One bad apple spoils the others. That is why we soon separate it from the others to avoid more spoilage. The same principle applies in the church. “After a first and second warning, have nothing more to do with a person who causes conflict, because you know that someone like this is twisted and sinful — so they condemn themselves” (Titus 3:10-11).
Some like to discuss the nature of division, if a person is factious or not, if his attitudes cause division. Paul knew that it is not hard to identify division or a factious person. One does not have to be a genius to know.
Our tendency is to want to give the person more chances, to be patient, to work more with the person, to give him time to mature, but Scripture is clear: After a couple of warnings, he’s out. The divisive person should be treated as someone who does not belong to the body of Christ.
The character (“twisted”) and the conduct (“sinful”) of such a person demonstrates the need to take measures that at first glance appear to be severe, but become obligatory because of the dangers that his actions in the church present. This is because division in the church is one of the most serious transgressions in the eyes of God (Proverbs 6:16-19).
