The Basis of Unity

by Doug Schofield

The recent Abilene Christian University Lectureship, (Feb. 19-22, 2006), sounded a call for unity with what ACU President Royce Money called “estranged brothers and sisters”. His reference was to those congregations who left the Lord’s church a hundred years ago, choosing instead to embrace mechanical instruments of music in worship, and other steps of apostasy away from 1^st century Christianity. What President Money should have called for was repentance and a return to the “old paths”, (Jeremiah 6:16).

When the apostle Paul wrote to the church at Ephesus about unity he did not suggest that compromise should be the basis of unity. “Walking worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called…” – by the word of God – cannot involve closing one’s eyes to the authority of the scriptures. In fact, Paul wrote to the Romans (16:17) that we are to ‘avoid them which cause divisions’. When our Lord prayed to the Father “…that they all may be one in us…” (John 17:21), I believe it was His desire that we all remain faithful to His word, not that we compromise on matters of faith to accommodate those who choose not to respect the authority of the scriptures. To be sure, all who have heard the gospel and believed it, repented of their sins and confessed their faith in Jesus as the Son of God and been immersed in order to receive the remission of their sins are brothers and sisters in the Lord – members of God’s family. Having chosen to obey the gospel and thereby becoming adopted sons by the new birth, we are the children of God. But when we became His children he did not take away our freedom of choice. We may still choose to disobey him, to turn our back on His word, and, yes, to go back into sin and be eternally lost; and there are wayward sons and daughters – who will be lost unless they repent. In our own human families we sometimes have wayward siblings; we still love them and pray for their souls, but we do not endorse their sinful activities, we don’t visit bars and strip joints with them for the sake of ‘unity’ or to demonstrate our love for them. This ‘celebration’ at ACU of 100 years of apostasy among those who want to wear the name of Christ is no different than if it included Catholics, Muslims and Buddhists. Any group of people can put aside their beliefs and meet together and sing Coom By Ya, but that in no way represents the unity for which Jesus prayed and Paul admonished.

According to the article in the Christian Chronicle, Mark Love, Director of the ACU Lectureship which took place February 19-22, suggested that differences should not stop us from “…celebrating the things we do agree on”. The language of denominationalism is creeping in more and more to the Lord’s church. Where is the scriptural basis for “celebrating” anything? (Please don’t offer Leviticus chapter 23 unless you area advocating for observance of the Sabbath.) Certainly we should be happy for the degree of truth and faithfulness that anyone will exhibit; we are glad when people hear the gospel; we are pleased when they believe it, happy when they repent of sin, joyful to hear them confess faith in Jesus and we rejoice when they are immersed into Christ. This is the only scriptural basis New Testament Christians have for “celebration” – certainly there is no cause for rejoicing over division caused by those who have chosen to turn their backs on the authority of the Bible.

Wade Hodges, who preaches at the Garnett Church of Christ in Tulsa, is quoted in the Chronicle article as having said, “But I do think it would be really cool if a church of Christ and a Christian Church built a Habitat for Humanity house together…” ‘Really cool’? How about instead of trying to be ‘really cool’ gospel preachers make an effort to be really scriptural, for a change? We are obligated to practice love and good works, perform acts of benevolence, but we are also warned not to be unequally yoked together with unbelievers, (2 Corinthians 6:14).

Yes, those who choose to substitute their own personal desires for scriptural authority may be correctly classed as unbelievers.

Hodges also is quoted as having said “we may worship differently, but we worship the same God”, “we’re still part of the same family”. We worship the same God as the Catholics claim to worship too, but does that mean that we shall embrace incense, icons, candles, and all the rest of their apostate practices? A little unfaithfulness to the authority of the scriptures is like being a little pregnant. Saying that we worship the same God but in different ways is like saying that a husband is faithful to his wife and to his mistress in different ways.

The statement was made that “both fellowships grew out of the Restoration Movement of the 1800s.” Such a statement demonstrates a complete lack of understanding of the appeal of the Restoration Movement. The restoration plea was for a return to the authority of the scriptures – to replicate New Testament Christianity. To say that the church of our Lord grew out of the Restoration Movement is to claim a man-made origin and to completely miss the point of the meaning of the word “restoration”.

Victor Knowles, (who is identified in the Chronicle as a founder of Peace on Earth Ministries in Joplin, MO), [now there’s a scriptural name for you], said that the two groups, (churches of Christ and Christian Church), share “the same spiritual DNA”. That’s like saying that Christians share the same spiritual DNA as followers of Islam; after all Christ and Mohamed are both descended from Abraham. “In essentials, we are one…”, he said. Apparently Mr. Knowles needs to come to an understanding of just what the “essentials” are in New Testament worship.

Flavil Yeakley, of Harding College in Searcy, AR is quoted as having said, “I believe that the instrumental brethren are ‘brethren-in-error’ – but brethren-in-error are the only kind of brethren we have”. What a ludicrous charge to make against faithful congregations of the Lord’s church! Paul has much to say about Yeakley’s so-called “brethren-in-error”, please observe:

Romans 16:17, “Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.” Verse 18 goes on to say, “For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.” This sounds like the typical response when asked why they choose to use instruments in worship, ‘because we like it, we think it sounds better, it pleases us.’

Titus 3:10-11, “A man that is an heretick after the first and second admonition reject; Knowing that he that is such is subverted, and sinneth, being condemned of himself.”

2 Thessalonians 3:6, “Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us.” In verse 7 Paul goes on to say, “For yourselves know how ye ought to follow us:…”

Mark 7:6-7, “He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with [their] lips, but their heart is far from me. Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching [for] doctrines the commandments of men.”

1 Timothy 6:3-5, “If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, [even] the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself.”

This renewed ecumenical effort is in direct violation of the scriptures.