Welcome to Word of the Day on GospelBells Radio.
Today, the word under the spotlight is Schism.
(Continue reading or listen as presented on the radio by Dewunmi Afolabi-Ajani)
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Follow us on XSchism (pronounced SIZ-um or SKIZ-um) means a split or division, especially within a church or community, caused by differences in belief or loyalty. It comes from the Greek word schisma, meaning “to tear” or “to split apart.”
In Scripture, the Apostle Paul warned against schism in the Church. In 1 Corinthians 1:10, he pleaded, “I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another… and that there be no divisions among you.” Paul saw that when believers quarrel and form factions, the witness of Christ’s body is wounded. A schism doesn’t just break relationships—it dims the light of the gospel in the world.
Yet, unity doesn’t mean uniformity. The Church’s unity flows not from everyone being the same, but from everyone being centered on Christ. When our hearts are anchored in Him, differences need not become divisions. Jesus prayed in John 17:21, “That they may all be one, just as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You.” The cure for schism is not compromise of truth but commitment to love—the kind of love that guards fellowship and seeks reconciliation.