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There is an enormous emphasis on Christian "togetherness" in scripture. 1 Corinthians 8 and Romans 14 urge togetherness even when ignorance or conflicts in understandings of purity are involved. The principle texts directed toward division which have been and are used primarily to condemn external division are directed, in context by the writer, toward internal division (texts such as 1 Corinthians 1:10-17). Christian unity revealed itself in the way Christians treated each other in a congregation. That was a major challenge in the first century with Jewish converts and gentile converts, just as it is a major challenge today. Consider 1 Corinthians 12:26, 27.
In the "one another" scriptures, Christians were urged to realize they were in the same body in Christ and were members of each other (Romans 12:5), were to be devoted to each other in brotherly love in a preferring of each other (Romans 12:10), were to be of the same mind toward each other (Romans 12:16), were to owe each other nothing [no patronage obligations] but love (Romans 13:8), were to do the things that promoted peace and building each other up (Romans 14:19), and were to base acceptance of each other on the way Christ accepted each to God's glory (Romans 15:7). Proper attitudes toward each other eliminated division by promoting a mutual caring (1 Corinthians 12:25). This togetherness [though culturally different] produced a mutual serving (Galatians 5:13). There would not be a biting and devouring that resulted in destructively consuming each other (Galatians 5:15) or envy (Galatians 5:26), but instead there would be burden-bearing when trespasses occurred (Galatians 6:1, 2). This mutual forbearance in love (Ephesians 4:2) resulted in a real sense of mutual membership (Ephesians 4:25) expressed, not in negative emotions, but in kindness, tender-heartedness, and forgiveness--with Christ's forgiveness as the standard (Ephesians 4:32). The practical result was a burden-bearing or forgiving with the Lord as an example (Colossians 3:13), a love for each other that originated in love for God (1 Thessalonians 4:9), and hospitality (1 Peter 4:9).
All this emphasis suggests that the new relationship among Christians in the first century was no more the "natural" way to act in their societies than it is for us to act in that way. They were not asked to do what was natural, but what was godly.
Christians need to understand that a congregation is composed of Jesus' disciples and its appointed leadership who are also Jesus' disciples. All these disciples form a mutual commitment to Jesus. This places all of them basically "on the same page." Though they will not agree on everything, they will remain unified. Why? Their unity is not founded on agreement, but on a mutual commitment to Jesus Christ.
If the concept of Christian unity existing when there are differences sounds strange to you, you are asked to consider two examples.
Example #1: John 17:21 declared Jesus prayed prior to entering Gethsemane that his disciples would be one in the same way that he and the Father were one. Jesus at the moment of that prayer was actually very different than was God the Father. Jesus was physical while the Father was not. Jesus experienced temptation while the Father did not. Jesus endured physical pain while the Father did not. Jesus could and would die while the Father could not die. In fact, in Gethsemane Jesus prayed three times to be delivered from death and suffering, but was willing to surrender to the Father's will. Obviously, Jesus did not wish to endure suffering and death, but was willing to experience both in surrender to the Father's will. At that moment, the will of the son and the will of the Father were different. Yet, with differences, they were still one because Jesus always honored the Father's will as supreme. The son and the Father's situations and experiences in Jesus' death declare differences, yet differences did not destroy oneness if God's will was supreme.
Example # 2: Consider the perspective of the Jewish Christian versus the gentile Christian. Their concepts of deity, of purity, of definitions of good and evil, and of surrender to deity contained significant differences prior to conversion. Those differences had persisting elements even after conversion. In some ways, gentile converts often had a better grasp of God's accomplishments in Jesus' death and resurrection than did Jewish converts (look at Romans 14 and determine who the weak and strong were). Prior to conversion, Jews (especially Jews in Palestine) had as little association with gentiles as possible (see Acts 10:28a).
The gap between lifestyle practices of Jewish converts and gentile converts was enormous! Jewish converts were far more different from gentile converts than they were alike. Yet, they were one! Why? Because they were in agreement? No! They were one because God made them one! It was what God did in Jesus' blood that made reconciliation to Him possible. Reconciliation to God established peace by placing both in one body. Paul said that God made them both one before they accepted that oneness! It was God's accomplishment, not their agreement, that made oneness exist! Paul's plea was for them to start acting as one in an understanding of what God did in Jesus Christ. See Ephesians 2:11-22.
Oneness between Jewish converts and gentile converts was never achieved through human agreement. It was achieved only by God in Jesus' death and resurrection! Their task was to understand what God did in Jesus, and act in accord with God's achievement.
Oneness today will never be produced by human agreement among Christians. It exists when Christians place faith in God's accomplishment in Jesus, not in the human ability to agree.
We are one because God made us one. We are not one because we agree. That awareness transforms the way elders and congregations work together to achieve God's purposes!
For Thought and Understanding
Link to Teacher's Guide
Lesson 13
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