The Unity of the Faith

The Apostle Paul placed great importance on unity. In Ephesians 1:3 he wrote, "being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace". In Philippians 2:2 Paul expands on this unity by writing, "make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose." In the context of the local church, what is unity and how is it achieved and maintained?

Pastor Alistair Begg of Parkside Church in Cleveland, Ohio, said, "Unity does not mean uniformity." The Greek word for unity in Ephesians 4:3 literally means 'oneness'. Does this mean that all Christians are to agree on every point of doctrine and practice? If so, then the Apostle Paul gave Christians an impossible obstacle to overcome. Eventually, in the eternal state, we will all be in agreement. Disputes and errors will no longer exist. However, these things are a reality in this life, even among Christians. So, what is unity and what does it look like?

Please forgive me for using a sports analogy but it exemplifies the point I am trying to make. The 1969 New York Mets are known as the "Miracle Mets". Since their first year in 1962, the Mets were perennial cellar dwellers. They perfected losing as an art form. So, it was no surprise that all the experts predicted another abysmal season from the team from Queens. While the Mets had some good pitchers (Tom Seaver, Jerry Koosman, and Nolan Ryan), the rest of the team was underwhelming. But lo and behold, the 1969 New York Mets came together as a team and accomplished what no one expected. They won the National League East crown, the National League Pennant, and the World Series over the powerful Baltimore Orioles. The '69 Mets were a collection of different personalities possessing different levels of talent. On paper, they never should have won but their unselfish commitment to teamwork allowed them to overcome any lack of individual talent. Church unity is similar. 1 Corinthians 12:12-27 makes it clear that the body of Christ is made up of different people who perform different functions but who are united for the same purpose. While the 1969 Mets won the commissioner's trophy and a bonus check, Christians are united working to build God's kingdom, something that will never perish or fade away.

Unfortunately, because of sin, there are some differences that cause Christians to separate. Many of those differences are debated here on the Baptist Board. Thankfully, God is merciful and gracious and still allows us to labor in kingdom work even when we are divided over doctrinal and other issues. Sometimes we have to seek unity where we can find it. One thing we have to remember is that we do not create unity. Unity is created by the Holy Spirit. Ephesians 4:3 tell us, "being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace". We are to maintain unity, not establish it. We must keep in mind that we are working together for the cause of Christ. While we may never experience perfect unity in this life, we should seek to maintain it whenever we find it.

Soli Deo Gloria!

 

I am confused. I do not think I mentioned anything about that. It is probably me. It is 1:18 AM and I am still up.

P.S. That is what I get for being in Texas all last week. I can never sleep in a hotel.

 

I certainly believe that is one facet of maintaining Spirit-generated unity. The Holy Spirit is the person of the Godhead that makes believers one in Christ. Sound doctrine and nipping petty squabbles in the bud (church discipline) helps in that regard. So also does admonishing the brethren to love one another in word and deed (1 John 3:18) and to consider others as more important than themselves (Philippians 2:3).

Sad but true. It is difficult to maintain unity when there are factions in a church. In the examples you cited, it would not be a problem if divisive beliefs held by the minority were not promoted. It does not always work out that way. Some beliefs tend to express themselves loudly, even if that is not the intent. Paul and Barnabas had to separate over the utility of Mark. Sometimes such separation helps to preserve the unity of the body even if it means an individual(s) has to go elsewhere. To quote the famous theologian Mr. Spock, "The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few or the one."

 

The issue at hand is the unity of the faith, not necessarily unity in doctrine. There are three historic creeds (called the ecumenical creeds) that the early church used to confess the catholic (universally held faith). They are the Apostles Creed, the Nicene Creed, and the Athanasian Creed. All three creeds were in response to the longstanding heresy of Arianism.

The Apostles Creed

I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
the Maker of heaven and earth,
and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord:

Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, dead, and buried;

He descended into hell.

The third day He arose again from the dead;

He ascended into heaven,
and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty;
from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Ghost;
the holy catholic church;
the communion of saints;
the forgiveness of sins;
the resurrection of the body;
and the life everlasting.

Amen.

The Nicene Creed

I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible.

And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds; God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God; begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father, by whom all things were made.

Who, for us men and for our salvation, came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary, and was made man; and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate; He suffered and was buried; and the third day He rose again, according to the Scriptures; and ascended into heaven, and sits on the right hand of the Father; and He shall come again, with glory, to judge the quick and the dead; whose kingdom shall have no end.

And I believe in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and Giver of Life; who proceeds from the Father and the Son; who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified; who spoke by the prophets.

And I believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church. I acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins; and I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.

The Athanasian Creed

1. Whosoever will be saved, before all things it is necessary that he hold the catholic faith;Which faith except every one do keep whole and undefiled, without doubt he shall perish everlastingly.
   
   
2. And the catholic faith is this: That we worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity;
   
   
3. Neither confounding the persons, nor dividing the substance
   
   
4. For there is one Person of the Father, another of the Son and another of the Holy Spirit.
   
   
5. But the Godhead of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit is all one, the glory equal, the majesty co-eternal.
   
   
6. Such as the Father is, such is the Son and such is the Holy Spirit.
   
   
7. The Father uncreated, the Son uncreated, and the Holy Spirit uncreated.
   
   
8. The Father incomprehensible, the Son incomprehensible, and the Holy Spirit incomprehensible.
   
   
9. The Father eternal, the Son eternal, and the Holy Spirit eternal.
   
   
10. And yet they are not three eternals, but one eternal.
    
    
11. As also there are not three uncreated nor three incomprehensibles, but one uncreated and one incomprehensible.
    
    
12. So likewise the Father is almighty, the Son almighty, and the Holy Spirit almighty;
    
    
13. And yet they are not three almighties, but one almighty.
    
    
14. So the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God;
    
    
15. And yet they are not three Gods, but one God.
    
    
16. So likewise the Father is Lord, the Son Lord, and the Holy Spirit Lord;
    
    
17. And yet they are not three Lords, but one Lord.
    
    
18. For like as we are compelled by the Christian verity to acknowledge every person by himself to be God and Lord;
    
    
19. so are we forbidden by the catholic religion to say: There are three Gods or three Lords.
    
    
20. The Father is made of none, neither created nor begotten.
    
    
21. The Son is of the Father alone; not made nor created, but begotten.
    
    
22. The Holy Spirit is of the Father and of the Son; neither made, nor created, nor begotten, but proceeding.
    
    
23. So there is one Father, not three Fathers; one Son, not three Sons; one Holy Spirit, not three Holy Spirits.
    
    
24. And in this Trinity none is afore, nor after another; none is greater, or less than another.
    
    
25. But the whole three persons are co-eternal, and co-equal.
    
    
26. So that in all things, as aforesaid, the Unity in Trinity and the Trinity in Unity is to be worshipped.
    
    
27. He therefore that will be saved must thus think of the Trinity.
    
    
28. Furthermore it is necessary to everlasting salvation that he also believe rightly the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ.
    
    
29. For the right faith is that we believe and confess that our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is God and man.
    
    
30. God of the substance of the Father, begotten before the worlds; and made of the substance of His mother, born in the world.
    
    
31. Perfect God and perfect man, of a reasonable soul and human flesh subsisting.
    
    
32. Equal to the Father as touching His Godhead, and inferior to the Father as touching His manhood.
    
    
33. Who, although He is God and man, yet He is not two, but one Christ.
    
    
34. One, not by conversion of the Godhead into flesh, but by taking of the manhood into God.
    
    
35. One altogether, not by the confusion of substance, but by unity of person.
    
    
36. For as the reasonable soul and flesh is one man, so God and man is one Christ;
    
    
37. Who suffered for our salvation, descended into hell, rose again the third day from the dead;
    
    
38. He ascended into heaven, He sitteth on the right hand of the Father, God Almighty;
    
    
39. From thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead.
    
    
40. At whose coming all men shall rise again with their bodies;
    
    
41. And shall give account of their own works.
    
    
42. And they that have done good shall go into life everlasting, and they that have done evil into everlasting fire.
    
    
43. This is the catholic faith, which except a man believe faithfully, he cannot be saved.

continued...

 

These creeds are not holy scripture but they do a good job of articulating the Christian faith before the papacy dominated Christendom for nearly 1000 years. One could make the argument that the core of these three creeds are the embodiment of Spirit-created unity. If churches confess and teach these truths they are standing on solid ground. Unfortunately, that is not reality. It was not even the reality in the patristic age. The church was fractured from repeated heresies like the aforementioned Arianism. Was it right for the orthodox church to purge Arianism from its midst? Absolutely. Arianism is a damnable heresy.

But what about the issues we face in the church today? Many people have elevated doctrinal positions they disagree with to the level of a damnable heresy (meaning those who believe such heresies are outside the faith). That is a serious charge. Any unity we have in the faith is impossible to see when we get to that point.

 

Another part of unity I want to discuss is how to maintain unity in the face of disagreement. I am not suggesting that theological debate should end. We should always be ready to contend for the faith once delivered (Jude 3). Such contending is not without sparks. Iron does sharpen iron but sparks do fly in the process. However, even in the midst of disagreement, we should keep in mind what we do agree on. Do we agree on what has been termed "the fundamentals of the faith"? Can we look at the historic creeds and agree with their conclusion of who Christ is and what He did to secure our forgiveness from sin? If so, we may want to be careful about anathematizing the person who disagrees with us. On the other hand, if they deny the true faith, that is a different matter altogether.

 

Actually, no. We cannot agree to disagree on doctrines of the faith. If we get certain doctrines wrong we run the risk of not understanding the gospel and imperil our faith. This is not just a semantical argument. My wife's first cousin (and best man in my wedding) graduated from the same Bible college as I did. He went on to seminary and then a teaching position at a famous Bible college on the east coast. He abandoned key doctrines of the Christian faith and made life choices in keeping with his repudiation. Predictably, he completely apostatized and is now hostile to Christianity. Did he abandon Christianity because of his doctrinal error or was his doctrinal error a result of him not being a Christian? In the end, it does not matter. Scripture tells us to walk in a manner worthy of our profession or calling (Ephesians 4:1, Colossians 1:10).

 

If I reveal the details it will probably give away his identity. That will be hurtful to others involved. Suffice to say that he no longer believes that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that salvation is by grace through faith in Christ alone.