1. Will seek to play the part of a poor, persecuted soul who is suffering unjustly. He will play on your sympathy and make it appear that efforts to lead him to repentance are just more evidence of "the abuse and unfair treatment" that is being heaped upon him.

2. Often enlists others to do his "dirty work." He will not be the lead spokesman, but will put others up front to carry the ball for him. He will make one of his deluded admirers feel important by allowing him to raise contentious questions. The "issues" are simply the divisive man's agenda, but he will not tell his puppets that. He wants them to feel like they are men of strong faith, so he puts them forth. They do not realize they are his pawns (Cf. Absalom, 2 Sam. 15).

3. Casts aspersions against the elders, or the preacher. If he can sunder the eldership, he will do so. If he can separate the preacher from one of the elders, he will do it. If he can cast doubt on the motives of the elders and/or the preacher, he will do that, too. Doubt is one of his greatest weapons. Doubt undermines influence and destroys confidence in another. The divisive man knows this. So, he plants his seeds of doubt and waits for them to take root in our hearts.

4. Seeks to bind his human opinions and points to opposition to them as being from those who "don't love the truth." He wants to appear as the Savior of the church. He beguiles others and makes them think he is the only one "standing for the truth." "We've got too much money in the bank. Gospel preachers are starving while our elders horde money." He may or may not be correct, but it does not matter. He simply needs a weapon. (Such men should be asked to make a special monthly pledge to support a preacher in the Philippines from their own pocket.)

"We sing songs which teach error. It's as much a sin to sing error as to preach it." He ignores poetic language and appeals to help him see that certain hymns are not teaching error. He has "an issue," and he means to bind it. He has selected "several songs" which "should be torn out of our songbooks." A few, perhaps with more zeal than good sense, will be aroused to take up his crusade. Result? Hearts bleed. Good men plead. A church is in turmoil.

5. Shows false remorse "over the trouble some have caused." He creates more favor by acting as though he is "heartbroken over all that has happened." He never, though, will admit any fault, any wrong. If he does, he does so to add to his martyr status. Any confession he may make will be couched in "if I've done anything wrong." Often, after getting rid of the preacher (his hidden goal), he will speak well of the preacher as he is leaving and will speak openly of how he "wishes it had never come to this." He may even call the preacher and express his sorrow "for the way things turned out." (I know such things happen. I have received such "apologies" and phone calls!)

May God help us to avoid such a spirit among us. "Let brotherly love continue" (Heb. 13:1).