Israel’s divided kingdom and church division

The relationship between Israel’s divided kingdom and church division operates on multiple levels—both as a historical parallel and as a spiritual warning about unfaithfulness.

The Old Testament division between Judah and Israel under the monarchy parallels later schisms in the church.[1] Underlying tensions rooted in different spiritual traditions—the North’s charismatic theocracy versus the South’s institutional monarchy—eventually hardened into schism.[1] Church divisions like the East-West schism and the Reformation show similar patterns: latent differences became hostilities, and both Eastern and Protestant traditions emphasized charismatic or prophetic elements against Roman juridicalism.[1] However, despite political and historical differences, spiritual solidarity remains—both divided kingdoms and divided churches appeal to the same foundational covenant, focusing on the same center.[1]

In Old Testament symbolism, adultery represents idolatry and apostasy, emerging from the metaphor describing God’s relationship with his people as a marriage covenant.[2] Hosea, prophesying before Israel’s fall, married an adulterous woman to represent Israel’s unfaithfulness to God.[3] God experiences devastation and pain from Israel’s betrayal, much as a betrayed husband would.[3]

For the church, spiritual adultery occurs when those in covenant relationship with Christ pursue relations with the world (BPC sued each other in the civil court) while claiming their sins are forgiven by that covenant.[4] James directly applies this language, calling believers “adulterers and adulteresses” for pursuing friendship with the world as enmity with God.[3] This theme emphasizes the seriousness of spurning God’s love—whether through idolatry or worldly indulgence (lawyers)—and highlights the intimate covenant relationship God expects from his people.[3]

[1] Christophe Dumont et al., “Schism,” in Sacramentum Mundi: An Encyclopedia of Theology, ed. Adolf Darlap (New York; London: Burns & Oates; Herder and Herder, 1968–1970), 6:10–11.
[2] John M’Clintock and James Strong, “Adultery,” in Cyclopædia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature (New York: Harper & Brothers, Publishers, 1880), 1:84.
[3] B. W. Powers, “Adultery,” in New Dictionary of Biblical Theology, ed. T. Desmond Alexander and Brian S. Rosner (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2000), 380–381.
[4] John Bevere, Victory in the Wilderness (Palmer Lake, Colorado: Messenger International, 1997). [See here.]