19
Apr
2009
WHAT IS BIBLICAL UNITY?
Evidently many of us need to learn what this word means in Biblical usage. Too many among us think that in deciding whether to unite with certain persons or groups we are decidng who to let in the kingdom and who to shut out. But the Bible says that is God’s business. “The foundation of God stands sure having this seal, the Lord knows those who are His.” (2 Tim. 2:19) If I think a brother is faithful and I accept him as such, but he isn’t, that mistake on my part will not change anything about his spiritual condition. Or if I think one is not faithful and he really is, that mistake will not make him unacceptable to God. In other words God decides who is acceptable to Him. But whether one is acceptable to us is something we must decide. This is a serious responsibility, not of passing judgment on who is right but of taking a stand on what is right. God will know WHO is WHO without our help. But the Bible assigns obligations to us in the matter of unity and we need to understand them.
Some clever cliches have developed among us such as, “Wherever God has a child I have a brother or sister.” Or “Any person who has been born again into Christ is my brother or sister.” It sounds good and makes me look like a nice, kind person, but does it accurately represent what the Bible says? When God has condemned something and I pronounce it acceptable, I am being “kind” with something that is not mine to give. The choices we make concerning unity are gravely serious. For example there was a brother in the church at Corinth of whom Paul said, “Put away from yourselves the evil person.” (1 Cor. 5:13). God had a child there and he had been born again. But Paul said don’t even eat with such a person. (vs. 11) Diotrephes was a church leader. But he was so wrong in his conduct that John said God’s gonna get him for that. (3rd John 10) The matter of God’s judgment on him is one thing. Our fellowship with him is another.
Another cliche is, “He was born into God’s family and therefore he is our sibling.” This sounds good in a sermon and it might make one popular with many folks, but it is a misleading bit of human “logic.” Unity and genetic origin are not the same thing. Peter speaks of persons who were once in Christ but turned back into sin and said that in such a case he is worse than one who was never in Christ at all. (2 Peter2:20-21)
There are two Greek words for “one.” The usual word for one in number is “mias” and the word for one in kind or similarities is “hen.” In Eph. 4:3 the word “unity” is translated from “hen,” which is the neuter of “heis.” (henotata is the form) The meaning is oneness, not in number but in kind.
A saying that is common among us is, “The Holy Spirit has given unity. All we have to do is keep it.” This idea confuses UNITY and PEACE. It is true that God has given us a way of peace and harmony. But that harmony can be disrupted , by wrong doctrines and other things. Paul wrote, “But we command you brethren, by the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw yourselves from every brother who walks disorderly and not according to the tradition which he received from us.” (2 Thess. 3:6) Peter said that just as there were false prophets who corrupted the truth in OT times, “even so there shall be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies. . .” (2 Pet. 2:1) Among the last things Paul said to the Romans was “Note those who cause divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine which you learned and avoid them.” (16:17) We are not to fellowship everything that claims to be “Christian.”
Some liken brotherhood unity to a marriage. That is a good illustration. Jesus said it is God’s intention that two people become “one flesh” and that they must not put that oneness asunder. Concerning a married couple Paul said, “God has called us to peace.” But that peace is often destroyed. A man and his wife may have different opinions about some things and yet continue united in the marriage. But we know that they can have a one flesh relationship only if they are in substantial agreement on basic things. In a case where that oneness is disrupted Paul said “Be reconciled.” (1 Cor. 7:11) Jesus said the same thing about disruption of peace between brethren. “Go and tell him his fault… If he hears you, you have gained your brother.”(Mat. 18)
Satan is “the lawless one.” (2 Thess. 2:9) His efforts to cloud the teachings of God’s word are not without purpose. Every effort he makes to distort the truth is aimed at this central issue between him and God, “lawlessness.” He wants us to lay aside God’s laws or commandments and remove the divine standard for measuring doctrines. But God says, “Beware of false prophets.” Let’s remember our obligation to “judge not.” We must not judge persons. But we have to judge doctrines. “Test everything. Hold fast to what is good.” (1 Thess. 5:21) Lawlessness is wrong. Lawfulness is right.
Unity is a high priority for Christians. But truth is an even higher priority. We must not sell out the truth, not even for unity. No one has authority from God to command His people to fellowship what God has condemned. That is not a spirit of good will and Biblical unity, it is unfaithfulness. To whom we yield ourselves servants to obey, his servants we are. (Romans 6:16) Lawlessness is of Satan. Obedience is of God. We cannot be neutral and be faithful.