After the gospel of Mark recounted the teaching of Jesus about the “first being last” and how welcoming a child in His name welcomed Him (see Mark 9:35-37), the next account may seem a little surprising. I’m not sure if these were subsequent events, or if they were just thematically related, but the implications in light of Jesus’ lesson on humility are interesting.
“Teacher,” said John, “we saw someone driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us.”
Mark 9:38 NIV
https://bible.com/bible/111/mrk.9.38.NIV
Here we go…someone from “that church down the road” (in modern terms) did something good in Jesus’ name, but they have a different name on their church building, or maybe they worship a little differently from us. Time to put a stop to that, right? If this passage doesn’t sound like modern “denominational pride” to you, I encourage you to read it again! In fact [per Black, p.172], this attitude of elitism – deciding that their own group was greater than others – sounds a lot like their earlier argument about who was the greatest (see Mark 9:33-34).
So, what was Jesus’ response? Did He say that only the group with the most pure doctrine, the best name for their church, or the one that most people agreed with the most should be allowed to do good work in His name? Of course not…
“Do not stop him,” Jesus said. “For no one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me, for whoever is not against us is for us. Truly I tell you, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to the Messiah will certainly not lose their reward.
Mark 9:39-41 NIV
https://bible.com/bible/111/mrk.9.39-41.NIV
The Kingdom of God is not about division. The Body of Christ is about unity.
I don’t want to oversimplify things too much, but Jesus said it right here: if someone is acting in God’s power and crediting Jesus, they’re not going to talk bad about Jesus in their next breath. Similarly, Paul, in a letter to the Philippians, talked about others preaching Jesus for “bad” reasons (see Philippians 1:15-18). Paul was OK if someone was preaching just to elevate themselves, even if it was meant to be done at Paul’s expense, as long as they were preaching Jesus Christ.
Think about it: Would you rather have a church shut down (or discourage a believer from another congregation) and leave someone else lost, cold, hungry, or – like in this case that the apostles had learned about – leaving someone demon-possessed, just because you don’t agree with everything that church says or does? When Christians describe other denominations – other followers of Jesus Christ – as opponents, and point out their differences (even where their doctrine is actually incorrect) more than we support their sharing of good news about our common Savior, I think that something has gone terribly wrong.
Of course, the truth and purity of God’s message is important, but that’s an internal issue for followers of Jesus to work on, and let’s face it: some of our issues with other congregations or denominations have nothing to do with their doctrine about Jesus as the Son of God and the Savior of the world.
Now, while I wish that we didn’t have denominations in this world, and that we could all just be followers of Jesus Christ, I think it’s great that there are many congregations in this world. After all, with believers in Jesus worshiping around the world, we would struggle to meet at the same time, much less in a single language! Different congregations can focus on different parts of the kingdom, just as there different gifts were given to members of the body of Christ. I think that it’s great how one church down the road from mine reaches out through sports, for instance, and another church nearby is good at feeding people.
I’m also not suggesting that we embrace non-Christian faiths. There is only one way to Heaven, and that is Jesus Christ. However, when we argue about matters of lower importance, and divide the church over preferences – when we don’t support the body of Christ as a whole – I think that we’re part of the problem. Why would evil forces need to try and keep Christians from doing God’s work when they are too busy tearing down other Christians to have time for humble service to others?
I certainly hope that no one within the sound of my voice (or reading this article) is quite that bad off, but it’s good to take an inventory and ensure that we understand the big picture here: There are saved people in this world and there are lost people, and it is the role of those who have found Jesus to lead the latter group to Him, out of the same love, compassion, mercy, and grace that saved us from our own sins. I pray that each of us will have opportunities to share the good news about Jesus Christ this week, along with the opportunity to serve others in His name. And, if God provides you with an unexpected circumstance to do so, I invite you to share it – humbly – with others of the faith, to encourage them to look for the same in their own lives.
From Sunday School lesson prepared for November 2, 2025
References:
- Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
- The College Press NIV Commentary – Mark, by Allen Black. © 1995 College Press Publishing Co.
- Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible (Complete). Matthew Henry. 1706, via BibleGateway.com.
Those Who Sin Differently 