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Divisions in the Church

As we study the pages of church history we soon learn a very sad fact. The Church, instead of being UNITED, has been divided again and again. Repeatedly we find one group breaking off from another group and forming a new group.  Before long the new group splits and finds itself divided. In the year 1054 the Church was divided into two parts: 1) The Greek Eastern Church 2) The Roman Western Church. This Western Church soon became known as the Roman Catholic Church.

Other divisions were to follow. The Protestant Reformation had its beginnings in 1517 (see Chapter 10). Soon after this many people broke away from the Roman Catholic Church and many new groups formed. Later more divisions took place and more new groups formed. Today there are thousands of groups and denominations and churches that call themselves "Christians." To see this for yourself, take your phone book and look in the "Yellow Pages" under CHURCHES. What do you find? Do you find ONE UNITED CHURCH or do you find many different churches, groups and denominations? Why can’t all "Christians" get along with each other and be part of the same church? When the Lord Jesus prayed for His church He made this request: "THAT THEY ALL MAY BE ________ (John 17:21). What happened? Why do we not have a united, unified Church on earth today? Why do we find the churches DIVIDED instead of UNITED?
 

Man is to Blame, Not God!

Think for a moment about yourself and your friends and other young people your age, whether in school or in church. One day we say, "You are my friend!" The next day something happens and we say, "Sorry, you’re not my friend!" We include certain ones in our group of friends but others we exclude. We are friendly towards some but not so friendly towards others. We have our own little group where some are welcome and some are not welcome. As a result we have CLIQUES and CLUBS and CLOSED GROUPS OF FRIENDS. We have DIVISION! How does this happen? Why does this happen? Who is to blame? Are you part of the problem?

The churches are divided. These divisions do exist and we need to recognize them and understand them. God did not bring about these divisions; man did. These schisms and divisions exist BECAUSE OF MAN...