Opinion: When Debate Becomes Division — A Minister’s Reflection on Theological Arguments in the Church

There’s an old saying in the church: “Where two or three are gathered, there will be four opinions.” Anyone who has spent much time among believers knows how true that can be. Healthy discussion and thoughtful theological debate have always been part of our faith heritage. After all, iron sharpens iron. But lately, I’ve noticed that too often our sharpening leaves sparks that burn rather than refine.

We seem to have forgotten that the goal of theology is not to win arguments but to know God more deeply. When our conversations about doctrine become competitions for who is “more right,” we risk turning the Bride of Christ into a battleground. That is not what Jesus prayed for in John 17 when He asked that His followers “may be one.”

As a Presbyterian, I hold tightly to the foundational truths of Scripture—the authority of God’s Word, the divinity of Christ, salvation through grace by faith alone. These are the immovable pillars of our faith. But beyond those essentials lie many areas where faithful believers have wrestled, wondered, and disagreed for centuries.

Take, for example, eschatology—the study of the end times. I’ve seen Christians divide friendships, churches, and even families over differing interpretations of Revelation or the timeline of Christ’s return. Some insist on a pre-tribulation rapture, others on a post-tribulation view, and still others hold amillennial or historic positions. Yet in all that noise, we often lose sight of what truly matters: Christ will return, and when He does, we will all give account for our souls.

The question is not whether we can perfectly predict the events of the end times, but whether we are ready when the time comes. That readiness comes not through theological precision but through faith in Christ and a life transformed by His grace.

Theological curiosity is good—it drives us to study, to pray, and to grow. But when curiosity becomes arrogance or when conviction becomes condemnation, we have crossed the line from discipleship into division. Paul warned Timothy to “avoid foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they generate strife” (2 Timothy 2:23). Those words are as needed today as ever.

Our world is already fractured by anger and tribalism. The Church should be the place where unity overcomes those fractures, where we model humility and grace even when we disagree. If we can’t show love within our own family of faith, how can we expect to be salt and light to a watching world?

So, by all means, let us study deeply and think critically about theology. Let us love the truth. But let us also love one another more than we love being right. Because at the end of the day, when the trumpet sounds—whenever that may be—the only debate that will matter is whether we knew and followed the One who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.