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Agreeing

           I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought. (I Corinthians 1:10)

Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. (Acts 17:11)

In the book of Acts, when issues came up, like the treatment of widows or the issue of whether Gentiles had to become good Jews before they could become Christians, the matter was taken to the church leadership. They discussed it and issued their decisions, and that was supposed to end that. Of course, it didn’t. Paul was still teaching about those followed where he went, telling people that Paul was wrong, and that their men had to be circumcised. Even the letter that we call First Corinthians was sent in part because people in the church were dividing in terms of what spiritual leader was the best.

Of course, one of the problems is that verses like this one get trotted out whenever someone wants to insist that we submit to them. It’s the same sort of thing we find in the world, when people say that we need to be united, and what they really mean is that we’re to agree with them and do what they say.

Part of the problem is that when people within the Church disagree – especially on matters not of real importance (granting that every matter is considered important at the time,) it gives the world, the flesh, and the devil the means to widen the divide and to convince those outside the Church that there’s no reason to set foot inside. Even worse, when the Church is divided, things that the Church agrees should be getting done don't get done because they're too busy arguing. 

All this doesn't mean that we have to all walk alike, talk alike, look alike... cookie-cutter Christians with about as much personality as a  naked wet noodle. What it does mean is that we're to consider the whole as too important, too precious to be scarred and damaged for the sake of our egos. And when the going gets rough, the Church will be our refuge. It makes no sense to turn it into a battlefield.

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