What I mean is that when one of these “tribes” says, “I follow Paul,” or “I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Cephas,” or “I follow Christ.” Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? See 1 Corinthians 1:12-13: “Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ. Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?” It must be noted that a great many of the men who become figureheads for these tribes have absolutely no intention of serving as such. It is not Paul’s fault that some were identifying more as his followers than Christ, nor was Apollos or Peter to blame. The people of Corinth misunderstood, misidentified, and so missed out on the greater work of Christ through all of these men together.
We have in mind those who identify themselves more with a particular personality, or doctrinal tradition than with Jesus Christ. In the past few centuries, this false faith has appeared as a celebrity culture within Christendom empowered by ever-increasing means of communication. However, the problem is nearly as old as the Church itself.
Tribalism According to the Bible
This celebrity worship, or hero worship is bad enough in its mildest forms. It creates unnecessary divisions in the Church, raises unnecessary conditions for salvation, and can lead to legalistic tendencies. It is the danger of fixating on a tree to the neglect of the forest around it. It is a subtle danger that goes easily unrecognized. Now if we happen to fall into step with a false teacher or movement, the damage is far worse.
However, the greatest danger of all is that we focus entirely on anyone or anything other than Christ. For those who identify themselves more with a follower than with the Lord Himself, the issue is clear…idolatry. They make one man, or woman, or movement, the arbiters of truth, the exemplars of righteousness, and the very image of Christ on Earth.
Few would admit to this, for few can see it. Unwitting idolatry is still idolatry. So, it is not simply that these souls have missed out on some of Christ, they have missed Christ entirely. For one would not violate the second of the Ten Commandments if they had not already violated the first. See Exodus 20:3: “You shall have no other gods before me.”
See Exodus 20:4-6: “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.”
In as much as they make God in the image of His servants, they also violate the third commandment anytime they invoke His name. See Exodus 20:7: “Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.”
We cannot speak too strongly against this particular path to destruction as it is so easily slipped onto from a place of harmless admiration.
Tribalism is disastrous for congregations and the church as a whole. There are divisions enough in simply maintaining doctrinal distinctives, so adding to these invites crippling weakness into the body. It is one form of members rejecting others on illegitimate grounds. See Philippians 2:1-2: “If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.”
Consider also the wisdom of Romans 14 concerning the difference of conscience. We see the high value our Lord places on unity, and we could cite more examples. The only price too high for unity among believers is that of faithfulness to Christ. Determining that point requires a work of theological triage and a full commitment to Christ above all.
It is committing to Christ above all which is the cure of all idolatry, and of all tribalism. This is a commitment of every moment for all of life. The moment that commitment fades, the door is opened for us to join with some other tribe than the people of God.
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