Why is Christian doctrine so divisive?

Scripture on the face of it is not at all like this. Though there are blessed statements of the gospel, as we very well know, and many a page of Christian exhortation, yet these are not put together as we might imagine they would be, and they are mixed with much else and various matter very different from all this. Things are not so definitely stated that there should be no possible mistake about them, as witness the conflict of Christian men over their meaning. What a help to a common understanding would be at least a divine summary of faith and practice, such as the various churches have adopted and which for this purpose they find so useful. But then these articles of faith separate: they are but the expression after all of the judgment of a section of Christendom suppose there had been given us by divine inspiration as plain a creed as any of these, would it not have united instead of scattering us? if the Westminster Confession had been written by apostles instead of theologians of the seventeenth century, would we not have all subscribed it? and would not Arminianism have been effectively excluded from the minds of all honest-minded and believing men?

The one great cause of disagreement, between the Brethren and the denominations on the leading doctrines of Christianity, arises from the difference of their standards. Both profess to be guided by scripture, but the one submits to the naked simplicity and authority of the word of God, the other to doctrines deduced from it, and, they believe, in accordance with it. The one may be as sincere as the other, but their standards of appeal are not the same. Hence they never can agree, or see divine things in the same light. The one must hold the other to be in error. The question is, Which has the true standard? "All human statements of truth" say Brethren, "must be inferior to scripture, even when drawn from it, but supposing everything to be right that is in their creed, it is like a made tree instead of a growing one. The word gives truth in its living operations. It gives in connection with God, in connection with man, with conscience, with divine life, and is thus a totally different thing."

The issue of agreeing together with other believers is one of the most difficult we face. When should I insist on what I believe to be right, and when should I give way to others who believe something different to be right? Most of the disagreements and divisions among Christians have something of this in them.

The discussion of questions generally results in the formation of parties and sects; the ministry of Christ unifies His saints, for it binds their hearts together and makes them glow with a common object. Questions will arise as long as the church is here below, for the devil will not cease his efforts to scatter the one flock, but if these questions are brought to the light of God's all-sufficient Word, which is able to elucidate every one of them, and approached from the standpoint of how they affect the glory and heart of Christ, in dependence upon Him, and not from the standpoint of tradition or precedent, or in self-will, they will be rightly answered and the devil's malicious intentions be frustrated. Yet the work of the servants for Christ is not to occupy the saints with questions, but to minister the truth as to Christ wherever an ear is inclined to hearken to their words. It was so at the beginning, and it has not been changed during the course of the centuries.

The discussion of questions generally results in the formation of parties and sects; the ministry of Christ unifies His saints, for it binds their hearts together and makes them glow with a common object. Questions will arise as long as the church is here below, for the devil will not cease his efforts to scatter the one flock, but if these questions are brought to the light of God's all-sufficient Word, which is able to elucidate every one of them, and approached from the standpoint of how they affect the glory and heart of Christ, in dependence upon Him, and not from the standpoint of tradition or precedent, or in self-will, they will be rightly answered and the devil's malicious intentions be frustrated. Yet the work of the servants for Christ is not to occupy the saints with questions, but to minister the truth as to Christ wherever an ear is inclined to hearken to their words. It was so at the beginning, and it has not been changed during the course of the centuries.

So many breaches having taken place in that which professes the name of Christ, the seriousness of adding one more to the existing number is but feebly felt by the saints of God. Were the gravity of it more clearly seen there would, I am certain, be fewer divisions. But unfortunately it is not only that divisions have occurred, and do occur, but once a division is consummated we are informed by some that it is not the mind of God ever to bring the two parties together again. That is to say, that if two brothers fall out they must be fallen out for ever! Oh no, I am told, the reference is to companies. So, if two brethren fall out with two others they must remain in this estranged condition for ever! Oh no I am again told, it is not two with two, but a company dividing into two parts. How many then does it take to make a company? What difference would it make whether there were but one brother on each side or one hundred? Then I am told that the point under dispute and which caused the separation is always some point of doctrine, or of ecclesiastical order, and that there can be no healing until the point under dispute has been bottomed and judged by those in error. Now we are getting a little nearer it. But are we to divide over every point of doctrine regarding which we do not see eye to eye? If we are, there cannot be two saints together on earth.

That there have been world-wide divisions in the church during a history of more than eighteen hundred years is true. Enemies of the truth and evil workers have arisen which made it a necessity; and faithful men have not been wanting to uphold the standard at all cost. Who can forget the daring exclamation of Athanasius "Athanasius against the world"; and his unremitting opposition to the Arians. But in all such cases most vital questions were involved, such as the true deity of Christ, the doctrine of the Trinity, and the very essence of the gospel. It was so at the time of the Reformation. And moreover, they were questions which appealed to every believer, and directly concerned his own individual faith. Can this be said of questions to-day which have been allowed to raise veritable storms of controversy, and part Christians asunder for the rest of their days? Alas! no. They have been matters of no concern to ordinary Christians, even devout ones, and into the refinements of which they could not enter.

Someone has well said we ought to distinguish between the essence of the gospel and the perfection of the gospel. It is possible for a servant to present the one, and yet fall short of the other. But is he to be branded as a heretic for that reason, and excluded from all fellowship and all service, except with and among those who follow him into his exile? Who, it might very well be asked, can present the truth in all its perfection? The effect of controversy over such points is only to bewilder the simple, and do infinitely more harm than if the supposed offender were allowed to go his way in peace. The vast majority of Christians are incapable of judging such points, and they are not called upon to judge them. One outstanding feature of most of the divisions has been an absolute want of clearness as to the issue. And this for the simple reason that no great matter was at stake. There has been no broad well-defined principle of vital moment involved. And the consequence has been bewilderment, and a confused noise. Had it been otherwise godly men holding the same truth as to the Lord's person and work, and all that is fundamental; and agreeing on church truth, would not have been found in opposite camps. Nor would there to-day be thirteen meetings in one city with no intercommunion. How little did those who met for the first time in Aungier Street, Dublin, ever dream that ecclesiastical discipline would be the rock upon which the movement would split; or that the day would ever come when the privilege they claimed for themselves to meet together to break bread would be denied to others. Is it not true, "the idea creates the organization, the organization destroys the idea"?

All the errors that have troubled the saints of God, and marred His church, have had their root in the pretentious knowledge of the Son of God. Yea, the worst heterodoxies were always connected with a denial of some special glory of His person. It was so at the beginning, and was the occasion for the writing of John's Epistles. It has continued to the present day, and made its mark upon those who, after the first quarter of this present century, professed to have left the world-church and all its corruptions, and to have received grace to be separate from all their religious surroundings. The denial of His personal glory in this or that aspect cannot but divide the saints of God.

The great divisions in Christendom from the earliest times have invariably centred round speculations as to the Person of Christ. We do well to be warned not to transgress in this respect, yet, surely, all the testimony of Scripture on the subject is for our learning and blessing.

Interpretation: The sceptic, if ever the eye of such scanned these humble pages, might well point mockingly to the divisions of Christendom as evidence of sorrowful divergence in the interpretation of the word, for all alike appeal to the same word. And this may be carried a stage further; even those, such as Christadelphians, who are not recognised as Christians by orthodox belief, appeal to the word as the basis and ground of their destructive doctrines. And nothing would be more foolish than for us to attempt to hide the solemn fact that true men of God have not only disagreed concerning the interpretation of scripture, but have also divided in the Church because of that disagreement. However, in the overruling mercy and goodness of God, a very great body of essential truth has been held throughout the Church, (or, perhaps, I should say, the churches), in all ages. And it is profitable study to consider that body of truth, and to rejoice that it includes so much that is infinitely precious to every redeemed soul.