The question of whether Christians should be part of cliques is an important one. A clique is generally defined as an exclusive group of people who share interests and views and spend time together. On the one hand, there are clear biblical principles against selfishness, pride, and division within the body of Christ. Christians are called to unity, humility, and putting others above themselves. However, on the other hand, close friendships between believers who share common interests and support each other’s faith are generally seen as positive things. There are also some cultural factors that can influence the formation of cliques. Ultimately, motives matter. Exclusivity for the wrong reasons is problematic, but close-knit groups of Christians are not necessarily bad in and of themselves. The Bible does not explicitly prohibit all forms of cliques, but it does lay down important principles for Christian relationships that should guide believers in this area.
First, it is important to look at what the Bible teaches about unity within the body of Christ. Jesus prayed for unity among believers, saying, “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me” (John 17:20-21). He wanted Christians to reflect the unity shared between the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The apostle Paul also emphasized unity, saying there is “one body and one Spirit” and we should be “eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:3-4). He said that as Christians we are all members of Christ’s body and should have care and concern for one another (1 Corinthians 12:12-27). The emphasis is on unity within diversity, not uniformity. But it is clear that selfish divisions have no place within the Christian community.
In light of these teachings, exclusive cliques can sometimes go against the biblical call to unity. When groups within the church only care about their own interests and do not show concern for others, this works against the kind of unity Scripture encourages. Pride and selfishness are at the root of many divisive cliques in churches. Paul warned against such attitudes when he wrote, “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others” (Philippians 2:3-4). Christians are called to look beyond themselves and care for the whole body of Christ.
In addition, Scripture warns against favoritism within the church. James 2:1-13 instructs believers not to show favoritism to the rich and influential while looking down on the poor and overlooked. The Body of Christ is designed to operate with mutual care and concern across all social and ethnic boundaries. Cliques that are built on exclusivity and social status go against this teaching. As James wrote, “My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory” (James 2:1).
Furthermore, Jesus was deeply concerned with unity across ethnic and cultural barriers. He broke down divides between Jew and Gentile, shocking the religious leaders of his day (John 4:1-42). The book of Acts shows how the early church wrestled with bringing together very different cultural groups into one unified Body (Acts 15). Paul proclaimed that in Christ there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, slave and free, male and female, because believers are all one in Christ (Galatians 3:28). Cliques built around racial, social, or cultural pride do not align with the boundary-crossing message of the gospel.
In addition to the emphasis on unity, Scripture also speaks strongly against divisions within the church. Paul wrote, “I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment” (1 Corinthians 1:10). He was concerned because the Corinthian church was forming factions around certain leaders rather than coming together in unity (1 Corinthians 1:11-12). The Body of Christ is designed to work together as one unit, not compete as separate factions. Divisive cliques can potentially create these kinds of harmful divisions.
The book of Titus instructs believers to avoid quarrels and controversies over minor disputes, which often feed into clique mentalities (Titus 3:9-11). James 3:14-16 warns against bitter jealousy and selfish ambition within the church, which create “disorder and every vile practice.” Scripture consistently condemns selfish divisions as contrary to God’s will for his people. Cliques can sometimes descend into quarrels and controversies that divide believers.
In summary, the strong biblical emphasis on unity, acceptance across barriers, care for one another, and avoidance of division sets the tone for how Christians should think about cliques. Cliques motivated by selfishness, pride, favoritism, ethnocentrism, and quarrelsomeness do not reflect Christian values. However, some cliques are more neutral or even positive in nature.
It is important to recognize that the Bible does not prohibit all forms of small groups or close friendships within the church. The early church met together in homes in small groups (Acts 2:46), and close friendships between believers are portrayed positively at numerous points (Luke 10:38-42, John 11:5, Philippians 2:25). Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 even speaks of the value of having a close friend to support and strengthen you, in contrast to isolation. So intimate fellowship between believers is biblical, as long as it does not become prideful or exclusionary.
Many churches have developed small group ministries built around common interests like youth, young professionals, young families, married couples, seniors, worship, prayer, evangelism, and Bible study. These groups provide more intimate settings for relationship building, mutual support, and spiritual growth around shared interests and demographics. When focused on spiritual growth and care for others, this can be very positive. Some level of affinity-based fellowship is generally seen as healthy in church communities.
Of course, problems can develop if such groups become ingrown and fail to integrate with the larger congregation. But in principle, small groups are an effective strategy for fellowship and outreach in bigger congregations. They allow closer connections around demographics and interests that help believers support one another in living out their faith in specific life contexts. From Sunday School classes to Bible studies to service teams, most churches have some level of subgroupings to foster closer fellowship. So having a circle of closer friendships within the church can be beneficial.
In addition to formal small groups, informal cliques of close Christian friends do naturally form within youth groups, college ministries, young adult groups, and so on. The youth in particular may bond over shared interests like sports, hobbies, music, or cultural backgrounds. Having close Christian friends your own age that you can pray with and be accountable to is generally seen as a positive thing to help youth and young adults strengthen their faith. Mentoring relationships between older and younger believers are also encouraged in Scripture (Titus 2:1-8). So intimate, informal friendships are generally not prohibited in Scripture as long as they do not become divisive or exclusionary.
From a cultural standpoint, forming groups and cliques to some degree seems to be part of human nature. Sociologists point out that people naturally gravitate toward those who are similar to them in interests, backgrounds, values, and demographics. This helps provide a sense of community and belonging. The key is that these affinities should not prevent fellowship with the wider community. In a diverse church body, attendees will relate closely to those most like themselves, but must guard against pride or disdain for other groups within the church family. Cultural tendencies toward homogeneity are understandable, but must be countered by intentionally fostering inter-group fellowship, empathy, care, and humility.
In conclusion, while Scripture does not explicitly prohibit all forms of cliques, some key principles should guide Christians in this area:
- Motive matters. Cliques motivated by selfish ambition, pride, or desire for status are wrong (James 3:14-16, Philippians 2:3-4).
- Divisiveness has no place within the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 1:10-17, Titus 3:9-11).
- Believers should show care and concern for those outside their immediate circle of relationships (1 Corinthians 12:25-26).
- Pursuing intimacy and close fellowship with other believers is positive, as long as it does not become exclusive (Acts 2:46, Ecclesiastes 4:9-12).
- Groups and cliques must make intentional efforts to promote unity and interaction with the larger congregation.
- Cliques should be open to welcoming new people, not totally exclusive (Luke 15:2).
- Where cliques do form around demographics like age, stage of life, or interests, members should still prioritize humility, care for one another, and value for diversity across the Body of Christ (Philippians 2:3-4, Galatians 3:28).
The church should provide healthy opportunities for small group fellowship while fostering an integrated, unified congregation where people show the fruit of the Spirit in caring for those outside their immediate circles. Exclusivity for the wrong reasons is problematic, but not all cliques are inherently sinful. With the right motivations and intentional efforts at unity, close-knit groups of Christians can positively strengthen one another in the faith without dividing the Body of Christ.