Those who divide the church with personal agendas

Those who divide the church with personal agendas serve their own interests rather than Christ, motivated by self-promotion rather than truth or the glorification of Jesus.[1] This represents a fundamental corruption of the church’s purpose.

The sin operates through deception and manipulation. Divisive teachers employ smooth rhetoric and flattery—they’re often eloquent and personable—but their carefully chosen words aim to lower people’s guard so they’ll accept destructive ideas.[1] Paul has in mind stubborn, defiant people who, when confronted, push back and argue without biblical grounds.[1]

The apostles treat division as a serious sin—one against the very heart of salvation itself.[2] The unity of the church in Christ’s truth marks the Savior’s authenticity.[2] This explains why Paul’s response is so severe: when someone persists in causing division and creating obstacles through denial of biblical truth, his counsel is unmistakable—avoid them.[1]

The roots of such divisiveness run deep. All division stems from pride and talk: pride convinces people their perception alone is accurate and others should follow them, while talk spreads this pride through quarrels, gossip, slander, and rebellion.[2] Like rulers throughout history who view spiritual centers as threats to their authority, divisive leaders prioritize organizational or personal identity over the spiritual unity that transcends boundaries.[3]

The church’s response must be decisive. To maintain unity and peace in Christ’s body, you must avoid and separate from those creating disunity—sometimes maintaining unity requires disunity from the divisive.[1] Churches tend to tolerate divisiveness more than other sins, especially when they’ve known the troublemaker longer, but the New Testament permits no such tolerance.[2]

[1] Sam Storms, Romans, ed. Craig S. Keener and Holly Beers, Word and Spirit Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic: A Division of Baker Publishing Group, 2024), 239.
[2] Mark Lauterbach, The Transforming Community (Carol Stream, IL: Reformation & Revival Ministries, 2003), 218–219.
[3] John W. Olley, The Message of Kings: God Is Present, ed. Alec Motyer and Derek Tidball, The Bible Speaks Today (England: Inter-Varsity Press, 2011), 138.