Drunken Mystic

I was going to make this one a more minor one, but as I prayed about it, divisions seemed to deserve to go here at number 4.  And it goes well with the whole reason for this series.

Let’s begin with a little theology.  There are two main expressions of the Church as described in the New Testament.  There is the Body of Christ, the one Church, universal, and then there are local assemblies, also called a church or the church.

Jesus tells us that the world, i.e. non-believers, would know that we were disciples of Christ by our love for one another.

So naturally, one of the main problems in Christianity is the tendency of Christians to divide from one another.

If we begin at 1 Corinthians, we see that one of the main issues there was that they were dividing over two apostles, Paul (who was the evangelist that began the church) and Apollos (the teacher who helped them in spiritual growth).  They were calling themselves “of Paul” or “of Apollos” and dividing from one another based on the teaching of two men, teaching that was obviously close enough that Paul didn’t see a problem with the teaching of Apollos, even considered it from God.  But the human (fleshly) tendency to follow a man they can see caused the Corinthians to become divisive and contentious.

Paul even calls their division evidence of their carnality, not of their spirituality.  Based on this verse, the Church today is as carnal as its ever been.  The divisions, and the minor reasons for them, are overwhelming when you look at mere numbers.

Paul’s solution to the Corinthians was to realize they belong to Christ alone, not to any man, and to be “perfectly (completely) joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.”

To move back to Romans, Paul urges the Christians there to note, to pay attention to, those that cause “divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine that you learned, and avoid them.”

Further evidence of the exclusion of a divisive person, Paul tells Titus, “warn a divisive person once, then a second time.  After that have nothing more to do with him.”

The point of this series is that there are some things you divide over (check 1-3 especially, and maybe the subsequent articles), and some things just don’t matter enough to be divisive over.  And unfortunately, we find the wrong things important.  And even more tragic, is that our professional clergy are the most guilty of this theological nit-picking.  They generally learned it in a place called the seminary.

But it happened at the outset of the Church, too.  People wanted to make noise and divide and argue over “vain arguments” and “endless genealogies”.  And people who were warned against such things were ultimately to be excluded themselves.  Kicking one person out of the church is more constructive than allowing the division to occur.

This is more pervasive (although more in principle) through the New Testament than you might realize.  The fact that Paul would include things like gossip and backbiting in a list of sins that keep you out of the Kingdom with murder and sexual immorality should tell you something.  For a Body that was supposed to “love one another as I (Jesus) have loved you”, lying and gossip and backbiting undermines the testimony of a unified Body as fast as anything else, and is more insidious because it is so easily entered into.

The place we find ourselves in, as Americans, is unique from the New Testament, however.  There was only one local fellowship per city then, whereas now several fellowships can take up the same street.  There are many different reactions to this, and I’m not sure there is a good strategy to tackle the denominationalism that marks such a carnal Church.  Some pick the closest to their own convictions theologically and declare that one the winner.  Some break off to start their own thing.  Some just flit from place to place to prove that they are one with every believer.  I’m not sure any of them are wise, but I’ll give some practical ways that we can begin to restore the testimony the Church should have.

First, be careful why and how you leave a local fellowship.  This is the biggest problem.  People don’t know how to leave and move on to what God is calling them to do.

If your reason for leaving a fellowship is out of anger and bitterness with that group, you’ve got a bigger problem in your heart than they do with their theology.  If you can’t leave with blessing, both you giving yours and they giving theirs, don’t leave.  This is a general idea, mind you.  I realize that some have left a fellowship with a real attempt at peace and blessing and the leadership or others in authority just won’t allow it to be done peacefully.  But in general, if you’re truly following the Lord in truth, then you will be at peace.

Also be sure that you’re being called TO something or someplace else by the Spirit of God.  Don’t just leave without an attempt to bless a fellowship that has probably loved and fed you out of a pure motivation, as misled as they might have been.  It is spiritually immodest to put a fellowship down as you leave them, either to them or to others (that is gossip and backbiting, you know).

Second, be careful how you speak of other believers and other fellowships.  Again, they may honestly be misled in some areas, but if they are honestly seeking truth and righteousness through Christ, honor them in areas where they deserve honor and keep your complaining to yourself.  You don’t have to put people or groups down to express truth.  Usually.

Third, be intentional and proactive about reaching out to other fellowships, especially those within close proximity and those with similar hearts and mission.  Don’t seek to join organizationally, join in relationship and love one another.  Worship God together and make Christ the focus.

This can have practical applications, especially for leadership.  Usually, a divisive or contentious person can go from one fellowship (in which they caused havoc) to a different denominational fellowship right next door, literally, and no one from either fellowship, much less the “pastors” (since they never talk), would ever know.

How to recognize a divisive man.  He’s usually very smart and very well read.  He comes into your fellowship with all kinds of ideas as to how you should change everything around to his way of thinking.  He might be very charismatic, and his arguments are well-thought out.  He might have full theological convictions as to why the service should be done a certain way or at a certain time, or other such secondary and minor aspects of church life, and when he’s told that much of his emphasis isn’t that big of a deal, he’s personally offended and begins arguments to prove his point.  He will usually try to bend the ear of the main leader, the “pastor”, and if that doesn’t work, he either begins to talk to others in the congregation or he leaves with an angry letter detailing why that fellowship is guilty of something horrendous or heretical.

The Bible says to warn such a man once, twice, then have nothing more to do with him.

As a personal note, I am going to address house churches in the midst of all this (included is organic/simple church and the like).

House churches have a bad reputation because some of the most divisive, bitter, and narrow minded people start them.  The most divisive people I know are in house church.  The very foundation of many house churches is divisive in and of itself.  This is unfortunate, because it doesn’t need to be this way.  Thankfully, most of the bitter and angry house churches don’t last and can’t replicate beyond their clique because of just how unhealthy they really are.  I believe many of the aspects of organic/house church ideas are not only valid but important for the Church as a whole to get a hold of.  But you don’t prove the validity of truth by being bitter and unnecessarily divisive.  Usually these unhealthy house churches, while preaching the priesthood of all believers, are so single man driven and focused that it is amazing they don’t see the philosophical tension and theological hypocrisy.

I am thankful that I know of a few, my own included of course, house churches that are full of people not out to stick it to the institutional church, just trying to follow God as He leads in freedom and purity and living life together as family.  The most spiritual people I know are also in house church.  Perhaps this is a necessary extremity: the opportunity for great growth and discipleship is also the freedom for great abuse.  I don’t know.  But I do know that a healthy house church is one that is open and intentional about relationships outside their clique and even methodology, as correct as it might happen to be.

I believe in better ways.  I believe God has ways, His ways, expressed through the Church, and those ways are higher and for those who sacrifice to seek those ways, Heaven rewards them.  But bitterness, unforgiveness, and even slander are not fruit of those who believe in a higher way.  They’re evidence of argumentative people who just want to be right.

I know because I could be that guy.  The Irish genes run strong.  But you die a couple times and you learn some grace and mercy and love.  And you learn to read the Bible for what it says, not what you want it to say.  And while you are outside the camp, your focus is not on being outside the camp but on the Lord.  Because if your focus is not fully on the Lord, you’re really more a part of the camp than you realize, and you might not even rise to that.

Peace.