What causes divisions? - Divisions - TouchPoints

1 Corinthians 3:3You 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?

Galatians 5:19-21When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy.

James 4:1-3What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Don’t they come from the evil desires at war within you? You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can’t get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them. Yet you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it. And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure.

Jude 1:17-19You, my dear friends, must remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ predicted. They told you that in the last times there would be scoffers whose purpose in life is to satisfy their ungodly desires. These people are the ones who are creating divisions among you. They follow their natural instincts because they do not have God’s Spirit in them.

The desire to get what we want, even if it means hurting others to do it, creates conflict and division in any community. This is no less true in many of our churches, and certainly not God’s plan for us.

Proverbs 13:10Pride leads to conflict; those who take advice are wise.

Pride, the belief that we are correct or that our opinion is the most important, quickly leads to conflict and division.

Genesis 26:12-16When Isaac planted his crops that year, he harvested a hundred times more grain than he planted, for the Lord blessed him. He became a very rich man, and his wealth continued to grow. He acquired so many flocks of sheep and goats, herds of cattle, and servants that the Philistines became jealous of him. So the Philistines filled up all of Isaac’s wells with dirt. These were the wells that had been dug by the servants of his father, Abraham. Finally, Abimelech ordered Isaac to leave the country. “Go somewhere else,” he said, “for you have become too powerful for us.”

James 3:16Wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind.

Jealousy over what others have breeds resentment in our hearts.

Proverbs 28:25Greed causes fighting; trusting the Lord leads to prosperity.

1 Corinthians 11:18, 20-21First, I hear that there are divisions among you when you meet as a church, and to some extent I believe it. . . . When you meet together, you are not really interested in the Lord’s Supper. For some of you hurry to eat your own meal without sharing with others. As a result, some go hungry while others get drunk.

When greed—the desire to always have more—governs our actions, our unity in Christ is quickly shattered by jealousy and conflict.

Proverbs 15:18A hot-tempered person starts fights; a cool-tempered person stops them.

Proverbs 29:22An angry person starts fights; a hot-tempered person commits all kinds of sin.

Proverbs 30:33As the beating of cream yields butter and striking the nose causes bleeding, so stirring up anger causes quarrels.

Anger can quickly grow out of control, leading to open conflict.

Mark 9:34They [Jesus’ disciples] didn’t answer, because they had been arguing about which of them was the greatest.

Mark 10:35-41Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came over and spoke to him. “Teacher,” they said, “we want you to do us a favor.” “What is your request?” he asked. They replied, “When you sit on your glorious throne, we want to sit in places of honor next to you, one on your right and the other on your left.” . . . When the ten other disciples heard what James and John had asked, they were indignant.

Personal ambition to get ahead no matter what the cost will cause division even among godly people.

1 Corinthians 1:11-13Some members of Chloe’s household have told me about your quarrels, my dear brothers and sisters. 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.” 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!

1 Corinthians 3:3-4You 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? When one of you says, “I am a follower of Paul,” and another says, “I follow Apollos,” aren’t you acting just like people of the world?

1 Corinthians 4:6-7If you pay attention to what I have quoted from the Scriptures, you won’t be proud of one of your leaders at the expense of another. For what gives you the right to make such a judgment? What do you have that God hasn’t given you? And if everything you have is from God, why boast as though it were not a gift?

A partisan spirit or misplaced loyalty leads to division among God’s people.

Romans 16:17Now I make one more appeal, my dear brothers and sisters. Watch out for people who cause divisions and upset people’s faith by teaching things contrary to what you have been taught. Stay away from them.

1 Timothy 6:3-5Some people may contradict our teaching, but these are the wholesome teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. These teachings promote a godly life. Anyone who teaches something different is arrogant and lacks understanding. Such a person has an unhealthy desire to quibble over the meaning of words. This stirs up arguments ending in jealousy, division, slander, and evil suspicions. These people always cause trouble. Their minds are corrupt, and they have turned their backs on the truth. To them, a show of godliness is just a way to become wealthy.

False teaching in the church will lead to manipulation and division among God’s people.

Acts 15:37-40Barnabas agreed and wanted to take along John Mark. But Paul disagreed strongly, since John Mark had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in their work. Their disagreement was so sharp that they separated.

Philippians 4:2Now I appeal to Euodia and Syntyche. Please, because you belong to the Lord, settle your disagreement.

Differences of opinion can lead to division among God’s people.

1 Corinthians 6:1-6When one of you has a dispute with another believer, how dare you file a lawsuit and ask a secular court to decide the matter instead of taking it to other believers! Don’t you realize that someday we believers will judge the world? And since you are going to judge the world, can’t you decide even these little things among yourselves? Don’t you realize that we will judge angels? So you should surely be able to resolve ordinary disputes in this life.

Litigation and disputes can cause needless division.