Mark them which cause division

“Mark Them Which Cause Division,” written by Lamar Denby, Jr., pastor of Highway Baptist Church, Huntington, Texas

“Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple,” Romans 16:17-18.

In the above portion of Scripture, we are warned against certain devilish troublemakers that seem to pop up in just about every church generation, seeking to cause contention and division in the Lord’s work. How do they do this? By bringing in new doctrine contrary to the doctrine which we have learned. This new doctrine I speak of is teaching which is different from God’s Word. This bunch comes in introducing their strange beliefs to those among us who are unlearned and without conviction, by sugar-coating their rotten lies with good words and fair speeches. By the way, nowadays it seems that a large number are more concerned about good words and fair speeches than with truth!

Brethren, we must hold to the truth! If we desert truth, unity and peace will not last long because true unity and peace rest on the foundation of truth. If truth was truth yesterday, it’s still truth today! Truth never changes! What we need is more great defenders of the faith, men who will rise up and speak out against those who seek to bring in their strange doctrine causing division. We seemed to be plagued with “soft-soapers” and “walk-aways” who will not speak up and take a stand for truth! Why? Is it because they just don’t have the courage to make waves? Or, is it because they had rather go against conviction than lose out politically? The Bible tells us to mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which we have learned and avoid them. If I understand this correctly, this means we are to expose them and brand them for whom and what they are, and then get away from them! And we must not let them preach at our meetings!

From The Baptist Waymark, August 1986, Vol. 1 No. 3, p. 1