“So there was division among the people because of Him.” John 7:43
Division refers to a setting apart or a difference of opinion. According to this Scripture, division is not a modern problem. It has always existed even when Jesus was on earth. Even though everyone saw the same things they had different opinions about the meaning of the events. The people were divided because of Him.
It is obvious that 2000 years later people are still divided because of Him. We can be rather sure that Jesus isn’t the one with the identity problem. He is not divided because He said, “a house divided against itself cannot stand.” Yet, we have dozens of different beliefs about the message and excercise of the Gospel. The source of division is in the opinion of the believer. The “Spirit of Truth” does not reveal to one person that God heals today and to another that healing has passed away.
Division is always the result of incomplete understanding of the information available. It can result from a preconceived opinion based on experience or from false teaching. The people saw everything Jesus did but had different opinions about who He was and what He meant by it.
No one can claim a complete understanding of the Word of God. There will always be division, and we must accept the responsibility the we are the cause. Truth never contradicts itself. We can all have different beliefs about the same thing at the same time but, we can’t all be right. For instance, speaking in tongues causes division in the Church. Everyone believes his opinion is right regardless. But, why do I believe what I believe?