What does σχίσμα (schísma) mean in the Bible?
schisma names a tear, split, division, or dissension. The word can describe a literal tear in a garment and also a divided response among people.
Greek · G4978
σχίσμα
A split or gap ("schism"), literally or figuratively
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σχίσμα G4978
Pronunciation schísma
What does σχίσμα (schísma) mean in the Bible?
schisma names a tear, split, division, or dissension. The word can describe a literal tear in a garment and also a divided response among people.
Reader summary
Full entry for σχίσμα (G4978) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render G4978?
The BSB source-word alignment has 8 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include division (4), divisions (2), tear (2).
Where does σχίσμα (schísma) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Matthew 9:16. Its strongest book concentrations include 1 Corinthians (3), John (3), Mark (1), Matthew (1).
What This Word Actually Means
Schisma names a tear, split, division, or dissension. The word can describe a literal tear in a garment and also a divided response among people. In John, division arises because of Jesus' identity, signs, and words. Some cannot reconcile His works with their assumptions; others see evidence that demands a more faithful conclusion. In 1 Corinthians, the same word family warns the church against divisions that contradict unity in Christ and mutual care in the body.
Pastorally, schisma must be handled in both directions. Not every division is faithful, and not every peace is righteous. The word helps teachers ask why a tear has occurred: because Christ's revelation is exposing hearts, or because pride, factionalism, and lovelessness are tearing the people of God.
How the Bible Uses It
Schisma moves from a literal tear to social and ecclesial division. These anchors show a garment tear, divided crowds over Jesus, divided Pharisees after a sign, renewed division after Jesus' message, Paul's appeal against church divisions, and the body's need for mutual concern.
- Matt.9.16
No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. For the patch will pull away from the garment, and a worse tear will result.
Jesus uses the word for a worse tear in an old garment. The literal image keeps the sense of ripping or splitting visible.
- John.7.43
So there was division in the crowd because of Jesus.
Division arises in the crowd because of Jesus. The issue is not preference but His identity and origin.
- John.9.16
Because of this, some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for He does not keep the Sabbath.” But others said, “How can a sinful man perform such signs?” And there was division among them.
The Pharisees divide after the Sabbath healing. The sign exposes a clash between Jesus' work and their categories.
- John.10.19
Again there was division among the Jews because of Jesus’ message.
Division comes again because of Jesus' message. John shows that revelation can force a verdict.
- 1Cor.1.10
I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree together, so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be united in mind and conviction.
Paul appeals for no divisions among the brothers. The word warns against factional tearing within the church.
- 1Cor.12.25
So that there should be no division in the body, but that its members should have mutual concern for one another.
The body should have no division but mutual concern. schisma here is opposed to Spirit-formed interdependence.
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders It division 4× John 7:43, John 9:16, John 10:19, 1 Corinthians 12:25
divisions 2× 1 Corinthians 1:10, 1 Corinthians 11:18
tear 2× Matthew 9:16, Mark 2:21
Show sample aligned rows
Matthew 9:16 σχίσμα to tear Noun - Nominative Neuter Singular Mark 2:21 σχίσμα to tear Noun - Nominative Neuter Singular John 7:43 Σχίσμα to division Noun - Nominative Neuter Singular John 9:16 σχίσμα to division Noun - Nominative Neuter Singular John 10:19 Σχίσμα to division Noun - Nominative Neuter Singular 1 Corinthians 1:10 σχίσματα to divisions Noun - Nominative Neuter Plural 1 Corinthians 11:18 σχίσματα to divisions Noun - Accusative Neuter Plural 1 Corinthians 12:25 σχίσμα to division Noun - Nominative Neuter Singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Matthew 9:16
Aligned rows 8
Books represented 4
Matthew 1 Mark 1 John 3 1 Corinthians 3
Source forms
σχίσμα 4x schisma Matthew 9:16, Mark 2:21, John 9:16, 1 Corinthians 12:25
Σχίσμα 2x Schisma John 7:43, John 10:19
σχίσματα 2x schismata 1 Corinthians 1:10, 1 Corinthians 11:18
Parsing patterns
Noun - Nominative Neuter Singular 6x Matthew 9:16, Mark 2:21, John 7:43, John 9:16
Noun - Accusative Neuter Plural 1x 1 Corinthians 11:18
Noun - Nominative Neuter Plural 1x 1 Corinthians 1:10
Using This Word Well
Be careful not to...
- Ask whether the division comes from Christ's revelation or from human sin.
- Pursue unity where Scripture commands it, and clarity where Jesus' identity requires it.
Avoid claiming...
- Do not claim every division proves faithfulness.
- Do not claim every unity is faithful if it avoids Jesus' claims.
Evidence Summary
MessiahRevelation
Greek word. A split or tear that divides a unified whole into opposing factions or doctrinal groups
Strong's G4978
Lexical occurrences 8 verses Greek text appearances 8 times Word forms 3 forms 8 references Verse guides 0 guides
Source Gloss
a split or gap ("schism"), literally or figuratively
Greek Text Appearances
Textus Receptus witness, full corpus Greek token appearances from Scrivener 1894 Textus Receptus in the full New Testament corpus.
8 Greek text appearances shown. Linked morphology labels have verse guides.
Matthew 9:16 Noun Nominative Singular Neuter
σχίσμα scisma
a rent, division
Read verse Mark 2:21 Noun Nominative Singular Neuter
σχίσμα scisma
a rent, division
Read verse John 7:43 Noun Nominative Singular Neuter
σχίσμα scisma
a rent, division
Read verse John 9:16 Noun Nominative Singular Neuter
σχίσμα scisma
a rent, division
Read verse John 10:19 Noun Nominative Singular Neuter
Σχίσμα scisma
a rent, division
Read verse 1 Corinthians 1:10 Noun Nominative Plural Neuter
σχίσματα, scismata
a rent, division
Read verse 1 Corinthians 11:18 Noun Accusative Plural Neuter
σχίσματα scismata
a rent, division
Read verse 1 Corinthians 12:25 Noun Nominative Singular Neuter
σχίσμα scisma
a rent, division
Read verseFull New Testament corpus: 260 chapters, 7,957 verses, 140,628 tokens. Data source: honza/textus-receptus (data only), with authority check against byztxt/greektext-textus-receptus.
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
This word appears as a noun across 3 case and number patterns. The form changes show how the word functions in a sentence; they do not change the basic lexical meaning by themselves.
Form patterns 3 Aligned forms 8 Case pattern Nominative (7) Number pattern Singular (6)
Verse guides are not available for this word yet, so verse references remain plain evidence markers.
Nominative · Singular · Neuter Matt 9:16 · Mark 2:21 · John 7:43 · John 9:16 · John 10:19 · 1 Cor 12:25 6×
Nominative · Plural · Neuter 1 Cor 1:10 1×
Accusative · Plural · Neuter 1 Cor 11:18 1×
Selected Scripture Witnesses
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Witnesses
John 7:37-52 σχίσμα schísma
division
John 9:13-34 σχίσμα schísma
division
Showing 2 selected witnesses from 8 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
σχίσμα is built from this root:
Why This Word Matters
Highlights polarizing nature of Christ's revelation.
Christ's works provoke separation.
Canonical Themes
MessiahRevelation
For the Preacher and Teacher
Schisma is pastorally sharp because Scripture uses division language in more than one direction. John shows division around Jesus when His words and signs press hearers to decide who He is. Paul rebukes divisions inside the church because Christ's people are not free to tear the body through factional pride. A faithful teacher should not celebrate every division as proof of courage, and should not condemn every division as proof of unfaithfulness.
The word calls for discernment. Christ's revelation may divide unbelief from faith, while the same Scripture commands the church to pursue unity in mind, conviction, and mutual concern.
Anchor passage
1Cor.1.10
Doctrinal connections
- Newness and old forms: Matthew 9:16 preserves the literal tear image behind the term.
- Christological crisis: John 7:43 shows division caused by competing conclusions about Jesus.
- Signs and unbelief: John 9:16 shows division when a healing confronts rigid assumptions.
- Jesus' words: John 10:19 shows that His message itself can divide hearers.
- Church unity: 1 Corinthians 1:10 rebukes factional divisions among believers.
- Body life: 1 Corinthians 12:25 grounds unity in mutual concern among members.
Schisma can name a literal tear or a figurative split among people. The context must decide whether the division is a symptom of sinful factionalism, a divided response to revelation, or an illustrative tear.
From Old to New Testament
Scripture values covenant unity while also showing that God's truth exposes false peace. schisma helps the New Testament express both the crisis of response to Christ and the sin of tearing His body.
Sources
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain