean you can’t have disagreements over smaller things; it means don’t be disagreeable. Don’t die on the wrong hills. Further on in this passage, the Apostle Paul pens, “For it has been reported to me by Chloe’s people that there is quarreling among you, my brothers. What I mean is that each one of you says, ‘I follow Paul,’ or ‘I follow Apollos,’ or ‘I follow Cephas,’ or ‘I follow Christ.’ Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul” (1 Corinthians 1:11-13)?

We all have the preachers we learn from. All of us have our favorite pastors. It’s okay to learn from faithful men; it’s not okay, however, to make it part of your Christian identity and then, consequently, be divided over it among fellow faithful believers.

Not to mention that none of the popular preachers you may listen to are 100% correct on every theological topic. Below are just a few examples.

• John Piper – There’s much to appreciate about John Piper: his preaching of God’s Word is thrilling, his writing is passionate, and he is simply serious about having joy in Jesus! But I don’t agree with him on the continuation of the spiritual sign gifts.
• John MaCarthur – Whether it’s his wonderful writings or his expository preaching, J-Mac is a faithful man of God. However, I don’t agree with his views on the end times and I think he’s too dogmatic in areas.
• RC Sproul – I wish RC was still here. My love for the doctrines of grace came straight from him. He was faithful until the end. However, I don’t agree with his view on baptism. He baptized babies, and, as a Southern Baptist, I just can’t get on board with that.
• Alistair Begg – There’s much to commend Begg for. He’s a faithful man of God who preaches the Word, writes great books, and is a sincere pastor to his sheep. But, in the last year or so Begg gave advice to someone about attending the wedding of a transgender loved one that I couldn’t get on board with. Do I “cancel” him now? No, but I don’t believe the counsel is right.

Again, these are just a few examples. I used these men because they’ve all influenced greatly my walk with Jesus. But the point is this: I don’t put all my cards on these men. I put them on Jesus. If you don’t like John MacArthur, I really don’t care. If John Piper is a bit much for you, that’s fine. If Alistair Begg seems like a compromiser to you, so be it. Sure, I want you to learn from these faitful men, but your ultimate allegiance should be to Jesus. These men get things wrong. Jesus doesn’t.

The bigger issue, of course, is when we allow our infatuation with men like the above to supplant our love for brothers and sisters in our local church. Who you’re listening to online shouldn’t cause any division in your church unless said person is teaching anti-gospel falsehood. For example, if you’re having a conversation with a member in your church and they mention the “fantastic” Steven Furtick sermon, I would advise you to gently but firmly tell them them to stop. So, yes, there’s wisdom to be had in understanding when to make that an issue. Ask for wisdom and discernment from God.

Let there be no divisions among you. There’s no need to quarrel over what did so-and-so say on social media or if said preacher has all the right views. Ultimately, this comes down to simply loving and caring about fellow church members. When we love our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, we will not be divided other such things.