"Biblical
Division"
Romans 16:17 Now
I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences
contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.
The previous is
a verse of scripture that is probably misused and misquoted more today
than ever before. Today’s modern day televangelists and the like
use this to supposedly rebuke those that stand up to there misuse and
twisting of the Word of God. Many of them openly preach things that
are blatantly anti-biblical, and then accuse those that stand up against
them of causing division.
Well let’s
look at what the verse says, “mark them which cause divisions
and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid
them”. The first part of the verse states that we are to “mark
them which cause division and offences” ok and if we look previous
to that in the verse Paul was beseeching us to do so. Now what kind
of division was Paul speaking off? This is the real question that we
must address here, is any kind of division wrong or is there a specific
type of division that we must mark.
Surely some of you
will say, “Brother just look at the end of the verse” and
you would be exactly right to say that, it should really be that simple.
But the fact of the matter is that for quiet a few people in the church
today it isn’t. They teach whatever they want under the guise
of Christianity and then accuse everyone that stands up to them of causing
division. Lets come back to the verse in question later and look at
a few other things for the moment.
Luke 12:51 Suppose
ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather
division:
Now for those of
you that have a red letter edition of the Bible you will find that the
previous verse is in red, meaning that it is the words of Christ. Here
we see the Lord Himself said that He came to bring division. Oh so I
guess according to today’s line of thinking that Jesus caused
division and He should be avoided??? I don’t think so brothers
and sisters, the fact of the matter is this: it is the responsibility
of Born-Again Christians to stand for the truth even if it causes them
to be looked at as someone that causes division.
Jesus caused division,
Paul caused division, I don’t think you could prove that any of
the Apostles could be accused of not causing division. The simple fact
that they would use this argument shows their lack of knowledge of the
word, or lack of discernment. Take your pick most of them are probably
lacking both or more, but I’ll address that later.
2Timothy 3:16 All
scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine,
for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
I want everyone
to take a good hard look at that verse. First off All scripture is given
by inspiration of God. Now I can quote you verse after verse that proves
that scripture is free from error. Ok so if its free from error and
for the sake of time I wont get into all of that because it is not my
point to prove that the Bible is God’s word if you doubt that
you need to take a good hard look at yourself and contemplate your place
with God. Ok moving on, scripture is profitable for doctrine.
Webster defines
doctrine as “something that is taught“. Now knowing what
kind of God we serve do you really think that He would accept something
in error to be taught as doctrine??? Hardly so, doctrine is truth that
is taught, if it isn’t the truth then it isn’t God’s
doctrine. I don’t think that anyone would argue that God considers
errors doctrine. Next the verse states that, scripture is profitable
for reproof.
Now the dictionary
definition of reproof is “blame or censure for a fault”
but to understand this a little better I’m going to go back to
the Greek. The word used here is elegchos which is used once as evidence
and once as reproof, both have a similar meaning. The root of this word
in the Greek is elegcho which literally means “to rebuke another
with the truth so that the person confesses, or at least is convicted
of his sin. Although convicted, he may not be convinced.” Notice
that the word means to rebuke with the TRUTH! Now if your standing or
speaking out against someone that is preaching or teaching a lie, yes
you may be causing division, but then you would be doing the same thing
that the Lord Jesus Christ did when He was here on earth.
Next we see that
scripture is profitable for correction. Now if anyone does not know
what exactly correction means I’ll give you the definition according
to Webster, correction is the adjective form of the word correct which
means “to make right” or “REPROVE, CHASTISE”.
It means that scripture is here to help us make right what is wrong.
If someone is preaching something that isn’t right, does not agree
with the Bible then the scripture is profitable to correct them.
Alright lets look
at the last thing the verse says that scripture is profitable for. Instruction
in Righteousness, now if this isn’t self-explanatory I don’t
know what is. Instruction is teach someone how to do something, and
the verse even tells us what the scripture is good to instruct in, righteousness.
Righteousness is the adverb form of righteous which means “acting
or being in accordance with what is just, honorable, and free from guilt
or wrong.”.
Now lets look at
the verse again:
2Timothy 3:16 All
scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine,
for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
First we see that
the truth must be taught, then we see three times in a row that it must
be taught right!!! Now when the Bible stresses something it is very
important for us to sit up and take notice, and here we see that it
is stressing the importance of keeping things true. We must always adhere
to the truth no matter what, want to know why?
John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life:
no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. (Emphasis mine)
Jesus said it Himself,
He is the Truth. If you’re not following the truth then you’re
not following Christ.
Psalm 119:160 Thy
word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments
endureth for ever.
God’s word
is true, if your not following the truth then your not following the
Word of God.
1John 5:6 This is
he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only,
but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because
the Spirit is truth.
The Holy Spirit
is truth, if you’re not following the truth then you’re
not following the Holy Spirit.
If you need to know
how important it is to follow the truth then just look back at John
14:6 again, “no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
. Jesus is the only way to get to heaven. Why would someone who believed
that and placed there faith in Jesus to save them, then turn around
and preach something that is false and then accuse the brethren of causing
division? Well let’s take a look at the verse right after our
subject verse.
Romans 16:18 For
they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly;
and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.
The question arises
that if someone teaches something that is contrary to the Word of God,
are they really born again? If you are born again the Word ensure you
that the truth will be in you.
1John 2: 27 But
the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need
not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of
all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught
you, ye shall abide in him.
Notice that the
word says that you don’t need a man to teach you, the Holy Spirit
will guide you in truth. Now if a born again person has the Holy Spirit
in them, how can they teach a lie, and how can you justify following
them knowing that they teach a lie? Now I’m not trying to judge
anyone’s salvation, that is between them and God, what I am saying
is, by their fruits ye shall know them. If all a man can do is spread
his anti-biblical doctrine and accuse those that try to reprove him
of causing division, exactly what kind of fruit is that???
Now lets look at
another verse of scripture at see what it has to say:
2Timothy 4:3 For
the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after
their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching
ears;
4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned
unto fables.
Now notice that
the Word says that they “will not endure sound doctrine”.
Now how does this stand up to those that accuse the brethren of causing
division when they try to reprove them? Seems once again that the Bible
never misses. But yet these men will stand up and claim that they are
led of the Holy Spirit and if you speak out against them that you’re
causing division.
We must always remember
the example of Christ who Himself claimed that He came to bring division.
Not unbiblical division, but separation from that which is unrighteous.
We must be like Paul in Romans 1:1 “separated unto the gospel
of God”. Not separated unto something that a man teaches as the
truth, but separated unto the gospel of God. Separated unto the truth,
separated unto Jesus Christ our Lord, who never once stood for error
being preached or taught as truth. He rebuked the Pharisees and Sadducees
whenever they taught something that was false, and don’t think
for one second that they didn’t accuse Him of causing division
all those years ago. But just because He was accused of it does not
mean that He was wrong for doing so.
So with all that
said lets take another look at Romans 16:17:
Romans 16:17 Now
I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences
contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.
Now lets look at
the end of the verse and see exactly what it is saying. “mark
them which cause division and offences contrary to the doctrine which
ye have learned; and avoid them.” (Emphasis mine). Now really
this whole study could have been very short I could have just simply
pointed out that people that use the above verse to say that someone
is causing division when they are reproved by them simply don’t
read the whole thing. But I wanted to make sure that I drove the point
home that division isn’t always a bad thing, division from that
which is false is expected of born again Christian. Jesus caused division
everywhere He went.
If the division
is contrary to the Bible, i.e. it does not line up with the Word of
God, then it is wrong. If someone is rebuked for teaching something
that is contrary to the Bible, then they are the ones that are causing
division not those that reprove them. So do as the verse says and mark
those that cause divisions and offences CONTRARY to the Word of God,
and avoid them. So the next time you turn on the TV or flip on the radio
and you hear a man preaching something that is blatantly against the
Bible, mark them and avoid them.
Don’t you
ever take a man’s word for it:
2Timothy 2:15 Study
to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be
ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
Lord I humbly pray
that you use this simple work to help some brother or sister to see
the truth. May You get all the glory and honor Lord, I pray that this
in some way helps someone that needs to hear it. Thanks You Father for
everything You have done for me and thank you for the Light that is
Truth of Your gospel Lord. In Jesus name I humbly pray.
Amen.