“The Church Gathered”
A man in the Orlando area has been promoting church oneness. He seems to be earnest and sincere in trying to have Christians be one. He stopped by the building here one Sunday morning during Bible class. Your congenial editor was not teaching that morning and spoke with him, indicating that we also are interested in the unity of all believers but that our approach to attain that goal was probably different than his.
Thus far he has emphasized getting various “pastors” together from various religious groups three times a year for a half hour of prayer. He was invited to stop by to study the matter further, but thus far no meeting between us has occurred. Recently, he sent eight pages of Scriptures that he deems relevant to the topic. Below are comments concerning those verses.
He begins with a basic text on the unity of all believers—John 17:11, 20-23. Not only are all followers of Jesus to be one; Jesus even gives the reason for unity—"that the world may believe that You sent Me.” What could be more discouraging to non-Christians than to hear the good news of the gospel but then see followers divided into hundreds of groups? This passage is an excellent choice in seeking a place to encourage unity and deserves to be #1.
John 11:50-52 (#2) explains that Jesus did not die only for the Jewish nation but that He would also “gather together in one the children of God who were scattered abroad.” Jesus had foretold that many would come from the east and the west and the north and the south to “sit down in the kingdom of God” (Luke 13:29). Jesus also prophesied that the day was coming in which “there will be one flock and one shepherd” (John 10:16).
1 Corinthians 1:10-13 is also a key passage (3rd). Paul pleads with brethren in the church at Corinth to “speak the same thing” and that they allow “no divisions among” them. They were to be “perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.” Christ is not divided. His 10th passage is 1 Corinthians 3:2-4, in which Paul accuses the Corinthians of being carnally-minded because of the envy, strife, and division that existed among them. Galatians 5:19-21 (his #6) lists divisions (often translated “dissensions”) as a work of the flesh.
The 4th and 5th Scriptures (Phil. 2:1-4 and 1 Peter 3:8-9) emphasize being “like-minded,” just as 1 Corinthians 1:10 does. 1 Corinthians 12:12-27 (#7) highlights the fact that every member of the body has a spiritual function and is, therefore, necessary. Verse 25, in particular, warns that “there should be no schism [division] in the body, but that all the members should have the same care for one another.” The 8th passage contains Paul’s admonition to two ladies, Euodia and Syntyche, “to be of the same mind in the Lord” (Phil. 4:2). Many other verses stressing unity are cited (E.G., Eph. 4:1-6).
Misapplied Scriptures
Occasionally, however, a passage is mentioned that is not relevant. One of those is Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43 (the collator’s 9th passage). Unlike the numerous other sections of Scripture, this one lays no stress upon unity and puts no condemnation on division. Instead, it merely talks about allowing the wheat and the weeds to grow together until harvest. At that point (symbolizing the end of time and the Day of Judgment), all things that have offended and practiced lawlessness will be gathered out of the kingdom and burned (verses 40-42).
Since the kingdom and the church are frequently used interchangeably (e. g., Matt. 16:18-19), it might be natural to assume that the kingdom in this passage refers to the church, but such is not the case. The field under consideration here is the world—not the church (verse 38). The wheat and the weeds grow together in the world (Christians live amidst the ungodly), but they will be separated at the harvest.
Why do we find fault with using this passage as one on unity and against division? The reason is that these verses do not relate to that subject. Think about it. If it is cited as a passage promoting unity, then what does it teach? The implication would be that truth and error must exist side by side in the church, and this is a preposterous notion. Unity must be based upon truth. Jesus taught this in the same prayer emphasizing unity. Just prior to John 17:21-23, Jesus prayed for the apostles in verse 17: “Sanctify them by Your truth; Your word is truth.” Truth—not a failure to challenge error—is the basis of unity.
Is this the plan for achieving unity—to disregard and ignore error? Is this what Paul meant by being of the same mind—blocking out everything people believe that is false? As an example, the question should be asked, “How can those who sprinkle instead of practicing immersion for baptism be united?” There are two ways.
One is to find out what the Greek word baptizo means and then see if the New Testament is consistent with that definition. Baptizo, does, in fact, mean “to immerse” rather than “to sprinkle.” The New Testament agrees with that definition. John was baptizing in Aenon because there was much water there (John 3:23). Philip and the eunuch both went down into the water and came up out of the water (Acts 8:37-39). Furthermore, baptism is a burial in water (Rom. 6:3-5). If we want to have unity, all must agree with the Scriptures.
The second way to have unity is to acknowledge that baptism has been debated for centuries and that people are committed to the views they hold. Therefore, we must just disregard this as being important. As a barrier to unity, we should all agree to disagree, thus allowing love and harmony to prevail.
Light, Truth, and Fellowship
However, this second approach is not actual unity. It does not stand in the truth; it ignores the truth. The 19th point agrees with the above statement. Consider 1 John 1:6, which is cited there: “If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.” Walking in darkness is the opposite of practicing the truth—and walking in the light, which 1 John 1:7 mentions.
Truth and light diametrically oppose error (lies) and darkness. The one who walks in darkness (who believes error) does not have fellowship with the Father. One who basks in the light and the truth does have fellowship with the Father. 1 John 1:7 says that those who are in fellowship with the Father are in fellowship with each other (consider the connection the two greatest commandments have with each other—Matt. 22:37-39). One not in fellowship with the Father cannot be in fellowship with brethren.
In other words, those who teach the error of sprinkling for baptism are following error and walking in darkness. They are not in fellowship with the Father and therefore not in fellowship with those who are walking in the light and the truth. We must all walk in the light in order to have fellowship with the Father and each other.
Another verse that does not apply to this subject is Matthew 19:6. It is a stretch to apply what God has joined together to the fellowship of Christians—when the focus of attention is clearly marriage.
Various verses in the list do not mention unity but rather love and peace, which is appropriate (Col. 3:13-15; Ps. 34:14; Ps. 133). But Romans 14 is misapplied. Paul does not spend this chapter teaching that matters of doctrine are not important—he is dealing with not judging brethren with respect to opinions that they hold. In fact, the NAS (also the RSV and ESV) uses “opinions” at the end of verse 1. Since this passage is quoted, the compiler of these verses may think that we should not judge what another thinks on matters of doctrine, which would be a faulty conclusion.
The Way Love Behaves
Since love is mentioned in several verses cited, we might pose the question, “How should love behave towards others?” Okay, love desires to encourage, to build up, to give greater knowledge to another, and so on. But are there no negative aspects of love? Yes. Christians are to exhort one another (Heb. 3:13). Paul said to warn the unruly (1 Thess. 5:14). Why? Warning people gives them the opportunity to repent and change their ways. It is not love when one ignores a problem.
Did Paul love the brethren at Ephesus? Surely, he did. He stayed with them longer than any other church, so far as we know. He had written to them of seven things that unify Christians (Eph. 4:1-6). Yet when he met with the elders on his way to Jerusalem, he said:
For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock.
Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves.
Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears (Acts 20:29-31).
Paul warned them of what was to come because he loved them. Those who drew away disciples after themselves were divisive, were they not? Truth matters. And it is the only thing that ultimately will cause people to change. Certainly, we need to speak the truth in love (Eph. 4:15), but error must be challenged. It will cause people to be lost.
Another Example
Suppose we lived in Judah in the days when the kingdom split. Jeroboam sent the Levites back to the southern kingdom and made priests from every class of people (1 Kings 12:31-32). Would it have been an act of love to tell Jeroboam that he did not have God’s authority to do what he did? Yes—although it may have cost the person his life. Now, how long did this substitution for the priests of God last? The new system prevailed until the captivity, about 200 years later.
The fact is that those who lived 25 years later, not to mention 50 or 100 years later, were all born and died under a corrupt system of worship. Now, how could they have unity with Judah? Should they say, “We have two different worship systems; let’s just agree to disagree”? Would that make everything all right in God’s sight?
How about compromising? When those from Judah travel north, they will worship with the unauthorized priests before one of the golden calves, and when the Israelites travel to Jerusalem, they will worship according to their customs. Neither group will try to get the other group to change—in the interest of love, peace, and unity. Would God have gone for that?
What makes us think, then, that God will accept all the variations in doctrine and worship today? Is the use of instrumental music in worship, for example, a matter of indifference—even though God did not authorize its use in the New Testament (Col. 3:17)? It was not added until a thousand years after Christ ascended to heaven. Shall brethren compromise, using it sometimes and not at others? If it lacks Biblical authority, there is never a convenient or appropriate time to use it.
How was the early church united? It is not difficult to discern the answer. After the 3,000 were immersed, “they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine…” (Acts 2:42). In other words, they walked in truth that the apostles taught them. There were no divisions. And if this humble attitude remained, there would be none today, either. We must seek and remain in the light.