Why Church Unity Matters…Alot!

It has been recently been called to my attention just how much the apostle Paul was focused on the

churches he served being unified in the faith. In fact, it is rare that he ever exhorts the churches to be out

witnessing, which is a common exhortation in today's church, but his teaching on church unity is a

dominant theme in his letters. Now, it is true, truth matters as well, and Paul was not so concerned with

unity that truth was the be nullified in its pursuit; He was not one to make peace with false teachers.

However, Paul understood truth or the growth of knowledge to be something that leads to ever-increasing

unity and not schism and division. This is clear from Ephesians 4:11-13,

“It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some the be evangelists, and some

to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may

be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become

mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.”

Notice how “unity in the faith” and “the knowledge of the Son of God” are coordinate with one

another. And as the church attains to this unity “the whole measure of the fullness of Christ” is then

expressed through the church's unified and corporate witness. This is indeed a grand vision. What I have

noticed however, is how the reverse tends to be true in our church experience. The more the knowledge

the sharper the differences, and many times with that the sharper the elbows between Christians. The

church divides and subdivides around ever more distinct and detailed understandings of Jesus Christ and

all the doctrines related to Him. But I jump ahead. I will come back next time to some proposals for a

possible way forward while holding to our conscientiously held doctrinal convictions , but for now it is

important for us to understand and embrace God's call for a unified church.

Probably the best place to start with a discussion of unity is a place most people start, and that is

with the Jesus' prayer to the Father for the disciples and all those who would follow them in the future.

Jesus prayed,

“My prayer is not for them alone. I also pray for those who will believe in me through their

message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you”(Jn.17:20,21).

Through this prayer, Jesus reveals a God-centered reason for the church's unity. The church is to

reflect God's unity. Jesus was one with the Father and the Spirit, they share perfect community of love and

mutual service. It is mutual service derived from love that forms the unifying bond for God. Jesus came to

serve the Father's will, the Father served Jesus in working for His glory. The Spirit bore witness to the

mutual love between Father and Son and is love personified. Here is why the church's unity is of such

importance, the church is to be the embodiment or manifestation of God's unity. We might say a corporate

image of God. Believers are to be one, just as the Father and Son are one. This is why the unity of the

church is a key witness that the Father sent the Son. Again, Jesus prayed,

“May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved

them even as you have loved me”(17:23).

The church in unity bears witness to God. Verse 23 also reveals that the church's love shows that

believers have been brought into God's unity, or fellowship with God. And just as God as a triune Being is

a God of love which results in mutual service so is the church to be characterized by love and mutual

service. This is to be central aspect to bearing witness to who God is. This helps us to see why this was so

important for the apostle Paul. This focus is reflected clearly in his letter to the church in Ephesus. In this

letter, the first three chapters focus on what God has done for His people. When we come to chapter 4,

Paul shifts the focus from what God has done for us to our mandate as His people. The emphasis here on

to the end is how we are to live in light of God's work on our behalf. Notice the very first thing Paul

focuses on,

“As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.

Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep

the unity of the Spirit, through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit - just as you were

called to one hope when you were called - 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).

Notice here how Paul exhorts behaviors that create peace with others in the church. He exhorts

humility, gentleness, patience, and these are the ways in which we are able to “bear with one another in

love.” Paul is a realist. He knows that differences between people will create tense and difficult situations

and relationships that must be borne with. He exhorts the church to take on relational attitudes and ways

of being that preserve unity and create “bonds of peace.” It is interesting to note, that Jesus, who is the

Son of God, who described Himself as “gentle and humble at heart” and for this reason with him we can

find “rest for our souls”(Matt.11:28,29). Likewise, the church is to strive to be a place where humans can

find relational rest and peace. It is not to be a place where there is contention, and bickering and gossip

and selfish ambition that creates animosity. Just as in God none of those things exist. God is a relational

paradise. The church is to seek to emulate that, to be a relational paradise where people can find rest as a

witness to God.

Despite what is stated above, someone will think, “Yes, and that is precisely why I don't belong to

a church, because it is not the relational paradise it is supposed to be.” What must be emphasized is that

this objection entirely misses the point. Paul fully recognized the reality of the human situation. He

knows sin is alive and well and the peace that God calls us to, with each other, will not be passively

realized. This is why Ephesians 4:1-6 needed to be written and then read over and over again. These are

things we are to strive for and fight for, because bearing with others will not come naturally. In fact, the

bitter fruit of contention and strife is what comes naturally to us all. We naturally, according to our sinful

nature, want to take offense and get away from others when we feel slighted or in any way uncomfortable.

We must not let the weeds take over the garden. Just as persistently as the crab grass sprouts up, from

morning to morning, it must be rooted out so the good fruit of peace can grow. The tragic irony is the

person leaves the church because there are people there who must be borne with! This is like the gardner

who sees the weeds and drops the hoe and walks away. It is the leaving that reveals, pride, impatience

and intolerance which breaks the bonds of peace in separation. Paul knew full well that loving the

brotherhood of believers would be a cross-bearing service to others, just as others loving him would be a

service to him. The church is the first place where the cross is to be borne. Jesus died for us so that we

would die for our brothers and sisters in Christ.

“Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if

you do what I command...This is my command: Love each other”(John 15:13,14,17).

So we are to love each other by laying down our lives, by giving up petty preferences, by being

willing to associate with all kinds of people. In this age, this means forgiving one another, and at times

mercifully confronting(rather than back-biting) one another so we can forgive and maintain the “bond of

peace.” This is how we manifest the relational paradise of God, while sin is in the world and in our hearts.

We don't give up on the garden because of weeds, and we don't give up on each other and cut each other

off. Just as a good friend or a spouse will see us at our best and worst and still maintain the relationship,

so we are to do that for each other. In that way we are a relational resting place. Through this we reflect

who God is for us as our merciful Lord. We show forth God's humility, patience, gentleness, mercy and

compassion as we exhibit those things for one another. And this may be why Paul talked about those

things alot more than he talked about talking to others about Jesus. Talk can be cheap, but the reality that

God brings about through His gospel is priceless, and enables the talk to mean something. As he said, “the

kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power”(1 Cor.4:20). The gospel is not just to be spoken but

embodied by the Body of Christ. This is why church unity matters...alot.