The Root Of Divisions In The Church Today.

The root of the division in the church today, is not lack of accurate/same interpretation of the bible as some assume.

The root can be traced and found in scriptures. In Acts 20:17 & 28-30, scriptures forecasted the springing up of the root of division. There we see Paul the apostle, addressing the elders of the church in Ephesus, and by the Spirit, he speaks of what will happen after his departure; how grievous wolves will infiltrate the ranks of the elders/church leadership, not sparing the flock( i.e. devouring the flock and not feeding them with the knowledge of God's word). 

However, what is much more solemn and sad is not the infiltration of wolves from without, but the rising/implosion of the monster called 'SELF' from within..."Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them".

Thus we see that bleak future of church leadership long foretold as written on the pages of scriptures; the rising of some of the elders/overseers whom the HolyGhost set over the church of God, their rising by seeking to become something more than just elders/overseers, to become the chief elder or what today is known as 'general overseer'; their rising with the self ambition to draw away disciples after themselves, to disciple men after themselves and not after Christ, to have a following, to have their own flock. 

Such an ambition inspires them to speak perverse things, to preach things contrary to the truth of the oneness of the body, contrary to the Lord's ownership of the church/flock/people.

This is the root of the division we see today. As in the book of Revelation the root of the declension/departure was in the church in Ephesus, where they had fallen from their first love, so it is with what we see here in Acts 20, the forecast of the springing of roots of division by church leadership that will rise to seek their own followership/membership.

Men/ministers seeking their own and not the things of Christ. Philippians 2:19-24.

*With such self ambition/lusts of men in expression in the church, it's impossible for all to speak the same thing/draw the same understanding from the scriptures.

However, those who seek the things of Jesus Christ like Peter, Paul and Timothy, maintain the same scriptural truth, that the people are the flock/heritage of God and not their own; but those who in setting out to serve in ministry work, quickly turn the people of God to their own flock and the members of Christ to their members, are surely representing their own interests, thus they speak perverse and diverse things.

Acts 20:28

Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.

1 Peter 5

2  Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind;

 3  Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock.

Elders seeking their own flock, to have a following and to disciple men after themselves, are the root cause of divisions and different sects in the church. 

The denominations/sects are the divisions their ambition gave birth to. 

Thus, today we have different denominations with different spiritual heads/founders and not Christ the one head/foundation; men assuming spiritual heads and speaking diverse doctrines/words of confusion. This explains the root of the confounding doctrines of different denominations and sects in Christendom today; God is surely not the author of this confusion, but men seeking their own and not the things of Jesus Christ. 

Concerning such men of perverse and diverse tongues, Romans 16:17-18 warns "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."

However, in the midst of the divisions and confusion, the one foundation of God stands sure, and the unity of the Spirit remains...there is one body, one head of the body, one baptism, one Lord, one Spirit. We are called to endeavour to walk in/maintain that unity of the Spirit. This can only be possible if we according to scriptures walk with all lowliness, and with all meekness and longsuffering; forbearing one another in love. It can only be possible when we submit ourselves one to another in the fear of God, the younger ones to the elders and the elders to the younger ones, knowing fully well that we are members of Christ, and members one of another(Please see Ephesians 4:1-5; 5:21;1 Peter 5:5; Romans12:5).

If on the contrary, what we have are men rising to exalt themselves over the body of Christ and to constitute themselves spiritual heads over the people of God, demanding submission and unalloyed allegiance to the false spiritual position/authority they have assumed and arrogated to themselves; then the unity of the Spirit is impossible in such religious systems, the best they can have is the unity of the flesh as in Babel.