Avoid Divisions in the Church

It seems to be ancient practice. Find a unified group of people and try to divide them. Kingdoms have risen and fallen again through ‘divide and conquer’ philosophies. It all started in The Garden. It all started with the ‘divider’ Satan.

Saint Paul knew this. Before becoming Christian, and the greatest evangelist in Church history, he made it a point to divide the Church, to conquer and destroy it. So, when we warns us today to avoid “those who create dissensions” he knows how dangers they really are.

Brethren, I appeal to you to take note of those who create dissensions and difficulties, in opposition to the doctrine which you have been taught; avoid them. For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own apetites, and by fair and flattering words they deceive the hearts of the simple-minded. For while your obedience is known to all, so that I rejoice over you, I would have you wise as to what is good and guileless as to what is evil; then the God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Timothy, my fellow worker, greets you; so do Lucius and Jason and Sosipater, my kinsmen. I Tertius, the writer of this letter, greet you in the Lord. Gaius, who is host to me and to the whole church, greets you. Erastos, the city treasurer, and our brother Quartus, greet you. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

Romans 16.17-24

While Saint Paul’s advice today is, strictly speaking, about doctrine, I invite you to consider anyone who causes dissension and difficulty in the Church as someone to be avoided. All divisions have its source in the devil, the ‘one who divides’. Unity comes from God.

Saint Paul is urging us to be more like Christ, Who is the icon of unity with the Father. Praying for us Christ said, “that they may be one just as We are one.” (John 17.22) If the Church is to be the earthly icon of the Trinity, then any division must be avoided.

In my more than thirty-year experience in Church work, schisms rarely (in my case, never) begin with major theological disagreements. Divisions begin through minor practices that ultimately create factions among the people.

Then, within their factions, it becomes natural to stray from the main group in belief and doctrine. Unfortunately for us, the devil is quite patient. He knows how to sow seeds of division, and he patiently awaits their fertile growth in the Church.

If you don’t think unity at every level in the Church is important, consider this prayer during the Divine Liturgy. The priest turns to the people and says, “Let us love one another that with oneness of mind we may confess.” Oneness of mind is more than the big stuff.

Don’t misunderstand me. There is diversity in the Church. Diversity isn’t division. Greek, Russians, Bulgarians, etc., all have diverse experiences of the doctrines through history. Our unity isn’t the opposite of diversity. Unity and diversity are not mutually exclusive.

It is one thing to have different experiences of doctrine. It is quite another thing to intentionally divide people. When we say the Church has a culture, this is what we mean. Doctrines have been lived and experienced within real time culture. I’ll offer a simple example.

At baptisms, Greeks completely cover a baby in oil prior to baptism while Russians merely anoint. The difference between division and diversity would be to say one group is ‘doing it wrong’ in favor of the other. Both anoint. Neither is ‘right’. That is unity in diversity.

If you encounter someone in the Church, either online or within your local parish, who is actively trying to create dissension and difficulties, remember the advice of Saint Paul. That person is not serving the Lord.

Christ prayed for unity during His High Priestly Prayer, before His Passion. If God desires unity, then unity must be the desire of every Christian. We can remain diverse, but we cannot remain ‘ok’ with division.

Avoid division. Pray for unity. Pray for those who left the Church and for those who try to divide the Church. Pray they find their way back to the Church. When they arrive back, welcome them back with grace and forgiveness. God welcomes us back after sin. We should do the same.