ESOCS Devotional 16 September 2026 – Avoid Divisive People
MEMORY VERSE: “Now I beseech you, brethren; mark them which cause divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.” (Romans 16:17 KJV).
TEXT: ROMANS 16: 10 – 27
Greet Apelles, approved in Christ. Greet those who are of the household of Aristobulus. 11 Greet Herodion, my countryman. Greet those who are of the household of Narcissus who are in the Lord.
12 Greet Tryphena and Tryphosa, who have labored in the Lord. Greet the beloved Persis, who labored much in the Lord. 13 Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord, and his mother and mine. 14 Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermas, Patrobas, Hermes, and the brethren who are with them. 15 Greet Philologus and Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints who are with them.
16 Greet one another with a holy kiss. The churches of Christ greet you.
17 Now I urge you, brethren, note those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and avoid them. 18 For those who are such do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly, and by smooth words and flattering speech deceive the hearts of the simple. 19 For your obedience has become known to all. Therefore I am glad on your behalf; but I want you to be wise in what is good, and simple concerning evil. 20 And the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.
21 Timothy, my fellow worker, and Lucius, Jason, and Sosipater, my countrymen, greet you.
22 I, Tertius, who wrote this epistle, greet you in the Lord.
23 Gaius, my host and the host of the whole church, greets you. Erastus, the treasurer of the city, greets you, and Quartus, a brother. 24 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.
25 Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret since the world began 26 but now made manifest, and by the prophetic Scriptures made known to all nations, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, for obedience to the faith— 27 to God, alone wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen.
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In today’s passage, Apostle Paul cautions us about those that cause division and offences among God’s people and encourages us to steer clear of them. Paul emphasized the destructive nature of their influence, which can nullify all virtues and positive traits in others. These individuals do not serve the Lord Jesus Christ but prioritize their desires (Romans 16:18). They use persuasive language to deceive the unsuspecting.
There are people who cultivate this wrong spirit. They always create confusion and division among the brethren. And division is one thing God hates: it’s an abomination to Him. In Proverbs, we are told about six things the LORD hates, but the seventh is an abomination unto Him, and that is the one who causes division and discord among the brethren [Pro 6:16, 19 KJV] “These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.”
The ISV puts it like this; “…Someone who sowing quarrels between brothers.” God hates this attitude.
Sometimes, you find people in the church causing division and confusion among people. They lie and say things that will break relationships and get others to be offended. These people bring division among friends and even between members and their pastors. And God abhors this attitude.
In our memory verse, the Holy Ghost shows us what to do with such people. Two things: first, He tells us to mark such people in the church. We must take notice of their attitude. We must not take these things lightly. You must look out for and be careful about people who come to gossip to you about others. Mark those who try to poison your mind about leadership or the brethren.
The next thing is to avoid them. To avoid means to turn aside, deviate from, or to keep aloof from one’s company. Don’t hung around people who pollute your mind about others: avoid them. Keep your distance from them. The reason is because God hates their attitude. Again, that attitude is contagious, and always know that anyone who can gossip to you will gossip of you.
1 Corinthians 1:10 says, “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.” As custodians of the Gospel, we must guard against false teachings that may distort the beliefs of our followers. We are advised to abstain from associating with individuals who promote erroneous doctrines and to distance those under our supervision from such influences.
Cultivate a different spirit. Be filled with love. Be the opposite of division. Foster unity among the brethren. Unite people. Help the weak in spirit, and build up broken relationships. Always be the reason why people will stay and happily serve in church.
Challenges:
- If you have faced a divisive person before, how did you handle it?
- Can you think of other reasons divisive people should be avoided?
Prayer:
O Lord, grant me grace to live by Your principles and help me with wisdom to avoid those who cause divisions in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
FURTHER READING:
Nehemiah 1: 4 – end; Matthew 10: 9 – 15; 2 Samuel 22:16 – 39
ESOCS Devotional 16 September 2026
