Christ Alone A Jesus-Centred Look at Church Unity

Throughout history, Christendom has grappled with the issue of Church unity amidst
diversities of understanding. Unity is one of the major themes of Christs prayer in the
seventeenth chapter of John. The climax of these thoughts is found in the well-known
passage below:

Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on Me through
their word; that they all may be one; as Thou, Father, [art] in Me, and I in Thee, that
they also may be one in Us: that the world may believe that Thou hast sent Me. And
the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we
are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the
world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.
John 17:20-23.

If the prayer of a righteous man avails much, all the more we should expect this prayer to
be answered in this last generation, as in the first. What has frustrated this prayer has
been a misunderstanding, through the centuries, of what unity is, and how it is to come
about. That this is a crucial matter to get right is seen in that when this unity comes about,
the world may believe that the Father sent Christ.

If we look in the above passage, we can see a number of clues to help us to understand
unity. Unity is described as being one as the Father [is] in [Christ], and [Christ] in [the
Father]. Thus we see that Biblical unity is based on relationships. God and Christ are
one by virtue of their relationship with each other.

As to how unity comes about, it follows that if unity is relational, then unity comes about
through communion or fellowship. Similar thoughts as those in this prayer are to be
found in an earlier chapter of John where Christ speaks about abiding in Himself, the true
Vine. However, a more clear expression of unity may be found at the beginning of Johns
first letter.

This then is the message which we have heard of Him, and declare unto you, that
God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all if we walk in the light, as He is in the
light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son
cleanseth us from all sin. 1
st
John 1:5, 7.

Here, having fellowship one with another is dependent upon whether we walk in the
light, which is fellowship with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ (verse 3).
This can be illustrated in the diagram below. As each man comes closer to God and
Christ by virtue of fellowship, by default they grow closer to each other. This is the
essence of true fellowship.


Now, this unity bears fruit in a number of ways. Fruit is the natural outflow of the
relationship of a branch to the stem. No branch needs to put forth effort to produce fruit,
yet it cannot produce anything apart from its parent plant. Unfortunately, many through
the course of history have taken the fruit of unity (doctrinal unity) to be unity itself,
destroying the intimate relational quality of unity. Such verses as the following are often
used in this sense:

Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak
the same thing, and [that] there be no divisions among you; but [that] ye be perfectly
joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. 1
st
Cor. 1:10.

If [there be] therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any
fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, fulfil ye my joy, that ye be
likeminded, having the same love, [being] of one accord, of one mind. [Let] nothing
[be done] through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other
better than themselves. Phil. 2:1-3.

Finally, [be ye] all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as
brethren, [be] pitiful, [be] courteous: not rendering evil for evil, or railing for
railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye
should inherit a blessing. 1
st
Pet.3:8-9.

Phrases like that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you,
that ye be likeminded, and of one mind, are often taken to mean doctrinal agreement
on every point. However, notice that all this is in a relational context. The focus is on our
attitude towards each other, an attitude of love. The core of our unity remains Christ.
Consider the following from the pen of Sister White.

One man may be conversant with the Scriptures, and some particular portion of the
Scripture may be especially appreciated by him; another sees another portion as
very important, and thus one may present one point, and another, another point, and
both may be of highest value. This is all in the order of God. But if a man makes a
God/Christ
Man
Man
Man
Man
mistake in his interpretation of some portion of the Scripture, shall this cause
diversity and disunion? God forbid. We cannot then take a position that the unity
of the church consists in viewing every text of Scripture in the very same light.
The church may pass resolution upon resolution to put down all disagreement of
opinions, but we cannot force the mind and will, and thus root out disagreement.
These resolutions may conceal the discord, but they cannot quench it and establish
perfect agreement. Nothing can perfect a perfect unity in the church but the spirit of
Christlike forbearance. Satan can sow discord; Christ alone can harmonize the
disagreeing elements. Then let every soul sit down in Christ's school and learn of
Christ, who declares Himself to be meek and lowly of heart. Christ says that if we
learn of Him, worries will cease and we shall find rest to our souls.

The great truths of the Word of God are so clearly stated that none need make a
mistake in understanding them. When as individual members of the church, you
love God supremely and your neighbor as yourself, there will be no need of
labored efforts to be in unity, for there will be oneness in Christ as a natural result.
The ears will no longer be open to reports that will injure your neighbor, and no one
will take up a reproach against his neighbor. The members of the church will cherish
love and unity, and be as one great family. Then we shall bear the divine credentials
to the world, that will testify that God has sent His Son into the world. Christ has said,
"By this shall all men know that ye are My disciples, if ye have love one for another"
(John 13:35). The divinity of Christ is acknowledged in the unity of the children of
God. - (Ms. 24, 1892, Love, the Need of the Church, in 11MR, p. 266)(emphasis
supplied).

There are other verses which may be used which pertain to shunning a person who may
not agree with us, but these also must be seen in a relational light. While many of them
actually refer to an unrepentant sinner, we can still find a principle within them. This one,
from Jesus Himself, illustrates our duty most clearly:

Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between
thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. But if he will
not hear [thee, then] take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three
witnesses every word may be established. And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell [it]
unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an
heathen man and a publican. Matt. 18:15-17.

Christs own example shows how we are to treat heathens and publicans. Christ came to
call sinners to repentance. The difference is in how we relate to the erring one, not that
we cease to relate to them.

With the extremes of ecumenism on the one hand and separatism on the other, it is time
for a people to stand in the light, having fellowship with God, Christ and each other. Let
us no longer frustrate the prayer of Christ with false and limited concepts of unity, and
with the psalmist declare, Behold, how good and how pleasant [it is] for brethren to
dwell together in unity! - Psa. 133:1.