Have you ever watched an old movie with scenes of wooden ships at sea? Movies about pirates have such ships. Movies about the early sailors have such ships. One of the dangers with sailing wooden ships was hitting rocks in shallow water. Another danger was sailing in severe storms. Either one of those dangers could lead to the ship breaking apart and sinking. The ancient Greeks had a word to describe a ship breaking into pieces – “schizmata.”
The word “schizmata” was also used by the Greeks to describe the use of an ax in dividing something. It could be the act of bringing the ax down on a person’s head and breaking it apart. It could be bringing the ax down on a piece of wood and splitting it.
This word “schizmata” is used in 1 Corinthians 1:10, which reads, “Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.” “Schizmata” is translated as “divisions” in that verse. God sees division of His church like a ship being torn apart at sea. For someone to cause division in the church is like taking an ax and swinging it down on another Christian’s head.
God does not like division in the church. He desires unity. Christians are to all have the same mind in spiritual things.
Study your Bible. Make sure you know what God wants you to do. Help others learn God’s wisdom so that everyone can think the same things spiritually.
