Skip to main content

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.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The List

              Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,   through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance;   perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. (Romans 5:1-5)           Think about it. We have been justified. At least, we could be justified if we stopped insisting that our justification be based on our merits. We have peace with God, or could have peace if we stopped throwing temper tantrums. We have gained access into grace i...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Way, The Truth, and The Life

              Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me . (John 14:6)           If “I am the gate of the sheep…I am the good shepherd” from chapter 10 is a double whammy, this verse is a triple whammy. And its first victim is the notion that any other so-called god was acceptable or the same as Jesus. He, and He alone is the way, the truth, and the life, and the only way to get to the Father. There is no other Savior, or Redeemer, according to Jesus. Now, to be fair, other religions will claim that their religion or god(s) are the only way. That is the nature of gods and of religions. If this and that are equally good and agree on what’s necessary, then this and that are the same thing, so there’s no need to from the other to one. If that’s the case, then why speak against the other or promote the one? There’s a song I’ve been listening to i...
Post a Comment
Read more

Prayer Lists

                 Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good. (I Peter 2:2-3)   In connection with what I wrote yesterday about the possibility that I’m wrong, I’m feeling the need to go back to basics - craving spiritual milk because somehow, I missed something. It’s a little embarrassing, craving milk like a newborn, but the truth probably is that we are newborns many times in many ways in our lives. From God’s perspective, we may never be anything more than newborns, forever needing that milk. On the other hand, being a newborn can also be exciting because so much is new. My mind is playing pinball - ricocheting from one idea to the next and through six more before it happens to hit the third again. The main topic is prayer. I have at least seven organizing structures all somewhat influenced by the movie War Room , which I’v...
Post a Comment
Read more