Ahiresis denotes an identifiable religious party or a divisive faction within a community.

The term most often identifies a recognizable religious party, whether Pharisees, Sadducees, Nazarenes, or the Way as named by others. In plural contexts it also denotes factions or divisions among a community, including destructive groups introduced by false teachers.

1. Recognizable religious party · dominant

   In Acts 5:17 the nominative singular identifies those with the high priest as the Sadducees, and Acts 15:5 speaks of some Pharisees who had believed. Acts 24:5, Acts 24:14, Acts 26:5, and Acts 28:22 likewise place the singular form with the Nazarenes, the Way, the Pharisees, and a group spoken against.

   Acts 5:17Acts 15:5Acts 24:5Acts 24:14Acts 26:5Acts 28:22
2. Divisive factions within a community · common

   In 1 Corinthians 11:19 the accusative plural occurs in the statement that such divisions must be among the readers so that the approved may become evident. In Galatians 5:20 the nominative plural stands in a list with enmities, strife, rivalries, and dissensions; in 2 Peter 2:1 the APB renders the clause "destructive sects" introduced by false teachers.

   1 Corinthians 11:19Galatians 5:202 Peter 2:1

In the Anselm Project Bible: The APB commonly presents the singular group references as "sect," while it uses "factions" in 1 Corinthians 11:19 and Galatians 5:20 and "destructive sects" in 2 Peter 2:1. These renderings confirm the clauses' presentation without fixing a separate English equivalent in every verse.