WISDOM FOR LIVING DAILY DEVOTIONAL
OCTOBER 05, 2026
TOPIC: A CHURCH DIVIDED CANNOT STAND!
BY T. O. BANSO
“Some of you are saying, ‘I am a follower of Paul.’ Others are saying, ‘I follow Apollos,’ or ‘I follow Peter,’ or ‘I follow only Christ.’ Has Christ been divided into factions? Was I, Paul, crucified for you? Were any of you baptized in the name of Paul? Of course not!” (1 Corinthians 1:12-13, New Living Translation).
The Greek word for church is ekklesia, which means an assembly, gathering, or congregation, whether secular or religious. Scripturally, ekklesia refers to the people God called out of darkness into His wonderful light (1 Peter 2:9). The physical building where believers meet is not the church; however, it is also commonly referred to as the church.
A church divided against itself cannot stand! In Acts 6:1-7, the twelve apostles promptly addressed what would have caused division in the early church and appointed seven deacons to redress the situation. The Greek-speaking Jews (Hellenists) had complained against the Hebrew-speaking Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food.
As Jesus said, “If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.” (Mark 3:24-25, New King James Version). Luke 11:17 and Matthew 12:25 say something similar. Paul addressed division in the early church, knowing that it would weaken it. Paul scolded the Corinthians for making comments that tended to divide the church. He said, “When one of you says, ‘I am a follower of Paul,’ and another says, ‘I follow Apollos,’ aren’t you acting just like people of the world?” (1 Corinthians 3:4, New Living Translation).
In verses 12-13, he said further: “Some of you are saying, ‘I am a follower of Paul.’ Others are saying, ‘I follow Apollos,’ or ‘I follow Peter,’ or ‘I follow only Christ.’ Has Christ been divided into factions? Was I, Paul, crucified for you? Were any of you baptized in the name of Paul? Of course not!” (New Living Translation).
Christians can’t afford to be watering the evil planting of sectarianism or division. We must be kingdom-minded and not promote factions. “But they, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.” (2 Corinthians 10:12b, New King James Version). An attitude of “My church is better and bigger than yours; my bishop or pastor is more anointed than yours” is wrong.
No denominational or church leader saves—only Jesus, because only Jesus died for the world. The most powerful spiritual leader is still a human being. Your bishop, archbishop, pastor, or reverend is a servant, not the Saviour! Paul told the Corinthians, “So look at Apollos and me as mere servants of Christ who have been put in charge of explaining God’s mysteries.” (1 Corinthians 4:1, New Living Translation). No genuine man of God anointed himself—God did! A minister of God is a mere servant of Christ put in charge of explaining God’s mysteries.
In 1 Corinthians 4:6b-7, Paul continued: “If you pay attention to what I have quoted from the Scriptures, you won’t be proud of one of your leaders at the expense of another. For what gives you the right to make such a judgment? What do you have that God hasn’t given you? And if everything you have is from God, why boast as though it were not a gift?” (New Living Translation).
All genuine ministers of God—apostles, prophets, evangelists, and pastors and teachers—are gifts from Jesus (Ephesians 4:8, 11). Christians should receive these gifts with appreciation and thanksgiving to God. We should receive all the different graces God has given us in them. Paul warned, “So don’t boast about following a particular human leader. For everything belongs to you—whether Paul or Apollos or Peter, or the world, or life and death, or the present and the future. Everything belongs to you.” (1 Corinthians 3:21-22, New Living Translation).
No matter how big your denomination is, it can never become the body of Christ! It will remain a denomination—just a part of the body of Christ. No matter how great your church is, it is not heaven! Be committed to your church, and honour and support your spiritual leaders, but shun prideful attitudes and utterances that divide the church.
The church has one common enemy: Satan. We need a united front and cooperation to face him and advance the kingdom. No single denomination can do it all. We must cooperate. In 1 Peter 5:12, Peter said that he wrote that letter with the help of Silas (Silvanus in Greek), a faithful brother. But the same Silas was Paul’s partner on his second missionary journey (Acts 15:40). They worked together; no individual empire! Earlier, Acts 15:22 records that Silas was one of those sent to deliver the letter from the Jerusalem Council to the church in Antioch. In his letters to the Corinthians and the Thessalonians, Paul mentioned Silas (2 Corinthians 1:19; 1 Thessalonians 1:1; 2 Thessalonians 1:1).
After 1 Peter 5:12, where Peter called Silas (Silvanus) a faithful brother, he described Mark as his son (verse 13). Yet, Mark had travelled with Paul and Barnabas on their first missionary journey (Acts 12:25) before they parted ways, and Mark went with Barnabas (Acts 15:36-39).
However, Mark later worked with Paul, especially when he was in prison. This implied that they put the past incident behind them and laboured as partners in the ministry. Writing from the prison, Paul told Timothy, “Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for ministry.” (2 Timothy 4:11, New King James Version). While Mark was still with Paul, he wrote, “Aristarchus is in jail with me. He sends greetings to you, and so does Mark, the cousin of Barnabas. You have already been told to welcome Mark, if he visits you.” (Colossians 4:10, Contemporary English Version). Again, from the prison, Paul sent greetings in Philemon 23-24 from those who were with him, including Mark, thus: “Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends you greetings. And so do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas and Luke, my fellow workers.” (New International Version).
A church divided cannot stand. Division within the church will cause more havoc than the enemy’s external attack. No factions should exist in any assembly, within a denomination, or in the body of Christ. No single individual or denomination can win the world for Jesus. We must cooperate, synergise, and avoid anything that can cause division, such as strife. “But avoid foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they generate strife.” (2 Timothy 2:23, New King James Version). Titus 3:9 says something similar: “But avoid foolish disputes, genealogies, contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and useless.” (New King James Version).
A pastor can explain scriptures to correct errors or ignorance, but must avoid arrogance and disrespect. Nobody knows it all. At Ephesus, Aquila and Priscilla privately corrected Apollos’ public teaching in the synagogue, which was based on incomplete knowledge. However, they didn’t make a public show of it, attack his personality, or mock him (Acts 18:24-26). Pastors can humbly educate or correct one another but must avoid attacks that divide the church. Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up (1 Corinthians 8:1). Be careful! Christians must refrain from actions that divide the church rather than unite it.
Jesus said in His high priestly prayer, “I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one.” (John 17:11, New International Version).
This prayer of Jesus should motivate the church to strive for unity and discourage division. “How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!” (Psalm 133:1, New International Version). A church divided cannot stand. Paul wrote to Titus, “Warn a divisive person once, and then warn them a second time. After that, have nothing to do with them. You may be sure that such people are warped and sinful; they are self-condemned.” (Titus 3:10-11, New International Version).
TAKE ACTION!
If you are not born again, you must repent of your sins and confess Jesus as your Lord and Saviour now. Please take the following steps: *Admit that you are a sinner and you cannot save yourself, and repent of your sins. *Confess Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. *Renounce your past way of life—your relationship with the devil and his works. *Invite Jesus into your heart. *As a mark of seriousness to mature in the faith, start attending a Bible-believing, Bible-teaching, and Bible-practising church. There, you will be taught how to grow in the Kingdom of God.
Kindly say this prayer now: O Lord God, I come unto You today. I know I am a sinner, and I cannot save myself. I believe that Jesus is the Son of God who died on the cross to save me, and God raised Him on the third day. I repent of my sins and confess Jesus as my Lord and Saviour. I invite Jesus into my heart. By this prayer, I know I am saved. Thank You, Jesus, for saving me and making me a child of God.
I believe you have said this prayer from your heart. Congratulations! You must join a Bible-believing, Bible-teaching, and Bible-practising church where you will be taught how to live your new life in Christ Jesus. I pray that you flourish like a palm tree and grow like a cedar of Lebanon. May you grow into Christ in all things and become all God wants you to be. I will be glad to hear from you. The Lord be with you.
PRAYER POINTS: Holy Spirit, help the church of Jesus stand united and not divided. Help us to focus on what unites us, not on what separates us. Father, protect Your church by the power of Your name so that we may be one.
(For over 900 in-depth, powerful messages by T. O. Banso, visit www.cedarministry.org).
T. O. Banso is the President of Cedar Ministry International, Abuja, Nigeria.
Phone No: +2348155744752, +2348033113523
WhatsApp No: +2349081295947
Email: cedarministryintl@yahoo.com
cedarministryng@gmail.com
Website: www.cedarministry.org
BE OUR FINANCIAL PARTNER
Account Name: Cedar Ministry International
Bank: United Bank for Africa
Account Number: 1027304911 (Naira)
Account Number: 3004481420 (USD)
Swift Code: UNAFNGLA
