Christianity - a reason for division?

1. Christianity- a reason fordivision? – 1th
August2016
“I appeal to you,brothers and sisters,in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,that all of youagree with
one another inwhat you say andthat there be no divisionsamongyou,butthat you be perfectly
unitedin mindand thought”( 1 Corinthians1:10).
Why are there so much disagreements,confusion,anddivisionin the Christian religion?Even"Christian"
denominationsoftendisagreeandcontradictone another.DoesJesusapprove of such division,ordoes
He wantreligiousunity?Doesdivisionoccurbecause the Bible contradictsitself orcannotbe
understood?Isitcausedby ignorance,lackof Bible study,humanreligiousauthority,andman-made
creeds?Therefore itisimportantforusas Christianstoknow as to whatGod's word says. Confusion,
division,anddisagreementisaboundinreligion.Religiouspeople are dividedintohundredsof different
denominations,wearingdifferentnames,worshippingindifferentways,andteachingdifferent
doctrines.Inthisstudywe wantto considerwhythere issomuch confusion,disagreement,anddivision
amongChristians.
Do people fail tostudydiligentlyenough,resultinginignorance…? Sometimespeople suggestinvalid
explanations,whichare notthe real sourcesof the teaching.Firstlywe mustknow thatitis certainlynot
because God's will Isunrevealedoras some say‘incomplete…’These peopletendtosaythat
disagreementexistsbecauseGodhasnevertolduseverythingwe needtoknow.Or perhapstruthshave
beenlostor changedoverthe centuries.Butwe can learnfrom 2 Timothy 3:15-17, “…andhowfrom
infancyyouhave known the Holy Scriptures,which are able to make you wise for salvationthrough
faithin ChristJesus. 16
All Scripture isGod-breathedandis useful for teaching,rebuking,correcting and
traininginrighteousness, 17
sothat the servantof Godmay be thoroughlyequippedfor every good
work”. The Scriptures tellsusthatGod has toldus everythingwe needtoknow tobe saved…salvation
throughfaithin ChristJesus and that shouldbe ourultimate priorityasChristians. We mustunderstand
that whenpeople are religiouslydivided,itisnotbecause God'sword isunavailable toustoday...but
our ignorance orlazinessinfindingthe truth!We canlearnfrom 1 Peter 1:24-25, “For,all people are
like grass,and all their glory islike the flowers ofthe field;the grass withers andthe flowersfall,but
the word of the Lord endures forever.”
Secondlysome people suggestthat the Bible contradictsbecause partsof the Bible contradictother
parts or perhapsthe Bible isinerroror inaccurate onsome points. Some othersmaysaythat it is
difficulttounderstand…!We mustknowthat God's wordis infallible,harmoniousandunified.Itcannot
be wrong,and it cannotcontradictitself.If people disagreewiththe Bible,thenitisthe people whoare
wrong,not the Bible.Some people thinkthatthe average personcannotpossiblyunderstandthe
Scriptures,so insteadof attemptingto understand people justnaturallydisagree aboutwhatitmeans or
don’tunderstandwhatwassaid.But Jesusexpectedall the multitudeswhoheardHimspeakto
understandHisteachings.We canread from Mark 7:14, “
AgainJesuscalled the crowd to him andsaid,
“Listento me, everyone, andunderstandthis”. Againwe can learnfrom 2 Timothy 3:15-17, “All
Scripture is God-breathedandisuseful for teaching,rebuking,correcting and trainingin
righteousness, 17
sothat the servant of God[a]
may be thoroughlyequippedforevery goodwork. The
Scripturesmake uswisertounderstandGodand what he expectsfromus.It profitablyinstructsustoall
goodworks.How could anyone doso if they cannot understandthem?The Scripturesgive the average
man a way to distinguishtruthfromerror.God revealedthe Bible tomake knownhiswill.If we cannot
understandthe message,thenGodhasfailed.Buthow canan all-wise,all-powerful Godfail?He didnot
fail;therefore we canunderstand…thefailure isonourpart!

2. Thirdlysome people thinkGoddoesnotobjectif sincere peopleare religiouslydivided. We canknow
that Jesusprayedforall whobelievein Himtobe one as He andHis Fatherare one.We can readthis
fromJohn 17:20-21, “Myprayer isnot for them alone. I pray alsofor those whowill believe in me
throughtheir message, 21
thatall ofthem may be one, Father, just as youare inme andI am in you.
May they alsobe in us so that the world maybelieve that you have sent me”.We can learnwhere the
apostle Paul toldthe Corinthianstocease theirdivisions. We canlearnthisfrom 1 Corinthians1:10, “ I
appeal to you, brothers andsisters, inthe name ofour Lord Jesus Christ,that all of you agree with one
another inwhat you say andthat there be no divisionsamongyou,butthat you be perfectly united in
mindand thought”. If "all the churchesare followingJesus,"whyare theydivided?Histeachingdoes
not divide people.Sotheymustbe dividedbecause some are notfollowingJesus.
We have nowstudiedseveralsuggestionspeople offertoexplainreligiousconfusionanddivision.The
problemwithall these explanationsisthattheyplace the blame onGod and the Bible ratherthanon
themselves.Becausetheyforgetthat Godisnot the author of confusion butthe purveyorof peace,
clarityand truthto all of mankind!.We can learnfrom 1 Corinthians14:33, “For Godis nota Godof
disorderbut of peace—asin all the congregationsof the Lord’s people”. Therefore we mustlook
elsewhere forthe real causesof the problem.
Whenwe studythe reasonfor deviations inChristianity,itiscleartous that blamingGodor the bible is
not the reasonbut ourhuman thinkingandotherwrongful religiousguides.People sometimesfollow
otherhumanguidessuchas conscience,feelings,beliefsof the majority,etc.All suchstandardscanlead
us intoerror. We can learnthat followinghumandoctrinesmakes suchworship vainandauseless
effort.We can learnthisfromwhere Jesussaid: “Everyplantthat my heavenly Father hasnot planted
will be pulledup by the roots”(Matthew15:13).
Therefore if the teachingsare NOTbiblicallysound,thenitwill be aworthlessexercise forwhoever
concerned!We geta greatunderstandingfrom 2John 9, that says:“Anyonewho runs aheadand does
not continuein the teachingof Christdoes not have God;whoever continuesin the teaching hasboth
the Father and the Son”. We can alsolearnof an importantadvice givenin Galatians1:8-9,“But even if
we or anangel fromheaven shouldpreach a gospel other than the one we preached to you,let them
be under God’scurse! 9
As we have already said,sonow I say again:If anybodyispreachingto youa
gospel other than what you accepted,let them be under God’scurse! Therefore asChristianswe must
knowthat Religiousdisagreement,division,andconfusionare notcausedbyGod or His word.Theyare
causedby people whodonotobeyGod's worddiligently…theyhave differentagendas forthemselves!