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 Dear
brethren:
Do
you advocate division of the Lord's body when brethren disagree
over what the Bible teaches? Do you allow division to be
preached in your congregation? GM
Reply:
Unity
in Christ comes abut as the result of following Christ,
doing His will as revealed in the Bible. There is no scriptural
way to separate true unity from the believing and doing of
Christ's will. (Jn. 17:17-23; 1 Jn. 4:)
Thus,
all who seek unity in Christ must seek it within the framework
of under- standing and coming to His will. True unity is not
something which could exist apart from truth, something left up
to us alone to determine. It can not exist "regardless of
differences in faith and practice" — for such a
"oneness" would be union only, upon man's
terms, and not the "unity of the Spirit" with its
"one Lord, faith, baptism, etc." (Eph. 4:)
It
is presumptuous sin to "judge the law" of God (Jas.
2:10-12; 4:11-f). We must be doers, subject to
God's will, not judges of what portion of that will is
"important" and what is of no consequence. While it is
true that the immediate consequences of one disobedience is
greater than that of another, an attitude toward God's Word that
proposes to weed out the "important" from the
"trivial" can never be acceptable unto God."
These ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other
undone." (Matt. 23:23) Now, in the light of the above, we
may conclude that perfect unity, in the absolute sense,
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necessitates a perfect knowledge of
truth, and perfect obedience. I'll save you the trouble of
saying it -- God alone is perfect. But here, in this seeming
impasse, is the truth about unity.
Man
seeks unity in God. The highest degree of unity possible
to imperfect man is that obtained in his sincere, Bible-guided
"press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of
God in Christ Jesus." We are "perfectly joined
together" ("perfected together" RV) "in the
same mind and in the same judgement." (1 Cor. 1:10.) Working
together (organic unity in the scriptural sense) is possible
only to the extent we think together — "stand fast
in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of
the gospel." (Phil. 1:27)
Teaching
truth (the word of God) and insisting that as man learns his
responsibilities to God he must respond with faith and
obedience, is not preaching division — except as Christ
came to bring division. (Lu. 12:51-f) It is sometimes necessary
to "advocate division" in the same vein with Paul.
(Rom. 16:17; 2 Thes. 3:14-f)
The
antidote to division when brethren differ over what the Bible
teaches, is further Bible study of the issue; openly, frankly
and with a meek and prayerful spirit. Those who refuse such
study, or would enter into study (?) with selfish, ungodly
spirit, have already separated themselves
from followers of Christ, and there but remains the unpleasant
task of recognizing and removing the leaven of wickedness. (1
Cor. 5:6-8)
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