What does Scripture have to say about causing discord and disunity…
The Bible has a great deal to say about this topic — and it takes it very seriously. Here are the key scriptures:
🔥 The Most Direct Warning — Proverbs 6:16–19 "These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him... he that soweth discord among brethren."
Causing discord is listed among things God finds detestable — alongside a proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood. This is perhaps the strongest statement in all of Scripture on the subject.
📖 Key Scriptures:
Romans 16:17–18 — "Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them." Paul adds that such people do not serve Christ, but their own desires.
Galatians 5:19–20 — Scripture is clear that sin provokes quarrels and division: strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, and division are all listed as "works of the flesh."
Titus 3:9–10 — Divisive people engaging in "foolish controversies, dissensions, and quarrels" are to be warned, and if they persist, avoided.
1 Corinthians 3:3 — Paul told the Corinthians their division was a sign of them still being carnal, not spiritual.
Jude 18–19 — "In the last time there will be scoffers, following their own ungodly passions — it is these who cause divisions, worldly people, devoid of the Spirit."
Proverbs 16:28 — "A perverse person stirs up conflict, and a gossip separates close friends."
James 3:16 — "Where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work."
Mark 3:24–25 — Jesus himself warned: "If a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand."
✅ What the Bible calls us to instead:
Psalm 133:1 — "Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!"
Matthew 5:9 — "Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God."
Ephesians 4:3 — Make "every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace."
In summary, the Bible repeatedly warns against sowing discord, teaching that it disrupts unity, undermines trust, and goes against the will of God — rather than fostering unity and peace, those who sow discord harm relationships and create divisions. The consistent biblical instruction is to warn those causing division, and if they persist, to avoid them.
Should Christians call out other Christians and churches to expose evil and misdeeds? Biblically speaking?
This is a rich and important biblical question, and the answer is nuanced — Scripture actually supports both confronting sin and doing so with great care and humility. Here's what the Bible teaches:
✅ Yes — Scripture does call believers to confront and expose evil
Ephesians 5:11 is perhaps the clearest command: "Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them." This is a direct instruction.
Matthew 18:15–17 gives Jesus' own step-by-step process:
Go to the person privately first
If they don't listen, bring 1–2 witnesses
If still unresolved, bring it before the church
If they refuse the church — treat them as an outsider
1 Corinthians 5:1–13 — Paul strongly rebuked the Corinthian church for tolerating open sin and not dealing with it. He said they were arrogant for doing nothing, and instructed them to remove the unrepentant person from fellowship.
Titus 1:13 & 2:15 — Paul told Titus to "rebuke them sharply" when needed, and to speak with full authority, not letting anyone look down on him for doing so.
Galatians 2:11–14 — Paul publicly opposed Peter to his face when Peter's behavior was leading others astray. This shows that even respected leaders are not above correction.
Proverbs 27:5 — "Better is open rebuke than hidden love." Silence is not always kindness.
⚠️ But Scripture gives very clear guardrails on how this is done
Galatians 6:1 — "If someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted." The goal is always restoration, not exposure for its own sake.
Matthew 7:1–5 — Jesus warned sternly against judging with a plank in your own eye. Self-examination must come first.
1 Timothy 5:19 — "Do not entertain an accusation against an elder unless it is brought by two or three witnesses." This protects against false accusations and gossip disguised as righteous concern.
2 Timothy 2:24–25 — The Lord's servant must correct opponents "with gentleness", not quarreling, hoping God may grant them repentance.
Jude 22–23 — "Be merciful to those who doubt; save others by snatching them from the fire." Even in confronting error, mercy is the spirit.
🔑 The Key Biblical Principles
Private before public. Matthew 18 makes this non-negotiable. Going public first is almost never the biblical pattern.
The goal is restoration, not destruction. If the exposure is motivated by pride, revenge, or a desire to "win," that's a sin problem in the one doing the exposing.
False teaching and public sin are different from private failings. Public sin that affects the body (1 Cor. 5) or false doctrine being taught publicly (Titus 1, Galatians 1:8–9) warrants a more public response.
Leaders are held to a higher standard (James 3:1, 1 Tim. 3), so accountability for them is especially important — and especially serious.
Motive matters enormously to God. Exposing evil out of love for the church and love for the sinner is biblical. Exposing it out of anger, faction, or self-promotion is itself a sin.
The bottom line: The Bible says yes — silence in the face of evil within the church is itself a failure. But the manner, motive, sequence, and spirit of that confrontation is just as important as the confrontation itself. Done rightly, it reflects the love of God. Done wrongly, it becomes the very discord and division that Proverbs 6 says God hates.
