Responding to a Divisive Person
In this lesson, we explore how to respond to a divisive person according to biblical principles.
Thinking God’s Way (Lesson 3) is a series of Bible studies that help believers meditate on the Word of God for the purpose of Christian growth. Each lesson features a verse of Scripture in English and the original language (whether Hebrew or Greek). It also provides basic background information, followed by basic word definitions and other key insights. Each lesson concludes with some questions for meditation and for applying the truth to life.
InitialThoughts
Not all so-called Christian teachers are good ones, but can you tell the difference? Also, can you describe what happens to believers and their churches when they tolerate false teaching in their lives? And with this in mind, how should you respond to bad teachers when you encounter them?
Romans 16:17 helps answer these important questions and enables us to think and respond properly to the many harmful doctrines that are being popularized today.
Key Verse: Romans16:17
In English(NKJV)
Now I urge you, brethren, note those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and avoid them.
In Greek
παρακαλω δε υμας αδελφοι σκοπειν τους τας διχοστασιας και τα σκανδαλα παρα την διδαχην ην υμεις εμαθετε ποιουντας ην υμειςεμαθετε ποιουντας και εκκλινατε απ αυτων
English andGreek Together
Now I urge you, brethren (παρακαλω δε υμαςαδελφοι), note those who cause divisions (σκοπειν τους τας διχοστασιας) and offenses (και τα σκανδαλα), contrary to the doctrine(παρα την διδαχην… ποιουντας) which you learned (ην υμεις εμαθετε),and avoid them (και εκκλινατε απ αυτων).
BackgroundInformation
This statement appears at the end of the New Testament (NT) book of Romans, which was a letter Paul wrote to the church at Rome. After providing the Christians at Rome with in-depth teaching about the gospel (Rom 1-11) and practical instruction about how the gospel should affect their lifestyle (Rom 12-16), Paul gave them a warning in his closing remarks.
In this warning, Paul urged the believers to avoid people who would influence them to deviate from the doctrine he had given. In particular, he gave special attention to the negative effects of these teachers on the church.
Keywords andtheir Meanings
Mounce’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old & New Testament Words (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2006) together with an interlinear Bible, like The NKJV Greek English Interlinear New Testament (ThomasNelson, 1994) is an excellent way to get accurate definitions for your Bible study based upon Greek and Hebrew meanings.
Urge (παρακαλέω): to beg, entreat, implore. This word conveys more than a suggestion. It is an earnest request showing that the speaker feels very strongly about what he is saying.
Note (σκοπέω): to view attentively, watch; to see, observe, take care, beware; mark, note. The idea here is to pay close, careful attention or to be on guard.
Causing(ποιέω): to do, cause, make. In this case, it is speaking of people who instigate the things that happen, implying that the problems that follow did not exist in the church until these people circulated their wrong ideas among them.
Divisions(διχοστασία): a standing apart; a division, dissension. Barclay and Nida describe this as “those who separate people into groups,” “those who cause different groups of people to fight with one another,” or “those who cause strong differences between people.”[1]
Offenses(σκάνδαλον): a trap-spring; a stumbling block, anything against which one stumbles, an impediment; a cause of ruin, destruction, misery; a cause of sinning or scandal. This refers to doctrines that discourage a person’s faith in Christ by doing things that make believers stumble (figuratively), causing them to become discouraged, disenchanted,or disillusioned with Christianity.
Contrary(παρά): in deviation from, in violation of, inconsistent with. In this occurrence, it describes something that different from the original teaching.
Doctrine(διδαχή): instruction, what is taught, doctrine.
Learned (μανθάνω): to learn, to be taught. Together with contrary and doctrine, this means something like “talking against the teaching”or “teaching that contradicts what you have already been taught.”
Avoid (ἐκκλίνω): to decline, to turn away from to avoid. The idea here is to “stay away from” these people for the purpose of reducing or eliminating their influence from your life.
Other KeyInsights
This verse usesmany plurals. Paul urges believers (plural) to take a proactive stance against unbiblical doctrine, indicating that this is a responsibility of every believer, not just pastors. He also recognizes that there are many sources and kinds of divisive doctrines by referring to divisive persons in a plural form.
Questions forMeditation and Reflection
Why does Paul“urge” believers to do this rather than just give them simple instructions to do so?
By urging them,he causes them to give special attention to this instruction, ensuring that it “standsout” from the rest of what he had said. He also indicates that without an extra “push,” they would not take this warning seriously.
Describe what it means to “note” or “look attentively” for divisive doctrines? How is this different from only using the general word for “see” or “look”?
“Looking attentively” means to be perceptive and pay attention to what people are saying. Just because a person is nice, polite, and persuasive doesn’t mean theyare telling you the right thing. If you’re not paying attention, you’ll be gullible instead, like a clueless person buying a car from a used car dealership :)
What does a“division” look like in a church and why is that a serious problem?
A division occurs when people who were formerly united together in a harmonious relationship are now standing on opposite sides of an issue. This does not refer to quiet disagreements or questions about this or that. If we ask enough questions, we’ll all find something here or there that we disagree on. Instead, this refers to what happens when people “draw a line” on their differences by insisting on their personal perspectives in a dogmatic way. This is a serious problem because it disrupts unity within the body of Christ and leads people away from the truth.
What does an“offense” look like in a church and why is that a serious problem?
An offense is when a person gets “tripped up” in their walk with Christ, resulting in a confused and disillusioned perspective about the gospel, church, and Christianity. This becomes a serious problem because it can damage a person’s outlook of God and lead people away from the gospel.
How do people “cause” or “make” these things happen in a church? (Note that this word describes something a person does repeatedly, not just one time.)
They primarily do by spreading wrong ideas, whether through gossip, secretive meetings, public questions and debates, and sharing links to erroneous online sources. In particular, Rom 16:18 tells us that they use words that sound reasonable and logical and they also use flattery. What’s more, they especially target new believers or people who don’t know any better.
What is the“doctrine” or “teaching” that divisive people contradict or deviate from?
Paul is not referring to anything at all that you’ve been taught. He is referring to the gospel, and by extension, teaching that explains the Old and New Testaments in an accurateway. This is the same gospel that he had taught them and applied for them in the letter called Romans. In fact, they had already obeyed this gospel (Rom 1:8; 6:19).
It is also worth nothing that this concept emphasizes the importance of being taught. While you can study the Bible on your own, you need the mentorship and guidance of trained, experienced pastors and teachers whom God has gifted and placed into the church.
Furthermore, I commend to you the helpful saying, “If it’s new, then it’s not true; but if it’strue, then it’s not new.” While more than two millennia of theologians and pastors are not infallible, they have given us a longstanding doctrinal heritage. They have depended upon the Holy Spirit and studied prayerfully and rigorously. There is great wisdom in taking seriously the way that Scripture has been interpreted throughout church history.
How does a believer “avoid” or “turn away from” divisive people?
If a person is promoting wrong doctrinal ideas to you and distracting you from the truth ofthe gospel, you need to stay away from that person. When they try to speak with you, politely walk away. When they call you, don’t answer the phone. When they message you, delete their messages. When they invite you to do “Bible study,” do not attend. It also means that if their YouTube videos keep coming up in your feed, or their radio show keeps coming on your radio, turn it off!
Romans 16:19 gives some helpful advice in this regard. Paul encourages us to give our attention to studying what is good and right, while remaining as ignorant as possible of all the possible wrong teachings that are out there. The best way to detect a counterfeit bill is to become very familiar with real dollar bills.This is far better than wasting your time studying all the counterfeits, because those keep changing anyway!
A Personal Translation
Before you consider how to apply this truth to your life by allowing it to change yourmindset and approach to life, write out a personal translation. Use what you have learned to write this verse in your own words.
Questions for Personal Application
On ascale of 1 to 5 (with 1 being not at all attentive and 5 being completely attentive), how attentive are you to divisive influences in the church?
What are some divisive or misleading teachings and ideas that you’ve encountered asa Christian (like “the winds of doctrine,” Eph 4:14)?
What are some sources of divisive or misleading teachings and ideas that youencounter?
On a scale of 1 to 5 (with 1 being not at all engaged and 5 being completely engaged), how engaged are you in learning the Bible together with your church?
What step could you take to improve your level of engagement?
What step(s) should you take to guard yourself against divisive and misleading teachings?
[1] Barclay M.Newman and Eugene A. Nida, A Handbook on Paul’s Letter to the Romans,UBS Handbook Series (New York: United Bible Societies, 1973), 295-296.
