Division and Strife in Scripture

Executive Summary

Introduction

Part 1: The Vocabulary of Division

Part 2: Division in the Old Testament

Part 3: Jesus on Division and Unity

Part 4: Division in the Early Church

Part 5: The Roots of Strife

Part 6: Kinds of Division

Part 7: Responding to Division

Part 8: God’s Remedy: The Unity of the Spirit

Summary of Key Ideas

Questions for Reflection and Discussion

Sources and Notes

Appendix: Definitions

Executive Summary

Scripture treats division as a moral and spiritual disease, not merely a difference of opinion. It grows from envy, selfish ambition and unchecked desire (James 3:14-16; 4:1-2), Paul lists it among the works of the flesh that keep people out of the kingdom of God (Galatians 5:19-21), and he calls a divided church carnal (1 Corinthians 3:3). The New Testament uses more than a dozen Greek words for it, and each names a different face of the problem: standing apart, tearing, quarreling, jealous rivalry, slander, word-fighting, and the laying of traps for others.

The Bible does not leave the matter at diagnosis. Division appears at the beginning of human history (Cain and Abel, Babel) and runs through Israel’s story until the kingdom itself splits. Jesus warned that a divided house cannot stand (Mark 3:25) and prayed that His people would be one so that the world might believe (John 17:21). The apostles then met division in their own congregations, in Jerusalem, Antioch, Philippi, Corinth and Galatia, and gave patient, practical instruction for it.

Three truths hold the teaching together. First, the root is the heart: pride, envy and the pursuit of self (Philippians 2:3). Second, not every disagreement is sinful division. Scripture requires believers to separate from false teaching and to confront serious sin, and it also forbids quarrels over disputable matters (Romans 14:1). Third, unity is a gift to be guarded, not an achievement to be manufactured: believers are told to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (Ephesians 4:3), which means humility, gentleness, forbearance and love. The study ends with how a congregation can respond when strife appears and how it can build the habits that prevent it.

Introduction

This study belongs with the others on the unity of the body of Christ. Those studies describe what unity is and why God wants it. This one looks at its opposite: what Scripture means by division and strife, where they come from, and what God says to do about them. Seeing the problem clearly makes the call to unity more concrete.

The study builds on a collection of New Testament passages and Greek words on division gathered in a working file, Division Strife v03. That file is the backbone of Part 1 and of the verse references throughout. The corrected form of the file is printed in full as the Appendix. This summary adds the Old Testament background, the teaching of Jesus, the stories of division in the early church, and the New Testament’s instructions for responding.

The parts run as follows:

1. The vocabulary of division in the Greek New Testament.
2. Division in the Old Testament.
3. What Jesus taught about division and unity.
4. Division in the early church.
5. The roots of strife.
6. Kinds of division, including which ones the Bible says to oppose and which to avoid.
7. How to respond when division appears.
8. God’s remedy: the unity of the Spirit.

Ten key passages are printed in full, because the teaching of the study rests on them: Galatians 5:19-21; 1 Corinthians 1:10-13 and 3:1-4; James 3:13-4:3; Romans 16:17; Philippians 2:1-4; Ephesians 4:1-6; Matthew 18:15-17; John 17:20-23; and Titus 3:9-11. All other passages are given by reference only, and the reader should open the Bible to them. The printed passages are from the New King James Version (NKJV). They were supplied from recall and must be checked against a printed NKJV, with the publisher’s permission notice added, before the study is posted. Greek words appear in Greek script, and the numbers beginning with G (for example G1370) are only reference numbers for looking a word up; the meanings given come from the scholarly lexicons and commentaries named in the Sources section.

Part 1: The Vocabulary of Division

The New Testament does not have one word for division. It has a whole vocabulary, and each word shows a different side of the sin. The table gathers the words from the working file, adds three that belong with them (αἵρεσις, ἀκαταστασία and θυμός), and shows where each occurs.

Greek word	Ref. no.	Core idea	Where it appears
διχοστασία	G1370	standing apart; a split within a community	Romans 16:17; 1 Corinthians 3:3; Galatians 5:20
σχίσμα	G4978	a tear or rent; a split of loyalty or opinion in a group	John 7:43; 9:16; 10:19; 1 Corinthians 1:10; 11:18; 12:25 (literal tear: Matthew 9:16; Mark 2:21)
αἵρεσις	G139	a choosing; a chosen party or faction	Acts 5:17; 15:5; 1 Corinthians 11:19; Galatians 5:20; 2 Peter 2:1
ἐριθεία	G2052	selfish ambition; rivalry that promotes oneself	Romans 2:8; 2 Corinthians 12:20; Galatians 5:20; Philippians 1:16; 2:3; James 3:14, 16
ἔρις	G2054	contention; quarreling	Romans 1:29; 13:13; 1 Corinthians 1:11; 3:3; 2 Corinthians 12:20; Galatians 5:20; Philippians 1:15; 1 Timothy 6:4; Titus 3:9
ζῆλος	G2205	zeal; becomes jealousy when it is self-centered	Romans 13:13; 1 Corinthians 3:3; 2 Corinthians 12:20; Galatians 5:20; James 3:14, 16
φθόνος	G5355	envy; resentment at another’s good	Matthew 27:18; Romans 1:29; Galatians 5:21; Philippians 1:15; 1 Timothy 6:4; Titus 3:3; James 4:5; 1 Peter 2:1
θυμός	G2372	outbursts of anger	2 Corinthians 12:20; Galatians 5:20
καταλαλία	G2636	speaking against someone; slander, backbiting	2 Corinthians 12:20; 1 Peter 2:1
λογομαχία, λογομαχέω	G3055, G3054	fighting over words	1 Timothy 6:4; 2 Timothy 2:14
μάχη, μάχομαι	G3163, G3164	a fight; to quarrel, to fight	2 Timothy 2:23-24; Titus 3:9; James 4:1-2
πόλεμος	G4171	war; open conflict	James 4:1
ἀκαταστασία	G181	disorder; unrest	1 Corinthians 14:33; 2 Corinthians 12:20; James 3:16
σκάνδαλον	G4625	a trap or snare; a cause of stumbling	Romans 9:33; 14:13; 16:17; 1 Corinthians 1:23; 1 Peter 2:8; 1 John 2:10

1.1 Words of Separation

Three words describe the split itself. διχοστασία is built from two parts meaning “apart” and “standing,” so it pictures people standing in separate camps. σχίσμα comes from the verb meaning “to tear.” Jesus uses the literal sense of a cloth torn by a new patch (Matthew 9:16), and in John’s Gospel the crowds are divided in opinion over Him (John 7:43; 9:16; 10:19). In 1 Corinthians the word refers to rival loyalties inside one assembly: Paul reports divisions among the Corinthians while they are still gathered as one church (1 Corinthians 11:18). The tear is in the fabric of the congregation; the congregation has not yet split into two churches. The third word, αἵρεσις, first means “a choosing” and then “a chosen party.” It is used neutrally for the Sadducees and Pharisees in Acts, but in Galatians 5:20 and 1 Corinthians 11:19 it points to factions inside the church. Older English translations render it “heresies,” and the word can carry that sense, but its root idea is a party built around a preference or a leader.

1.2 Words of Motive

Three words reach behind the behavior to the heart. ἐριθεία is the key one. Thayer’s lexicon records its older sense as “electioneering”: canvassing for office by self-promoting means. Its root is a word for a hired worker, one who works for personal gain. Some older word-study books explain it as “seeking to win followers,” but the more careful sense is selfish ambition, the drive to advance oneself at the expense of others (Philippians 2:3; James 3:14, 16). Thayer’s work predates the discovery of the Greek papyri, so the entry in a modern lexicon such as BDAG should be confirmed before the point is pressed in teaching.

The other two words need to be told apart. ζῆλος means intensity of feeling, and the context decides whether it is good zeal (John 2:17; 2 Corinthians 7:11) or bad jealousy (James 3:14). φθόνος is always negative: it is ill will at what someone else has, and Pilate saw it behind the chief priests’ handing Jesus over (Matthew 27:18). Jealousy wants what another has; envy resents that another has it.

1.3 Words of Conflict and Speech

ἔρις is the general word for contention. μάχη and μάχομαι describe an actual fight, whether with words or with fists, and πόλεμος is a war. James places πόλεμοι and μάχαι side by side and asks where they come from (James 4:1). λογομαχία, “word-fighting,” occurs only in 1 Timothy 6:4, and its verb only in 2 Timothy 2:14. Paul uses these rare words to describe arguments that produce heat and no light. καταλαλία, literally “speaking against,” is slander and backbiting, the verbal weapon that spreads division.

1.4 σκάνδαλον: The Trap

The word originally named the trigger of a trap. In the New Testament it is whatever causes a person to stumble in faith or conduct. Paul uses it in two directions. Christ Himself is a σκάνδαλον to unbelief (1 Corinthians 1:23), and divisive people place σκάνδαλα in the way of believers (Romans 16:17; compare 14:13). The only safe ground is the one John gives: the person who loves his brother abides in the light and puts no stumbling block in the way (1 John 2:10).

1.5 The Words Together

Paul’s lists show how these words cluster. In 2 Corinthians 12:20 he fears he will find contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, backbitings, whisperings, conceits and tumults. In Galatians 5:20 the same family reappears with dissensions and heresies added. In 1 Corinthians 3:3 only three are used (envy, strife and divisions), and Paul draws the conclusion at once: the church is carnal. The pattern is consistent. Envy and ambition begin in the heart, they come out as quarreling and slander, and they end in separation.

Part 2: Division in the Old Testament

The New Testament writers did not invent the problem. The Old Testament shows division in every setting: the family, the nation, the leadership and the worshiping community. It also shows how God responds. Passages in this part are given by reference; the reader should read each in the Bible.

2.1 In the Family: Cain and Abel, Jacob and Esau, Joseph and His Brothers

The first recorded division is between brothers. Cain rose up against Abel and killed him (Genesis 4:8). Jealousy over God’s acceptance of Abel’s offering was its root, and God warned Cain that sin was crouching at the door (Genesis 4:3-7). The pattern repeats. Jacob and Esau struggle from the womb, and Jacob has to flee (Genesis 25:22-23; 27:41-43). Joseph’s brothers hated him and could not speak peaceably to him because their father loved him more (Genesis 37:3-4). In each story, favoritism and envy produce the division, and the family is hurt long before it is healed. Joseph’s reconciliation with his brothers (Genesis 45:1-15; 50:15-21) is the Old Testament’s finest picture of forgiveness repairing a family.

2.2 In the Nation: Babel and the Scattering

At Babel the people set out to make a name for themselves so that they would not be scattered (Genesis 11:1-4). Their unity was real, but it was unity in pride and self-exaltation, and God scattered them (Genesis 11:5-9). The lesson is important for this study: Scripture does not praise unity for its own sake. The unity God commends is unity in His truth and for His glory. Pentecost later reverses Babel when the Spirit gathers people of many languages into one body (Acts 2:5-11).

2.3 Between Believers: Abram and Lot

When the herdsmen of Abram and Lot quarreled, Abram proposed that there be no strife between them, since they were kinsmen (Genesis 13:5-9). Abram, the older man and the one with the promise, gave Lot first choice of the land. He valued the relationship over his own claim, which is exactly the posture Paul later commends in Philippians 2:3-4. Lot’s choice of the well-watered plain, by contrast, led him toward Sodom (Genesis 13:10-13).

2.4 In Leadership: Miriam, Aaron and Korah

Strife also reaches the leaders. Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses, and God answered the challenge Himself (Numbers 12:1-9). Korah, Dathan and Abiram gathered a following and accused Moses and Aaron of taking too much upon themselves (Numbers 16:1-3). The root was ambition for position under the cover of a claim that the whole congregation was holy. The judgment was severe (Numbers 16:28-35), and the New Testament remembers the rebellion of Korah in Jude 11. Rebellion and envy toward leaders is a form of division that the New Testament also names.

2.5 The Divided Kingdom

The largest division in Israel’s history came after Solomon. Rehoboam answered the people harshly, and the northern tribes refused any share in David’s house (1 Kings 12:1-16). The kingdom divided into Israel and Judah. The writer says the turn of events was from the LORD as judgment on Solomon’s unfaithfulness (1 Kings 11:9-13; 12:15), yet Rehoboam’s arrogance and the people’s reaction were their own sins. The divided kingdom weakened both halves and left them open to Assyria and Babylon. The prophets look ahead to a day when God will reunite His people under one shepherd (Ezekiel 37:15-22; compare John 10:16).

2.6 What Proverbs Teaches About Strife

The book of Proverbs treats strife as a character problem with a character remedy. It names what feeds it and what starves it.

Proverb	What it teaches
Proverbs 6:16-19	The LORD hates the one who sows discord among brothers; it is the last item in the list, placed there for emphasis.
Proverbs 10:12	Hatred stirs up strife, while love covers wrongs.
Proverbs 13:10	Pride produces strife; wisdom belongs to those who take advice.
Proverbs 15:18	A hot-tempered man stirs up strife; the patient man calms a dispute.
Proverbs 16:28	A perverse man spreads strife, and a gossip separates close friends.
Proverbs 17:14	The beginning of strife is like a leak in a dam, so drop a quarrel before it breaks out.
Proverbs 26:20-21	Without a talebearer the quarrel dies, as a fire dies without wood.
Proverbs 28:25	The proud heart stirs up strife; the one who trusts the LORD prospers.

The picture is consistent. Pride, anger, hatred and gossip feed strife, and humility, patience, love and trust in the LORD starve it. Proverbs 17:14 adds a practical point about timing: a quarrel is easiest to stop before it begins, like a leak in a dam.

2.7 Psalm 133

The Old Testament’s best statement of the opposite is the short Psalm 133. It declares that it is good and pleasant when brothers live together in unity, and it compares that unity to the anointing oil that ran down Aaron’s beard and to the dew of Hermon. It ends by saying that the LORD commanded the blessing there (Psalm 133:1-3). Unity is described as pleasant to people and as the place where God sends blessing.

Part 3: Jesus on Division and Unity

Jesus taught on division in three ways: He warned about it, He told His disciples how to repair it, and He prayed for the unity of everyone who would believe in Him.

3.1 The Warning: A House Divided

When opponents accused Jesus of casting out demons by Satan, He answered that a kingdom divided against itself cannot stand, and neither can a house (Mark 3:23-26; compare Matthew 12:25). He made the point about Satan’s kingdom, but the principle holds for any community. A body that spends its energy fighting itself cannot do its work.

3.2 The Repair: Peacemaking and Reconciliation

In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus gives reconciliation priority over worship: a person at the altar who remembers that his brother has something against him is to leave his gift, be reconciled first, and then return to offer it (Matthew 5:23-24). The initiative belongs to the person who remembers the offense, whether he caused it or received it. Jesus also pronounces a blessing on peacemakers and calls them sons of God (Matthew 5:9). Peacemakers are not those who avoid conflict. They are those who work to end it, and in doing so they resemble the Father.

For the case in which a brother sins against another, Jesus gives a procedure:

15 Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. 16 But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that “by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.” 17 And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector. (Matthew 18:15-17)

The steps are four: go privately; if he will not listen, take one or two witnesses; if he still refuses, tell it to the church; and if he refuses even the church, treat him as an outsider. The goal is stated at the first step: to win the brother. The order is the point. Most conflict stays at step 1 or should be settled there. Gossip and public accusation skip the steps and become the slander and backbiting named in Part 1. The same chapter adds that forgiveness must be given repeatedly (Matthew 18:21-22), and illustrates it with the servant who was forgiven much and refused to forgive little (Matthew 18:23-35).

3.3 The Mark of Disciples

On the night of His betrayal Jesus gave a new commandment, that His disciples love one another as He has loved them, and said that all will know them as His disciples by this love (John 13:34-35). Love is the visible sign of discipleship. Division in a congregation hides that sign.

3.4 The Prayer: That They All May Be One

The fullest statement is Jesus’ prayer for all who would believe through the apostles’ word:

20 I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; 21 that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. 22 And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: 23 I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me. (John 17:20-23)

Three things stand out. The prayer includes believers of every later generation, so it includes us. The model for unity is the relationship of the Father and the Son: a unity of love and shared purpose, not of uniformity. And the purpose is evangelistic: that the world may believe. A divided church weakens the very message it exists to give.

3.5 The Division Jesus Himself Brings

Jesus also said that His coming would divide. He did not come to bring peace on earth, He said, but rather division (Luke 12:51-53). The crowds were split over Him (John 7:43; 9:16; 10:19), and the word used there is σχίσμα. This is not contradictory. Christ is the dividing line between belief and unbelief, and families and communities will divide over Him. The church must never create divisions of its own, but it must accept that loyalty to Christ will sometimes separate a person from others.

Part 4: Division in the Early Church

The book of Acts and the Epistles show that the first Christians struggled with division almost from the start. The accounts are useful because they show the different causes and the different outcomes.

Setting	Cause	Passage	Outcome
Jerusalem	Neglected widows; cultural divide between Hebrew-speaking and Greek-speaking believers	Acts 6:1-7	Resolved by listening, shared leadership and seven men chosen to serve
Jerusalem Council	Whether Gentiles must keep the law of Moses	Acts 15:1-35	Resolved by Scripture, testimony and a united decision
Antioch	Paul and Barnabas disagree over taking John Mark	Acts 15:36-41	Sharp disagreement; they parted, and two missions went out
Antioch	Peter withdraws from table fellowship with Gentiles	Galatians 2:11-14	Public correction by Paul, because the truth of the gospel was at stake
Philippi	Two women leaders are at odds	Philippians 4:2-3	Appeal to be of the same mind in the Lord and for others to help
Corinth	Loyalty to favorite leaders; envy; disorder at the Lord’s Supper	1 Corinthians 1:10-17; 3:1-4; 11:17-22	Paul’s long correction, aimed at the heart
Galatia	Legalists pressure believers; members bite and devour one another	Galatians 1:6-9; 5:13-15	Defend the gospel; walk in the Spirit
Diotrephes	A leader who loves to have the preeminence	3 John 9-10	Apostolic rebuke

4.1 Jerusalem: A Complaint Handled Well

As the number of disciples multiplied, the Greek-speaking believers complained that their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution (Acts 6:1). The apostles did not dismiss the complaint, and they did not let it consume their own calling. They called the whole group together, proposed a solution, and the multitude chose seven men, all with Greek names, to oversee the work (Acts 6:2-6). The result was that the word of God spread and the number of disciples multiplied greatly (Acts 6:7). Unity grew out of listening and shared responsibility.

4.2 The Jerusalem Council: Disagreement Over Truth

When some taught that Gentiles had to be circumcised to be saved, Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and dispute with them (Acts 15:1-2). The church did not settle the matter by power or by silence. It met, heard testimony from Peter, Paul and Barnabas, tested it against Scripture through James’s use of Amos 9:11-12, and reached a decision that seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to the church (Acts 15:6-29). This is the model for settling a doctrinal conflict: open discussion, Scripture as the final word, leaders acting together, and a clear conclusion the whole church could accept.

4.3 Paul and Barnabas: Sharp Contention

The disagreement about John Mark became so sharp that the two men parted (Acts 15:36-41). The word translated “contention” there (παροξυσμός) is a strong one. The account does not blame either man, and it shows God working through the separation: two missionary teams went out instead of one. Later, Paul asks for Mark because he is useful to him for ministry (2 Timothy 4:11), which shows the relationship was repaired. Not every disagreement is solved by agreement, but it need not end in bitterness.

4.4 Peter at Antioch: Division for the Sake of the Gospel

Peter ate with Gentile believers until certain men came from James, and then he withdrew and separated himself, fearing the circumcision party. Even Barnabas was led astray. Paul opposed Peter to his face before them all, because Peter’s conduct was not in step with the truth of the gospel (Galatians 2:11-14). Here the divider was the one who withdrew from fellowship. Paul’s open correction restored the unity of the gospel and did not break it.

4.5 Philippi: Two Women Who Needed Help

Paul appeals to Euodia and to Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord (Philippians 4:2). He does not take sides. He names both, repeats the appeal for each, and asks a true companion to help them (Philippians 4:3). The letter’s earlier appeals for humility (Philippians 2:1-4, printed in Part 8) were not abstract. They were written for a real conflict between real people who had labored with Paul in the gospel.

4.6 Corinth: The Fullest Case Study

The Corinthian church shows division in every form. Paul begins his appeal and names the report that prompted it:

10 Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. 11 For it has been declared to me concerning you, my brethren, by those of Chloe’s household, that there are contentions among you. 12 Now I say this, that each of you says, “I am of Paul,” or “I am of Apollos,” or “I am of Cephas,” or “I am of Christ.” 13 Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? (1 Corinthians 1:10-13)

The verb translated “perfectly joined together” (καταρτίζω) is the one used elsewhere for mending something torn, such as fishing nets (Matthew 4:21) or restoring a fallen brother (Galatians 6:1). Paul wants the torn fabric mended. The problem was loyalty to personalities, and Paul answers with three questions in verse 13.

In chapter 3 he explains why he cannot treat them as mature:

1 And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. 2 I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; 3 for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men? 4 For when one says, “I am of Paul,” and another, “I am of Apollos,” are you not carnal? (1 Corinthians 3:1-4)

Paul then reminds them that he and Apollos are only servants, God’s fellow workers (1 Corinthians 3:5-9).

The divisions also appeared at the Lord’s Supper, where the rich ate and drank while the poor went hungry (1 Corinthians 11:17-22). Paul says that factions must exist among them so that those who are approved may be recognized (1 Corinthians 11:19). He means that division exposes the true character of a church; he does not approve of it. Chapter 12 then gives the cure, the body with many members, which Part 8 discusses.

4.7 Galatia and Diotrephes

In Galatia the conflict came from outside teachers who added requirements to the gospel and from members who turned on one another, biting and devouring until they were in danger of being consumed (Galatians 5:15). Paul’s answer was to restate the gospel (Galatians 1:6-9) and to point to the Spirit’s fruit (Galatians 5:22-23). In 3 John 9-10 the apostle John names Diotrephes, who loves to be first among them, refuses to receive the brothers, and puts out those who do. It is a warning that division can come from a leader as easily as from the crowd.

Part 5: The Roots of Strife

Scripture is not content to describe division; it asks where it comes from. The answers are consistent and they point inward, to what people want and what they love.

5.1 Unmet Desires and Envy: James

James gives the fullest answer, in two linked passages:

13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. 15 This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. 16 For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. 17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. 18 Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

1 Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members? 2 You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures. (James 3:13-18; 4:1-3)

Strife begins as an unmet craving: for status, for comfort, for control, for being right. When the craving cannot be satisfied, people turn on whoever stands in the way. James adds that even prayer can be corrupted by these motives (James 4:3). In chapter 3 the language is strong. Envy and ambition are called not merely unwise but demonic, and the result is disorder and every evil thing. The alternative is the wisdom from above, which is peaceable and willing to yield, and whose fruit is sown in peace.

5.2 Envy and Selfish Ambition in Ministry

Paul found the same roots in the Philippian setting, and even in the motives of those who preached Christ. Some preached from envy and strife, others from goodwill; some from selfish ambition, supposing to add affliction to his chains, others out of love (Philippians 1:15-17). Ministry itself can be driven by rivalry. Paul rejoices that Christ is preached, but he does not excuse the motive. His cure is in the next chapter, where he forbids acting through selfish ambition or conceit and calls each to esteem others better than himself (Philippians 2:3, printed in Part 8). The opposite of selfish ambition is humility.

5.3 Pride

Proverbs says it plainly: pride produces strife (Proverbs 13:10). Pride refuses to give way, refuses to admit fault, and treats a difference of opinion as a threat to the self. James quotes the Old Testament for the remedy: God resists the proud and gives grace to the humble (James 4:6; Proverbs 3:34). The Corinthians’ loyalty to their favorite teachers was a form of pride, since boasting in a leader is boasting in oneself (1 Corinthians 1:12, 29-31; 3:21).

5.4 The Flesh

Paul sets the whole list inside one category:

19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. (Galatians 5:19-21)

Eight of the seventeen works in that list (hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies and envy) are failures of relationship and not of private behavior. Paul places them beside immorality and idolatry, which shows that he considers division as serious as sins we usually rank higher. Paul makes the same point in Romans by listing envy, murder, strife and deceit among the signs of a debased mind (Romans 1:28-31).

The alternative is to walk in the Spirit (Galatians 5:16). The Spirit’s fruit begins with love, joy and peace, and most of the nine qualities are directed toward other people (Galatians 5:22-23).

5.5 Love of Controversy and False Teaching

Paul describes the teacher who does not consent to wholesome words as proud, knowing nothing, and obsessed with disputes and arguments over words. From these come envy, strife, reviling, evil suspicions and useless wranglings among those who suppose that godliness is a means of gain (1 Timothy 6:3-5). Division can begin as a taste for argument, with the argument serving the person’s pride or profit instead of the truth.

5.6 Bitterness and Unforgiveness

The writer of Hebrews gives the quiet path to division: a root of bitterness springs up, causes trouble, and defiles many (Hebrews 12:14-15). A private grievance, kept alive, grows like a root until it affects many people. Paul gives a short rule against it: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil (Ephesians 4:26-27).

5.7 The Enemy

Behind the human motives the New Testament sees a spiritual enemy. James calls envy and ambition demonic (James 3:15), and Paul tells Timothy that quarrelsome opponents can be taken captive by the devil to do his will (2 Timothy 2:26). Division is therefore not only a social problem, and it is not solved only by better communication. It requires repentance, humility and prayer.

Part 6: Kinds of Division

Not every disagreement is the same, and Scripture does not give one answer to all of them. Some divisions are sinful and must be repented of. Some are a necessary result of standing for the truth. Some arise over matters on which Christians are free to differ. A wise congregation learns to tell them apart.

6.1 Party Spirit: Loyalty to Persons

The Corinthians were dividing into groups around favorite teachers (1 Corinthians 1:12; 3:4, printed in Part 4). The error was not that they valued their teachers but that they made them the center of identity. Paul reduces the teachers to servants, ministers through whom they believed, as the Lord gave to each one (1 Corinthians 3:5). The same spirit can attach itself to a pastor, a movement, a style of worship, or a denomination. 3 John 9-10 shows the other form of it, a leader who builds a following around himself.

6.2 Foolish and Ignorant Disputes

The Pastoral Epistles repeat the warning. Timothy is to charge believers not to quarrel about words to no profit, to the ruin of the hearers (2 Timothy 2:14), and to avoid foolish and ignorant disputes that generate strife (2 Timothy 2:23). Titus is to avoid foolish disputes, genealogies, contentions and strivings about the law (Titus 3:9, printed in 7.7). The marks of these disputes are that they are unprofitable, that they harm those who listen, and that they come from pride (1 Timothy 6:4). The command to avoid them does not forbid serious theological discussion. Paul himself reasons from Scripture at length. It forbids the kind of argument that serves the arguer and leaves the church worse off.

6.3 Disputable Matters

Romans 14 and 15 deal with matters on which sincere believers differ, in this case food and holy days. Paul tells the church to receive the one who is weak in the faith, without disputes over doubtful things (Romans 14:1). On days he says that each should be fully convinced in his own mind (Romans 14:5). He gives four principles:

1. Do not despise or judge one another over such matters (Romans 14:3-4, 10).
2. Act from conviction before the Lord, and let others do the same (Romans 14:5-8).
3. Do not use your freedom in a way that causes another to stumble. Resolve not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in your brother’s way (Romans 14:13).
4. Remember what matters most: the kingdom of God is righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, and we are to pursue what makes for peace and mutual edification (Romans 14:17-19).

The same principle appears in 1 Corinthians 8, where love limits the use of freedom for the sake of a weaker brother. In both places the stronger believer is asked to give up more, not to demand more.

6.4 Necessary Division: Contending for the Gospel

Some divisions are caused by those who depart from the truth, and the New Testament is firm that the church must not compromise there. Paul pronounces a curse on anyone, even an angel, who preaches another gospel (Galatians 1:8-9). His instruction in Romans 16:17 belongs in this category:

17 Now I urge you, brethren, note those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and avoid them. (Romans 16:17)

The phrase “contrary to the doctrine” sets the limit. The divisive person is one whose teaching or conduct departs from the apostolic teaching the church has already received. Commentators differ on whether Paul has in mind legalists, libertines, or both, but they agree that the test is faithfulness to the received apostolic teaching and not a difference of preference. Jude warns of those who cause divisions and do not have the Spirit (Jude 19), and urges believers to contend earnestly for the faith once for all delivered to the saints (Jude 3).

A caution belongs here. The people who cause divisions in Romans 16:17 are the ones who depart from the teaching, not the ones who object to it. A church that labels every critic a divider has misread the verse.

6.5 Sorting a Disagreement

The table offers a way to ask which kind of disagreement is in front of a congregation and what Scripture says to do. It is a teaching aid, not a rule, and real situations may combine categories.

Kind of disagreement	Example	What Scripture says to do
The gospel itself	Adding works to grace (Galatians 1:6-9; 2:14)	Stand firm; correct publicly where the error is public (Galatians 2:14)
Clear moral teaching	Persistent, unrepentant sin (1 Corinthians 5:1-13; Matthew 18:15-17)	Follow the steps of restoration; discipline if there is no repentance
Disputable matters	Food and days (Romans 14:1-6)	Receive one another; do not judge; limit freedom for love
Personal offense	A wrong done to a brother (Matthew 5:23-24; 18:15)	Go privately and promptly; forgive
Ambition or preference	Rival leaders or styles (1 Corinthians 1:10-13; Philippians 2:3)	Repent of pride; esteem others better than yourself

Part 7: Responding to Division

The New Testament gives practical guidance for the person who finds himself in the middle of a conflict. The steps below follow the order in which the passages would naturally apply.

7.1 Begin With Yourself

Before asking what others have done, ask what is in your own heart. James traces conflict to desires that war in your members (James 4:1), and Jesus warns against removing the speck from a brother’s eye while a plank remains in one’s own (Matthew 7:3-5). Paul’s instruction on restoring a fallen brother ends with a warning to the one doing the restoring: consider yourself, lest you also be tempted (Galatians 6:1).

7.2 Go Early and Go Privately

Jesus’ instruction is to go to the person directly, alone (Matthew 18:15, printed in 3.2), and to do so whether you are the one who caused the offense or the one who suffered it (Matthew 5:23-24). Proverbs adds the point about timing: the beginning of strife is like releasing water, so stop contention before a quarrel starts (Proverbs 17:14). Delay lets resentment harden.

7.3 Speak Gently

A soft answer turns away wrath (Proverbs 15:1). Paul applies the same principle to those who oppose the truth: the servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, and correcting opponents in humility, in the hope that God will grant them repentance and that they will escape the snare of the devil (2 Timothy 2:24-26). The aim of correction is repentance and recovery, not victory. The restoration of a person overtaken in sin is to be done in a spirit of gentleness (Galatians 6:1).

7.4 Guard the Tongue

Slander and gossip spread division faster than any open argument. Where there is no talebearer, strife ceases (Proverbs 26:20). The New Testament says the same: no corrupt word is to leave the mouth, only what builds up and gives grace to the hearers (Ephesians 4:29), and believers are not to speak evil of one another (James 4:11). Peter lists evil speaking with malice, deceit, hypocrisy and envy as things to lay aside (1 Peter 2:1).

7.5 Forgive

Paul tells the Ephesians to put away all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, evil speaking and malice, and to be kind, tenderhearted and forgiving, as God in Christ forgave them (Ephesians 4:31-32). Forgiveness does not mean pretending nothing happened. It means releasing the debt, as the unforgiving servant of Matthew 18 failed to do, and it removes the root of bitterness before it spreads (Hebrews 12:15).

7.6 Help Others to Reconcile

Paul asked a true companion to help Euodia and Syntyche (Philippians 4:3), and Jesus called peacemakers sons of God (Matthew 5:9). The church needs people who will carry words of peace instead of words of complaint. Barnabas, whose name means son of encouragement, often fills this role in Acts: he vouched for Saul when the other disciples were afraid of him (Acts 9:26-27).

7.7 When a Person Persists

When repeated, patient efforts fail and a person continues to cause division, Scripture does allow the church to withdraw fellowship, but it sets clear limits:

9 But avoid foolish disputes, genealogies, contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and useless. 10 Reject a divisive man after the first and second admonition, 11 knowing that such a person is warped and sinning, being self-condemned. (Titus 3:9-11)

The word translated “divisive man” is αἱρετικός, from the same root as αἵρεσις, a person who creates a party. Three limits stand out:

1. Admonition comes first, and it is repeated: after the first and second admonition.
2. The goal is still the person’s restoration. In 2 Thessalonians 3:14-15 Paul tells the church to note such a person so that he may be ashamed, yet not to count him an enemy but to admonish him as a brother.
3. The decision belongs to the church acting together and not to one person, as in Matthew 18:17 and 1 Corinthians 5:4-5.

Romans 16:17 gives a related instruction, to note such people and avoid them. The older commentators read this mainly as refusing to follow their teaching and not as hostility toward them.

7.8 As Far as It Depends on You

Romans 12:18 says to live peaceably with all men, if possible and as far as it depends on you. The wording is realistic. Some people will not be reconciled, and peace is not always possible. Believers are responsible for their own part: to repay no one evil for evil, to leave vengeance to God, and to overcome evil with good (Romans 12:17-21).

Part 8: God’s Remedy: The Unity of the Spirit

The Bible’s answer to division is not only a set of commands to stop. It is a positive picture of what the church is and how it is held together. Unity is first something God has done, and then something believers are called to guard.

8.1 Unity Won by Christ

Paul says Christ is our peace, who made Jew and Gentile one, broke down the middle wall of separation, and created in Himself one new man from the two (Ephesians 2:14-18). The deepest division in the first-century world was ended at the cross. The church’s unity is therefore not a human project. It is a result of the gospel.

8.2 Unity to Be Kept

Because unity has been given, believers are told to protect it:

1 I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, 2 with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, 3 endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. (Ephesians 4:1-6)

The verb translated “endeavoring” (σπουδάζω) means to make every effort. Unity needs work. The four qualities Paul names first, lowliness, gentleness, longsuffering and loving forbearance, are the opposites of the causes of strife in Part 5. The seven “ones” that follow are the basis of the unity: one body, one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God. Unity rests on shared truth and a shared Lord and not on agreement about everything.

8.3 Unity of Mind and Purpose

1 Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, 2 fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. 3 Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. 4 Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. (Philippians 2:1-4)

Paul then points to the pattern: Christ, who emptied Himself and took the form of a servant (Philippians 2:5-8). The cure for selfish ambition is the mind of Christ. In Philippians 1:27 he asks them to stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel. The verb “striving together” is συναθλέω, a word from the athletic field: teammates competing side by side against a common opponent, not against each other.

8.4 One Body, Many Members

Paul’s picture in 1 Corinthians 12 is of a single body with many different parts (1 Corinthians 12:12-27). The point is not that all members are alike. It is that they need each other, and that God arranged the body so that there would be no schism in it, and the members would have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer; if one is honored, all rejoice (1 Corinthians 12:25-26). The word for “schism” is σχίσμα, the same word Paul used for the Corinthians’ divisions in 1:10 and 11:18. The cure for envy is to see another’s gift as one’s own gain, since the same body benefits.

8.5 Put On Love

Colossians 3:12-15 calls God’s chosen people to put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness and longsuffering, to bear with one another and forgive, and above all to put on love, which is the bond of perfection, letting the peace of God rule in their hearts. Love is called the bond that holds the other virtues together. Paul’s prayer for the Romans uses a related idea: that the God of patience and comfort would grant them to be like-minded toward one another according to Christ Jesus, so that with one mind and one mouth they might glorify God (Romans 15:5-6).

8.6 The Words of Unity

The working file also gathered the Greek vocabulary of unity. It shows how the New Testament pictures the opposite of division.

Greek word	Ref. no.	Core idea	Where it appears
εἷς, μία	G1520, G3391	one	John 17:21-22; Ephesians 4:4-6
ὁμοθυμαδόν	G3661	with one mind, in one accord	Acts 1:14; 2:46; 4:24; 15:25; Romans 15:6
πνεῦμα	G4151	Spirit	1 Corinthians 12:13; Ephesians 4:3-4; Philippians 1:27
σῶμα	G4983	body, here the church as a single organism	1 Corinthians 12:12-27; Ephesians 4:4, 12, 16; Colossians 3:15
ἐλπίς	G1680	confident hope	Ephesians 4:4
καταρτίζω	G2675	to mend, restore, put in proper order	Matthew 4:21; 1 Corinthians 1:10; Galatians 6:1
συναθλέω	G4866	to strive side by side with others	Philippians 1:27; 4:3

8.7 The Early Church as the Model

In Acts the early believers are said to have been together ὁμοθυμαδόν, with one accord, in prayer (Acts 1:14), in worship (Acts 2:46) and in their response to opposition (Acts 4:24). The multitude of believers were of one heart and one soul (Acts 4:32). Acts also shows that this unity did not come from the absence of problems. Chapters 6 and 15 show conflict arising and being resolved, which is the model: unity is kept by handling disagreement in the right way, not by avoiding it.

Summary of Key Ideas

1. Division is a sin of the heart before it is a sin of the group. Its roots are envy, selfish ambition, pride, unmet desire and bitterness (James 3:14-16; 4:1-3; Philippians 2:3).
2. The Bible has a rich vocabulary for it. The Greek words describe standing apart, tearing, quarreling, jealous rivalry, slander, word-fighting and laying traps (Part 1).
3. Paul ranks division with the works of the flesh. It sits beside sins we usually treat as more serious, and those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God (Galatians 5:19-21).
4. Division is as old as humanity. Families, nations, leaders and kingdoms all fell into it, and Proverbs names pride, anger, hatred and gossip as its fuel.
5. Jesus warned against it, repaired it and prayed against it. A divided house cannot stand (Mark 3:25); reconciliation comes before worship (Matthew 5:23-24); and He prayed that His people would be one that the world may believe (John 17:21).
6. The early church faced the same problem and handled it in different ways. Listening and shared leadership resolved Acts 6; Scripture and the Spirit resolved Acts 15; Paul and Barnabas separated without bitterness; Paul confronted Peter openly when the gospel was at stake.
7. Not all disagreement is the same. Believers must hold firm on the gospel and clear moral teaching, extend freedom on disputable matters (Romans 14), and repent of ambition and preference dressed up as principle.
8. Response matters as much as cause. Examine yourself, go privately and early, speak gently, guard the tongue, forgive, help others reconcile, and use discipline only after patient admonition and with restoration as the goal.
9. Unity is both a gift and a task. Christ has made believers one (Ephesians 2:14-15), and they are to make every effort to keep it (Ephesians 4:3).
10. The remedy is the mind of Christ. Humility, service and love, the opposites of ambition and envy, are what hold the body together (Philippians 2:3-8; Colossians 3:12-15).

Questions for Reflection and Discussion

1. Read James 4:1-3. What desire is behind the last conflict you were part of? What did you want that you did not have?
2. Paul calls the Corinthians “carnal” because of envy, strife and divisions (1 Corinthians 3:3). Why does he connect behavior in the group with the state of the heart?
3. Galatians 5:19-21 puts hatred, jealousy, selfish ambition and dissension in the same list as immorality and idolatry. Why do we tend to treat them differently?
4. What is the difference between envy and jealousy as the Greek words show it? Which is more tempting for you?
5. Read Matthew 18:15-17. Where do most conflicts in churches skip a step? What would it cost to follow the order Jesus gave?
6. Jesus prayed that His followers would be one that the world may believe (John 17:21). How does a divided church affect the way outsiders hear the gospel?
7. Using the table in Part 6, name an example of each kind of disagreement from the life of a church you know. How should each be handled?
8. Romans 14 asks the stronger believer to give up more. What does that look like in practice today?
9. Paul and Barnabas parted from one another (Acts 15:39), yet Paul later asked for Mark (2 Timothy 4:11). What does this teach about disagreements that cannot be resolved?
10. Ephesians 4:3 says to “endeavor” to keep unity. What would a church do differently if it treated unity as work and not as a feeling?

Sources and Notes

Directly Used This Session

• James B. King, working file “Division Strife v03” (uploaded). The Greek terms, verse lists and the unity vocabulary in Parts 1 and 8 come from it. Its corrected form is the Appendix.
• Scripture, New King James Version, for the ten passages printed in full. They were supplied from recall, not copied from a printed edition, and the quotations taken from the working file are as it gave them. They must be checked against a printed NKJV, and the publisher’s permission notice added, before the study is posted.

Located Only Through Secondary Summary

These pages were retrieved and summarized by a tool, so their wording has not been checked page by page.

• Blue Letter Bible, lexicon entry on ἐριθεία: Thayer’s definition (“electioneering”), the derivation from a word for a hired worker, and the list of seven New Testament occurrences.
• BibleHub, lexicon entry on σχίσμα: Thayer’s definition and the eight New Testament occurrences, including the literal sense in Matthew 9:16 and Mark 2:21.
• BibleHub, lexicon entry on λογομαχία: the single occurrence in 1 Timothy 6:4 and its link to 2 Timothy 2:14.
• BibleHub, commentaries on Romans 16:17: summaries of Ellicott, Barnes, the Cambridge Bible, the Expositor’s Greek Testament and the Pulpit Commentary on who the divisive people are and what “avoid” means.

Thayer’s lexicon was written before the Greek papyri were widely known, so it should be used with caution on the finer shades of meaning.

Not Directly Consulted This Session

• BDAG (Bauer, Danker, Arndt, Gingrich), A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature; the Theological Dictionary of the New Testament (TDNT); and the New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology and Exegesis. These are the authoritative lexicons for every Greek word in Part 1 and should be checked there, especially for ἐριθεία, σχίσμα and διχοστασία.
• Modern commentaries on 1 Corinthians (for example Fee, Thiselton, Garland) and on Romans (for example Moo). The statements in the study about σχίσμα meaning divisions within one assembly and about the identity of the people in Romans 16:17 reflect general scholarly agreement as far as I know, but have not been checked against these books.

Appendix: The Corrected Working File (Version 04)

This appendix prints the Greek words and definitions from the working file Division Strife v03 in corrected form, with the change log of every correction made to it. Definitions are in the wording of scholarly lexicons and are footnoted. The numbers in brackets are reference numbers used only for looking a word up; they are not the authority for any definition.

A.1 Definitions: Divisions

διχοστασία [1370] (noun). Dissension, division; literally a standing apart.[1]

ἐριθεία [2052] (noun). Selfish ambition, self-seeking, rivalry. The word is not derived from ἔρις, “strife,” but from ἔριθος, “a hired worker,” and so first meant the self-interested pursuit of work for pay and then a self-serving, partisan ambition. The older gloss “seeking to win followers” is not the sense of the word.[2]

ἔρις [2054] (noun). Contention, strife, wrangling.[3]

ζῆλος [2205] (noun). Zeal, eager rivalry; in a bad sense jealousy, the envious and contentious spirit that sets one person against another. The word can be good (zeal for God) or bad (jealous rivalry), and the context decides.[4]

καταλαλία [2636] (noun). Slander, evil speaking, speaking against another.[5]

λογομαχέω [3054] (verb). To fight about words; to quarrel over trifling matters of language.[6]

λογομαχία [3055] (noun). A fight about words; a dispute over words.[7]

μάχη [3163] (noun). A fight, a battle; in the plural, quarrels and disputes between people.[8]

μάχομαι [3164] (verb). To fight; of verbal conflict, to quarrel, to dispute; of physical conflict, to fight with weapons or with the hands.[9]

πόλεμος [4171] (noun). War, battle; figuratively, conflict, quarrel.[10]

σκάνδαλον [4625] (noun). Originally the trigger of a trap; then a snare or a cause of falling; in the New Testament, anything that causes a person to stumble in faith or conduct. It is a stronger word than πρόσκομμα, “a stumbling,” the stone against which one strikes the foot, and the two words appear together in Romans 9:33 and 1 Peter 2:8.[11]

σχίσμα [4978] (noun). A tear or rent (as in cloth); figuratively a division within a group that is still together.[12]

φθόνος [5355] (noun). Envy; the resentful ill will that grudges another’s good. Unlike ζῆλος, the word is never used in a good sense.[13]

A.2 Definitions: Unity

One: εἷς [1520]. One.

One (feminine): μία [3391] (adjective). The feminine form of εἷς: one.

Hope: ἐλπίς [1680] (noun). Expectation; in the Christian sense, confident expectation of what God has promised.[14]

Complete: καταρτίζω [2675] (verb). To put in order, to restore, to make complete; also used of mending what is torn, as nets (Matthew 4:21).[15]

Strive together: συναθλέω [4866] (verb). To struggle side by side with another, as athletes on one team; a compound of σύν, “with,” and ἀθλέω, “to contend.”[16]

One mind: ὁμοθυμαδόν [3661] (adverb). With one mind, with one accord; a compound built from ὁμοῦ, “together,” and θυμός, “passion, mind.”[17]

Spirit: πνεῦμα [4151] (noun). Wind, breath, spirit; in the New Testament most often the Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit.[18]

Body: σῶμα [4983] (noun). The physical body; figuratively a group of people united as one, and in Paul the church as the body of Christ.[19]

Envy: φθόνος [5355] (noun). Envy, as above under Definitions: Divisions.

A.3 Change Log: Corrections to Version 03

1. Envy verses moved. In version 03 the section “Zeal, Envy [2205]” held verses that use φθόνος [5355], not ζῆλος [2205]: Romans 1:29, Galatians 5:21, Philippians 1:15, 1 Timothy 6:4, Titus 3:3 and 1 Peter 2:1. They were tagged [2205] in error. They now stand under Envy [5355], with the tags corrected, and the ζῆλος section keeps only the verses that use ζῆλος.
2. 1 Corinthians 13:4 removed. The entry “1 Cor. 3:3-4” in the ζῆλος section ran into the words “Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy,” which are from 1 Corinthians 13:4 and not from chapter 3. The fragment was removed and the entry restored to 1 Corinthians 3:3.
3. 1 Corinthians 3:3 tags. In the Strife [2054] section the word “envy” was tagged [4978], the number for σχίσμα. It is ζῆλος, [2205]. Divisions in that verse are διχοστασία [1370], not σχίσμα.
4. Heading number. The heading “Stumbling Block [4627]” was changed to [4625], the number used in the definition itself.
5. Part-of-speech labels. ἔρις [2054] and διχοστασία [1370] are nouns, not verbs; headings and definitions were relabeled (n). In the version 03 definition list, ἔρις was labeled (v), and the heading of the διχοστασία section was labeled (v).
6. σκάνδαλον and πρόσκομμα. Romans 9:33, Romans 14:13 and 1 Peter 2:8 contain both σκάνδαλον [4625] and πρόσκομμα [4348]. Version 03 marked the wrong English words in the first two. The tags are now placed on the correct words and the distinction is stated in the definition.
7. Typographical errors. “Chier Cornerstone” became “Chief Cornerstone”; “1 Ptere 2:1” became “1 Peter 2:1”; “1John 2:10” became “1 John 2:10”; “Jas” and “James” were made uniform; the “(n)” for λογομαχία [3055] was given a noun definition; the missing period after “war [4170]” in James 4:2 was supplied; stray bold marks and stray spacing around tags were cleaned; the 2 Timothy 2:23 and Titus 3:9 entries under Strife [2054] now tag “strife”/“strivings” with the correct μάχη number [3163].
8. Definitions replaced. Definitions that came from Strong’s and Vine’s wording (for example “seeking to win followers” for ἐριθεία) were replaced with wording based on scholarly lexicons, with footnotes. Strong’s numbers remain only as lookup identifiers.

A.4 Items to Confirm

All lexical entries below should be confirmed in BDAG (Bauer, Danker, Arndt and Gingrich, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, 3rd ed.), and where noted in TDNT, before they are used in teaching. BDAG and TDNT are print or subscription works and could not be consulted for this file. Entries drawn from older, freely available lexicons are marked as such. The verse lists of version 03 (with their corrected tags) are held in the separate Version 04 source file and are not reprinted here; the verses are given in this study by reference.

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[1] Based on Joseph Henry Thayer, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament (1889), s.v. διχοστασία, as presented at BibleHub, https://biblehub.com/greek/1370.htm (accessed October 7, 2026). Thayer predates the papyri discoveries; confirm in BDAG.

[2] On the derivation and the meaning “selfish ambition,” see Thayer, s.v. ἐριθεία, as presented at Blue Letter Bible, https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g2052 (accessed October 7, 2026), and Marvin R. Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament, on Gal 5:20. Secondary summary; confirm in BDAG and TDNT.

[3] Thayer, s.v. ἔρις; confirm in BDAG.

[4] Thayer, s.v. ζῆλος; the good and bad uses are also noted by Vincent, Word Studies, on James 3:14. Confirm in BDAG.

[5] Thayer, s.v. καταλαλία; confirm in BDAG.

[6] Thayer, s.v. λογομαχέω; confirm in BDAG.

[7] Thayer, s.v. λογομαχία, as presented at BibleHub, https://biblehub.com/greek/3055.htm (accessed October 7, 2026); confirm in BDAG.

[8] Thayer, s.v. μάχη; confirm in BDAG.

[9] Thayer, s.v. μάχομαι; confirm in BDAG.

[10] Thayer, s.v. πόλεμος; confirm in BDAG.

[11] Thayer, s.v. σκάνδαλον; the contrast with πρόσκομμα is a standard point in the commentaries, for example Vincent, Word Studies, on Rom 9:33. Confirm in BDAG and in TDNT, s.v. σκάνδαλον.

[12] Thayer, s.v. σχίσμα, as presented at BibleHub, https://biblehub.com/greek/4978.htm (accessed October 7, 2026). That σχίσμα means division within one assembly, not a separate body, is the usual reading of 1 Cor 1:10 and 11:18; confirm in BDAG and TDNT, s.v. σχίσμα.

[13] Thayer, s.v. φθόνος; confirm in BDAG.

[14] Thayer, s.v. ἐλπίς; confirm in BDAG.

[15] Thayer, s.v. καταρτίζω; the mending sense is seen in Matt 4:21 and Mark 1:19. Confirm in BDAG.

[16] Thayer, s.v. συναθλέω (Phil 1:27; 4:3); confirm in BDAG.

[17] Thayer, s.v. ὁμοθυμαδόν; confirm in BDAG.

[18] Thayer, s.v. πνεῦμα; confirm in BDAG.

[19] Thayer, s.v. σῶμα; confirm in BDAG.