Church, Scattering of

The scattering of the church is a profound division caused by God, not satan, as a response to internal spiritual sickness and sin. Due to the church's loss of focus, self-righteousness, and drifting from God, He initiated this separation to discipline and purify His people, ensuring salvation. This internal implosion, stemming from matters of heart and belief, reflects God's sovereign will to test and redirect His church. Though scattered and divided, God remains with His people, urging re-evaluation and amendment of ways for future blessing. While division is a natural outcome of carnality, the church, as a spiritual organism, will maintain unity of Spirit under Christ's care, even amidst turmoil.

Unity and Division (Part Two): Who Scattered the Church?

CGG Weekly by David C. Grabbe

The Creator, a God of both unity and division, employs separation as a tool to fulfill His perfect will, especially when salvation is at risk. While His ultimate aim is to unite His children with Him in His Family, He sometimes deems division necessary. The question of who scattered and splintered the church has been debated for years. Would God, a God of unity, scatter His own church, the apple of His eye? Or was it the work of satan, that roaring lion seeking whom he may devour? The history of Israel and Judah reveals that God Himself claimed responsibility for their division, stating that it was from Him. There is no indication of satan surprising God with division. A consistent pattern in God's Word shows that He scatters as a result of sin, as seen in the warnings throughout the Old Testament to repent and avoid judgment, which often involved scattering. The church is subject to these same principles, and if we violate our covenant with God, we should not be surprised if He, not satan, acts to bring us back. Identifying satan as the source of division subtly shifts the blame, yet Isaiah 59:2 declares that our iniquities separate us from our God. God responded to the spiritual condition of His church by creating division, both as a reaction to the church's loss of focus on Him and as a proactive measure to discipline His children and instill His character in us. Since our salvation was under threat by our drifting, God, not satan, caused this division, formalizing the separations that already existed. As it came from God, it was the best possible result for us.

What Is the Church's Work Today (Part Two)

Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

The church has undergone a profound scattering, a condition that has worsened over time. It is evident that the church is not in the same state it once was, and its current condition is far from good. Years ago, warnings were issued about the mortal danger facing the church, and now, it is clear that the situation has deteriorated further. The church has imploded and then exploded, scattered all over, divided and continuing to divide, with no bottom yet reached. This scattering was not due to external persecution from the world, such as headlines branding Christians as enemies or acts of violence against them. Instead, the cause was internal, stemming from matters of the heart—beliefs, doctrines, policies, and attitudes. The church became spiritually sick, weakened by years of poor spiritual diet, self-righteousness, and neglectful application. As a body, it lost its first love, fell asleep, and became self-concerned, drifting from God. God is sovereign over His creation and His church, and nothing happens without His express will permitting it. It was God who blew the church apart, deciding that this scattering was necessary for His purposes. This action was not a surprise to Him, nor was it forced by any external entity. God could see from afar where the church was drifting and allowed this to happen, possibly commissioning challenges to test and purify His people, much like He did with Job. He draws the line, ensuring that no test is too great, always providing a way of escape, but requiring the exercise of faith to turn back to Him. When the foundations are destroyed, as they have been in the church, the whole building is at risk of collapse. Faith, the spiritual foundation, has been undermined, contributing to the scattering. The shepherd's first responsibility is to re-gather the scattered sheep and then address the root causes of their dispersal, whether it be fixing broken fences or addressing internal issues within the flock. This reflects the need for the church to adjust to the changes God indicates, recognizing that a different pattern must be followed from the past. The conditions forced upon the church by its environment and God's will determine the direction it must go. Just as Israel had to adjust to circumstances in the wilderness, the church must now recognize that a change is necessary from what has been done in recent decades. God's warnings are not hollow; the curses foretold have come upon the church in increasing intensity, leading to its scattering. Yet, God has not abandoned His people. He is with them, having done this for their good, prompting a re-evaluation of convictions and life choices, with the promise of blessing as ways are amended.

Will the Church of God Be Thrown Down? (Part Two)

CGG Weekly by David C. Grabbe

The church of God, built on the foundation of apostles and prophets with Jesus Christ as the Chief Cornerstone, will always have at least one living stone upon another as long as it exists. However, this does not imply that the church will remain unchanged or free from turmoil, division, and scattering, which are natural outcomes of carnality. Even in times of relative stability, the church faces persecution from external forces, as Jesus warns. Additionally, the Good Shepherd moves His sheep in ways that may not be immediately clear, ensuring that the life of a living stone is rarely static. While God works through isolation at times, such periods are limited, as members begin to die spiritually when severed from the Body. The prophetic visions in Zechariah and Revelation indicate that before Christ's return, a definite structure will be in place, with the church existing as distinct groupings or congregations during the Day of the Lord, all receiving their sustenance from the same source. This portrays an organized Body under the providential care of the Head, with the stones fitted together rather than isolated. Though physical organizations may rise and fall, the church of God, as a spiritual organism, will always maintain a unity of the Spirit and be marked by love among Jesus' disciples, attributes that cannot persist in isolation.

What Is the Church's Work Today (Part Three)

Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

The church, as depicted in biblical accounts, does not always pursue the same path or work, often experiencing scattering as part of God's purposeful direction. Just as Israel zigzagged through the wilderness for forty years, sometimes resting and sometimes changing course, so too does the church shift according to God's will to fulfill His ultimate purpose. What may appear as a detour to some is a necessary move by God to ensure His plan is accomplished. In the historical context of Ezra and Nehemiah, the work of God's people changed as circumstances demanded. In Ezra, the focus was on rebuilding a destroyed Temple, with contributions of resources and effort directed toward this task. Later, in Nehemiah, the work shifted to rebuilding the wall around Jerusalem, symbolizing protection and defense, much like the armor of God described in Ephesians 6. These shifts in focus demonstrate that the church's role adapts to specific needs at specific times, as guided by God. The scattering of the church is not an accident but an active intervention by God for the benefit of His people. Though it may cause pain, this division is seen as positive in the broader sense, preventing further spiritual decline. If God had allowed the church to continue unchanged, many might not be prepared for His Kingdom. This scattering, as warned in Leviticus 26:33, where God promises to scatter Israel among the nations for disobedience, applies to the church under the New Covenant as well. Similarly, in II Chronicles 7:19-21, God warns of uprooting His people and casting out the sanctified house if they forsake His statutes and commandments, making it a byword among all peoples—a pattern evident in the church's current state. Jude 3-5 reflects a time when the first-century church was falling apart, urging believers to contend for the faith once delivered. This mirrors the modern church's experience, where heresy and ungodly influences, as noted in I Corinthians 11:19, reveal who remains true and faithful. God allows such divisions to manifest the wheat from the tares, even though it causes pain, as part of His ordained plan. Revelation 2:4-5 warns the church at Ephesus for leaving their first love, threatening the removal of their lampstand unless they repent—a consistent message across the seven churches that applies universally. The church's scattering over recent decades, marked by doctrinal shifts, defections, and internal strife, reflects a decline in faith and a drift from God's covenant, akin to the warnings given to ancient Israel. This scattering, accompanied by a loss of focus and love for Christ, as seen in Matthew 25:5 and Revelation 3:15-17, portrays a lukewarm, self-sufficient state that God finds distasteful, leading to His action of dispersing the church to awaken and refine His people. God, in His mercy, has scattered the church as a trial to test individual responses, urging repentance and a return to a personal relationship with Him. As seen in Revelation 3:18-19, He counsels His people to buy gold refined in the fire and to anoint their eyes to see their true spiritual state, rebuking and chastening those He loves. This scattering, though painful, is a call to humble ourselves, repent, and seek His face, as promised in II Chronicles 7:14, so that He may hear from heaven, forgive sin, and heal the land.

The Handwriting Is on the Wall (1996): Scattering

Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

The church of God faces grave danger, perhaps the most severe in the past century, as it undergoes a profound scattering. This scattering is not merely a division but an atomizing, breaking the church into very small particles, potentially leaving individuals to stand alone with God, without fellowship even within their own families. The outlook remains grim as this fragmentation continues, with fellowships likely to remain small compared to the past unity under the Worldwide Church of God. Warnings of this danger have been sounded to the church over the past twenty years, growing in intensity and becoming unavoidable. Despite these warnings, the church has been blown apart into tiny pieces, a process that mirrors historical patterns of division and scattering seen in the scriptures. The scriptures, such as Deuteronomy 28, foretold curses of spiritual sickness, a famine of truth, and scattering for failing to keep God's commandments with integrity. These warnings apply to the church, revealing that such outcomes were likely to occur due to a pervasive spiritual malaise and weakened state. Events within the church and repeated admonitions from leaders further signaled the impending division, yet many remained asleep to the reality. The church, once growing in numbers, became spiritually weaker, overwhelmed by worldliness and a lack of repentance. This spiritual famine and division reflect a failure to heed the warnings, resulting in a scattering akin to that of ancient Israel and Judah, who also faced captivity and dispersion for their faithlessness. God's sovereignty dictates whether the church remains scattered or is reunited. If He wills it to be atomized, it will be so, and we must accept and work within it. However, if He desires unity, it will come to pass. The scriptures, written for our learning, urge patience and hope, affirming that all things work together for good for those who love God and are called according to His purpose. Despite the current disarray, there is hope that God, as the Sovereign Creator, orchestrates these events for our ultimate good, potentially leading to a re-gathering of the church, though perhaps in a much-diminished form, as seen in historical re-gatherings of Judah.

Church, Scattering of

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