How does sectarian opinion become a doctrine of sectarianism?

We realize this is a natural tendency of human nature to distinguish between “us” and “them.” This is sectarian. When it becomes a dogma, it grows into a doctrine of sectarianism. From the first man, Adam—who wanted God to know that he wasn’t as bad as his wife (Genesis 3:12)—all the way to you and me, pride wants us to exalt ourselves by humbling other people. As usual God wants it to be the other way around.

Sectarianism

Sectarianism, in this sense, is bigotry, discrimination, or hatred arising from attaching importance to perceived differences between subdivisions within a group, such as between different denominations of a religion, class, regional or factions of a political movement.

3 Greek words, which form a progression: opinion, division, sectarian

1) It starts with “a self-chosen opinion”…

• For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you. (1 Corinthians 11:19)
• Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like (Galatians 5:19-21)
• But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. (2 Peter 2:1)

hairesis: choice, opinion — haíresis (a feminine noun derived from 138 hairéomai, “personally select, choose”) – properly, a personal (decisive) choice.
139 haíresis (“a strong, distinctive opinion”) is used in the NT of individual “parties (sects)” that operated within Judaism. The term stresses the personal aspect of choice – and hence how being a Sadducee (Ac 5:17) was sharply distinguished from being a Pharisee (Ac 15:5; 26:5).
[As a feminine noun, 139 (haíresis) highlights the subjective (individual) nature of a specific (divisive) opinion.]

2) This self-chosen opinion leads to “division” …

• Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. (Romans 16:17)
• Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like (Galatians 5:19-21)

dichostasia: standing apart, dissension — (from dixa, “separately” and 4714 stásis, “a standing, stance”) – properly, separate-standings (“standing apart”), used of divisions which wrongly separate people into pointless (groundless) factions.

3) This division, when it has finished it’s work, leads to “sectarian”, “heretick”, or “factious”, typical of warring enemies…

• But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain. A man that is an heretick after the first and second admonition reject; Knowing that he that is such is subverted, and sinneth, being condemned of himself. (Titus 3:9-11)

hairetikós — (an adjective, derived from 138 hairéomai, “to choose, have a distinctive opinion”) – a factious person, specializing in half-truths and misimpressions “to win others over” to their personal opinion (misguided zeal) – while creating harmful divisions (used only in Tit 3:10). –HELPS™ Word-studies

The result of the sectarian progression

Thus we see that sectarianism does not spring full grown from the ground. It is sown as a seed of a sectarian self-chosen opinion, which grows into a sectarian division, and ultimately reaps, a doctrine of sectarianism.

Collective narcissism — Collective narcissism (or group narcissism) is a type of narcissism where an individual has an inflated self-love of his or her own ingroup, where an “ingroup” is a group in which an individual is personally involved. While the classic definition of narcissism focuses on the individual, collective narcissism asserts that one can have a similar excessively high opinion of a group, and that a group can function as a narcissistic entity.

This sin of sectarianism is one of the worst sins. It goes against all of the teaching of the Lord Jesus Christ. (101 Verses on Walking With One Another) Therefore, the Apostle Paul told us to “look at, regard attentively, take heed, beware, consider” those who behaved this way and “refuse, reject, decline, shun, avoid” them. This is serious! God hates pride.

• There are six things the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to him: (arrogant, proud) haughty eyes… (Proverbs 6:16-19)
• So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. (1 Peter 5:6)
• But those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted. (Matthew 23:12)
• Pride brings a person low, but the lowly in spirit gain honor. (Proverbs 29:23)

How to break the sectarian cycle

Sometimes I feel like Peter. Sometimes it takes a lot to get my attention. I have come to realize that I am not to be sectarian and call anything unclean if God has made it clean…

Then Peter told them exactly what had happened. “I was in the town of Joppa,” he said, “and while I was praying, I went into a trance and saw a vision. Something like a large sheet was let down by its four corners from the sky. And it came right down to me. When I looked inside the sheet, I saw all sorts of tame and wild animals, reptiles, and birds. And I heard a voice say, ‘Get up, Peter; kill and eat them.’ “‘No, Lord,’ I replied. ‘I have never eaten anything that our Jewish laws have declared impure or unclean.’ “But the voice from heaven spoke again: ‘Do not call something unclean if God has made it clean.‘ This happened three times before the sheet and all it contained was pulled back up to heaven. (Acts 11:4-10)

How can one newly-cleaned person treat another newly-cleaned person as unclean? Every saved Christian, no matter how spiritually mature, no matter how intellectually confused, no matter how physically stubborn, has been cleansed by the wonderful spiritual cleansing of joining with the Lord Jesus Christ and participating with him in his death, burial, and resurrection.

Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else. But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus. (Ephesians 2:1-7)

You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross. (Colossians 2:13-15)

Don’t you realize that those who do wrong will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Don’t fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes, or practice homosexuality, or are thieves, or greedy people, or drunkards, or are abusive, or cheat people—none of these will inherit the Kingdom of God. Some of you were once like that. But you were cleansed; you were made holy; you were made right with God by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. (1 Corinthians 6:9-11)

I have acknowledged my sin of being sectarian, I have asked the Lord to forgive my prideful heart, and I have apologized to people that I hurt. (7 Characteristics of a Real, Genuine, Sincere Apology) If you have allowed the Lord to help you be victorious over this sin, or are still struggling with the concept, please write to us or join the conversation below.