Ecumenicism

For this past month, we have been talking about one of the most consistent critiques against the Christian faith; if what we believe is true, then why is Christianity so divided? We have looked at the command we have to love one another and how that is a signifier that we are followers of God. We also read in Philippians 1 how when we are united in the faith for the sake of the gospel that it is a clear sign to the world not only of our salvation by God, but also of their own destruction. Unity is clearly a big deal, but we also need to know what it is that we are united on. So, we looked at the core doctrines of the Christian faith which really come down to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This is consistently the dividing line presented in the epistles as the foundational thing that we must get right.

On the other hand, last week we unpacked the question of how far is too far – specifically looking at what is known as progressive Christianity. We looked at just a couple of the most prominent influencers in the progressive Christian movement today, Rev. Brandan Robertson and Pastor Roger Wosley. By their own confession and affirmations, we were able to determine that the progressive gospel is a false gospel when compared with the Gospel revealed to us in scripture. Progressive Christianity and other sects and psuedo-christian groups who preach a gospel which clearly contradicts biblical teaching should be completely separated from the Christian church. This is just a quick recap of what we have been discussing this past month. If you missed any of those videos, we encourage you to go back and watch them so that you can get the full context and then join us here. Now that we have that out of the way, we are left with one more big, important question; “We know when to divide, but when, how and should the different denominations within the tent of Christian Orthodoxy unite?”

The concept of crossing denominational bridges in order to unite as one larger, universal Church is called Ecumenicism. This is a difficult subject to wade into without being prepared for the potentiality of significant pushback. Afterall, the arguments between one denomination and another were enough, at many points in church history, to completely break off from people whom you had fellowshipped with for your entire life and now some people are going as far as calling you a heretic or a false teacher. As the past few hundred years have shown, those wounds don’t heal so easily and, in fact, with each break and each schism within the Christian Church, the next one just becomes that much easier. As we said in week one, there are estimated to now be over 40,000 different Christian denominations. In a lot of ways, the Christian Church is a lot like a family that has been fractured for generations due to infighting over past hurts, money, politics and other issues both substantial and trivial. We are so far down the line from the “One body” taught about in Romans, that we have come to accept that this divided and broken mess is actually the beautiful bride of Christ that doesn’t exactly need all of her fingers and toes. It’s a mess that we have all inherited, but does that give us permission to continue the family tradition of making it messier?

Ecumenicism may seem like a utopian ideal or a pipe dream, but what we think or feel about it doesn’t really matter. The only question we need to ask is, what does God say about unity within the Church? As Christians we should all be able to agree on this; If it’s important to Him, it needs to be important to us. So, what does God say about unity?

There are six things that the Lord hates, seven that are an abomination to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil, a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers.

Proverbs 6:16-19

I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call—one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

Eph. 4:1-6

But avoid foolish controversies, genealogies, dissensions, and quarrels about the law, for they are unprofitable and worthless. As for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him, knowing that such a person is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned.

Titus 3:9-11

I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment. For it has been reported to me by Chloe's people that there is quarreling among you, my brothers. What I mean is that each one of you says, “I follow Paul,” or “I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Cephas,” or “I follow Christ.” Is Christ divided?

1 Cor. 1:10-13

Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness. Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling. But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

1 John 2:9-11

And our final passage for today’s video is found in John 17. It is known as the High Priestly prayer of Jesus, and in it, He actually prays for you and me. This is what Jesus prayed for us:

“I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me."

John 17:20-23

Jesus prayed that we would be perfectly one, just as He and the Father are one. This was a prayer for the Church that He was establishing, the one that every person who has put their faith in Christ is a part of today. While our parents, our grandparents, our great-great-great-great grandparents in the family of the Church may have handed us a family picture with certain people colored over, blotted out or torn out entirely, the fact is that if you hold fast to the truth of the gospel, the core doctrines of who Jesus is, what He has done on our behalf and what it means for us – then we are just distant cousins, we are brothers and sisters in Christ. Should the Christian Church be united? According to Jesus, yes! How? By putting the Gospel first, fighting for unity there and choosing not to allow ourselves to be divided on “foolish controversies, genealogies, dissensions, and quarrels about the law." When should we start fighting for unity? Is this someone else’s problem? Is it something that our kids need to figure out? No. We must take the command for unity within the Church seriously and we must do it now.