Acts 23:6 Then Paul, knowing that some of them were Sadducees and the others Pharisees, called out in the Sanhedrin, “My brothers, I am a Pharisee, descended from Pharisees. I stand on trial because of the hope of the resurrection of the dead.”
Acts 23:7 When he said this, a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided.
Acts 23:8 (The Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, and that there are neither angels nor spirits, but the Pharisees believe all these things.)
Acts 23:9 There was a great uproar, and some of the teachers of the law who were Pharisees stood up and argued vigorously. “We find nothing wrong with this man,” they said. “What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?”
Acts 23:10 The dispute became so violent that the commander was afraid Paul would be torn to pieces by them. He ordered the troops to go down and take him away from them by force and bring him into the barracks.
In the Acts 23:6-10 Paul used a disagreement between the Pharisees and Sadducees to his advantage Acts 23:8 8″ (The Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, and that there are neither angels nor spirits, but the Pharisees believe all these things.)”, and it saved him.
Both the Pharisees and the Sadducees believed in God, they simply disagreed on some points as can be seen in verse 8. When tested in the Sanhedrin, this disagreement very quickly evolved into a dispute that threatened to get out of control. It got so bad that the soldiers had to take Paul away because they feared that he may be torn to pieces.
We have to remember that each and every Christian is a member of God’s church. There may be different denominations eg. Anglican, Methodist, Baptist, Dutch Reformed, etc, etc, and they may differ on some aspects regarding doctrine. However the simple fact remains that each and everyone is, an integral part of God’s Church, who God refers to as His bride.
What saddens me, and I would imagine Christians everywhere, is that it has almost become common to see well known church leaders argue vigorously using the printed and electronic media. In some cases they take it to the extreme of getting personal. What they fail to realise is that their behaviour doesn’t solve anything and, only serves to sow division within the church. Many of their members grow disillusioned and leave the church completely, and in some cases lose their faith as a result.
Surely Christians can settle their differences with the Lord’s help, and do so privately. Isn’t it more important to focus on God and what unites us, rather than on differences regarding doctrine?
Church leaders have a responsibility to serve their members, as Jesus served people and, to realise that a calling by God is a calling to a life of servitude. If they keep this in mind, petty differences regarding doctrine and practices will amount to nothing.
Within the Christian faith there is more that unites us than what divides us. We ought to keep our focus on the Lord, and the sacrifice He made for us. If we do so we won’t see petty differences, and then we will experience the complete joy of being part of God’s family and, of being citizens of His Kingdom.
For God 