1 Corinthians 11:19 Commentary and Bible Study

‘For there must be also heresies’, and that words ‘heresies’ has come to mean wrong teaching, and it is about that certainly. But the Greek refers to choosing parties. I choose to support the party that upholds this doctrine, and you choose to support the party that upholds an opposing doctrine. There must be groups, cliques, factions among you, ‘that they which are approved may be made manifest among you.’ The verse is a little mysterious, and it seems to mean this – that from time-to-time God even allows some mischievous and mistaken people, perhaps wicked people who are not truly converted, to arise in a church to draw people after them, to make parties and draw attention to themselves, to get a little band of followers and create contention within a church. God’s purpose in allowing this to happen is so that the people who stand fast for the gospel and put the truth first and love the word of God and the winning of souls, who are sincere and humble people, may be manifested more obviously. Others, the insincere, who are only wanting to form a party or a following, will also be manifest. They will perhaps leave the church, but it will be clear who stands, and the people of God are able to say, ‘These are the people we should trust’, either for appointment to office, or for service for the Lord, because when there was that unfortunate business in the church, these are the people who stood firm and showed character and humility and loyalty to the word of God.