Some of the fracturing we see in evangelicalism may be unavoidable, but I wonder if one reason fragmentation persists is that we confuse the different types of division at play. Some splits arise from different convictions about ministry philosophy. Others result from theological compromise. More than a few are driven by self-serving ambition. And then there are temperament issues—quarrelsome personalities leading to disputes that spiral out of control.
I’m convinced one of the exacerbating factors in today’s fracturing comes from people who unintentionally (or in some cases, deliberately) misrepresent the nature of the disagreement. A difference in ministry philosophy gets framed as a departure from the faith. A difference in temperament leads to accusations of manipulating ministry for personal gain. The result? Confusion, cynicism, and slander.
The New Testament gives us several causes of division among God’s people. It’s crucial to recognize these distinctions so we can be clear in our assessments and charitable in our judgments. Here are four ways division shows up—and the dangers that arise when we fail to tell them apart.
1. Personal Rift
Paul’s appeal to Euodia and Syntyche in Philippians 4:2–3 is simple:
I urge Euodia and I urge Syntyche to agree in the Lord. Yes, I also ask you, true partner, to help these women who have contended for the gospel at my side.
Notice Paul doesn’t take sides in the dispute between these women. Perhaps he had an opinion on the matter, but he clearly saw the division itself as a bigger problem than whatever they disagreed about. Here were two servants of Christ who had labored together for the gospel, yet their conflict had grown so large it threatened the congregation’s unity.
Tim Cooper’s When Christians Disagree recounts the temperamental differences that put Puritan writers John Owen and Richard Baxter at odds. These divisions aren’t rooted primarily in core doctrinal disagreements but in personal friction. I’ve seen many examples of this—people who should be on the same page but, due to clashing personalities, leadership styles, or bruised egos, find their disagreements amplified by personal animus.
2. Split over Strategy
Few moments in Acts are as poignant as the split between Paul and Barnabas (Acts 15:36–41). These gospel giants had traveled together, suffered together, and seen God work in an extraordinary manner. But their disagreement over whether to bring John Mark on another journey became so sharp that they parted ways.
Most likely, this parting didn’t start out personal. Nor was it about theology. Here were faithful men seeking to spread the gospel, yet with different convictions about ministry strategy. They clashed over a matter of prudence.
The good news? God used both men after they separated. The gospel may even have spread faster because of the split. Paul would later commend Mark (2 Tim. 4:11), suggesting time softened his stance.
Still, the Paul/Barnabas split becomes the classic case of brothers in Christ who, though they agree on so much, are unable to work together due to differences in strategic outlook. Even today—whether it’s church-planting models, evangelistic strategies, political posture, or debates over cultural engagement—godly leaders still sometimes disagree on what the moment requires.
3. Forsaking the Faith
Apostasy—theological or ethical compromise of the faith once for all delivered to the saints—is another reason Christians part ways. Demas was once a colaborer with Paul, mentioned alongside Luke (Col. 4:14; Philem. 1:24). Yet in Paul’s last letter, we find this heartbreaking report:
Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica. (2 Tim. 4:10)
Demas has become synonymous with those who drift away not because of persecution or personality but because the world lays claim to their hearts and minds. Love for the world can eclipse love for Christ.
In an era of widespread theological compromise, we shouldn’t be surprised to see some who waffle on essential matters or abandon the faith altogether. Nevertheless, watching a brother or sister in Christ walk away from sound teaching is always painful.
(We do well, of course, to distinguish between the theological differences that preclude ministry partnership and the doctrinal denials that signify outright apostasy. Some disagreements may be so important that they lead to a parting of ways and yet not be so essential that they indicate a forsaking of the faith.)
4. Spiritual Grifting
We can’t miss another reason division arises—some church leaders are charlatans pursuing personal gain. Consider Simon the Sorcerer (Acts 8:9–24). He saw the Holy Spirit’s power and wanted to buy it. He wanted to leverage God’s gift for his own power and profit.
Today’s church still has its share of grifters. False teachers, prosperity preachers, and opportunists continue to exploit the gospel for personal enrichment. Scripture warns against those who peddle God’s Word for profit (2 Cor. 2:17). We do well to separate from frauds.
One unfortunate side effect of spiritual grifting is a growing cynicism among God’s people toward faithful leaders. When frauds are exposed, it can become easy to see every successful ministry as suspect, every well-known leader as a schemer, and every financial aspect of ministry as tainted.
Beware the Quarrelsome Who Conflate the Categories
It’s important to keep in mind these four causes of division because quarrelsome people who thrive on controversy often conflate the categories. In the past decade, I’ve perused a number of books and blogs that set out to expose respected leaders, only to find little to no distinction between personal rifts, ministry differences, and genuine heresy. It never seems to cross the minds of some that faithful, Bible-believing Christians might simply disagree on matters of strategy or theology or what conscience requires of us in a particular moment. The assumption is that anyone who disagrees must be driven by a nefarious motive or love for the world.
And so, a split over strategy (Paul and Barnabas) gets treated like a Demas-like departure from the faith. A theological dispute gets framed as a Simon-like grift. A Euodia-Syntyche personality clash gets exaggerated into a full-blown scandal.
When we fail to accurately describe the nature of these divisions, we slander our siblings. We label faithful ministers of the gospel as grifters. We raise doctrinal disagreements on secondary issues to first-order matters of orthodoxy and heresy. We add to the cynicism and confusion so prevalent in our world. No wonder many are spiritually exhausted.
We need to recognize the different categories of division in the church so we don’t breed suspicion, corrode trust, and weaken the our witness. I fear we’ve created an ecosystem where slander is normalized—where attributing sinful motives to a brother or sister is par for the course, and where accusations fly faster than the truth.
Discerning Our Differences
Division among God’s people is sometimes tragic, sometimes necessary, and sometimes avoidable. The key is discernment—knowing the difference between personality clashes, debates over ministry philosophy, spiritual drift into apostasy, and grifting.
Christ’s prayer in John 17 was that his people would be one. We don’t lean into that oneness by shouting “Unity! Unity!” all the time or by pretending differences don’t exist. Still, we must get better at discerning when division is unavoidable, when blessing someone else’s ministry after a parting of ways is possible, and when peace should prevail. And we need to get better at marking and avoiding people who exploit divisions in the church and discredit faithful ministers so they can push their own agendas.
The Accuser has enough stones to throw without Christians picking up their own.
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