Unlimited: Those Who Cause Divisions and Create Obstacles
Jan 12, 2024 623
I urge you, brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites (Romans 16:17–18a).
Paul had many enemies in the early years of the Christian movement, because of the message he preached. They seemed to fall essentially into two groups. First, there were those who came into the congregations and were more interested in accumulating a following for themselves and taking peoples’ money. Second, there were those who wanted to draw people away from the Gospel that Paul taught, and lead them back towards the legalism of Judaism.
This second, Judaising group, was the more dangerous of the two. Paul knew that wherever he went during his ministry, he was followed by agents send by the church in Jerusalem, who would try to impose Jewish religious rules, such as circumcision, on the newly founded churches. That’s why Paul makes a point of warning the believers in Rome about this.
To create divisions among the body of Christ, and to put obstacles in the way of those seeking salvation is anti-Christian.
These same situations also exist in Christian churches today. There are those who cause divisions and put obstacles in peoples’ way in their quest for money and power. There are also those who cause divisions and create obstacles in trying to impose a performance-based religion.
To create divisions among the body of Christ, and to put obstacles in the way of those seeking salvation is anti-Christian. It literally is the spirit of anti-Christ.
Spiritual Application
Have you ever faced either of these two kinds of people? How did you deal with them? Did you follow Paul’s advice?
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