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UNITY IN DIVERSITY OR CONFORMITY—Which?

Buff Scott Jr.

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Unity in Diversity or Conformity—Which?

Of course the early Christian believers had their differences, yet they were united. There were a couple of local pockets of discord, but no universal division, as it is today. It is my sentiment that the only unity possible among believers is unity in diversity. Even apostles Paul and Peter were united, although they had an occasional disagreement. Paul took issue with the apostle Peter, and stated, “When Peter came to Antioch, I opposed him to the face, because he was clearly in the wrong” [Gal. 2:11]. Peter had discriminated against the Gentile believers.

Romans, chapter 14, is an excellent reading on unity in diversity, for it portrays the weak vs. the strong. In our current Christian culture, we find some who are weak in the faith, doctrinally and behaviorally, while others are mature in the faith. Paul told the strong and more knowledgeable believers in the faith, “Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own Lord that he stands or falls” [verses 1-4].

Paul says in another place that believers are to live “in harmony with one another” and “welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you” [15:5-7]. My point is that harmony and unity can and should prevail even when diverse and miscellaneous views are prevalent. We have zero right to contend that all doctrinal conceptions and/or theories of others conform to ours—or that our sundry doctrinal conceptions be adopted by others. Our Lord was a strong advocator of unity, as depicted in John 17:20-23. But in our current religious culture, disunity is the byword. Sad—yes, sad indeed.

However, should I insist you adopt my assorted doctrinal conceptions, I have, at that point, become divisive. Paul says to “avoid foolish controversies” and if a brother “stirs up division,” becomes divisive, “warm 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].

Unity in conformity is not the solution to our divided dilemma. However, as a means of clarification, a divisive brother may be excommunicated or withdrawn from—as per Paul in the Titus admonition above. A divisive brother fosters disunity and advocates disharmony in the body of believers.

Final NoteAn honest and upright believer who acknowledges God as his only creator and His Son as his only source of salvation, but embraces some questionable beliefs, is to be accepted as part of the one body of believers. If we try to deny him brotherly acceptance, we will have placed ourselves in an identical predicament because we, too, possess questionable beliefs!​
 
If it hasn't already been read, give "Life Together" by Dietrich Bonhoffer a read. It speaks to this matter profoundly. The sincere reader will not put the book down unchanged. Here are a couple of relevant excerpts.


”Often we combat our evil thoughts most effectively if we absolutely refuse to allow them to be expressed in words. It is certain that the spirit of self-justification can be overcome only by the Spirit of grace, nevertheless, isolated thoughts of judgment can be curbed and smothered by never allowing them the right to be uttered, except as a confession of sin… He who holds his tongue in check controls both mind and body (Jms. 3). Thus it is a decisive rule of every Christian fellowship that each individual is prohibited from saying much that occurs to him… to speak about a brother covertly is forbidden, even under the cloak of help and good will; for it is precisely in this guise that the spirit of hatred among brothers always creeps in when it is seeking to create mischief.”
“Where this discipline of the tongue is practiced right from the beginning, each individual will make a matchless discovery. He will be able to cease from constantly scrutinizing the other person, judging him, condemning him, putting him in his particular place where he can gain ascendancy over him and thus doing violence to him as a person. Now he can allow the brother to exist as a completely free person, as God made him to be. His view expands and, to his amazement, for the first time he sees, shining above his brethren, the richness of God’s creative glory. God did not make this person as I would have made him. He did not give him to me as a brother for me to dominate and control, but in order that I might find above him the Creator. Now the other person, in the freedom with which he was created, becomes the occasion for joy, whereas before he was only a nuisance and an affliction. God does not will that I should fashion the other person according to my image; rather in his very freedom from me God made this person in His image. I can never know beforehand how God’s image should appear in others. That image always manifests a completely new and unique form that comes solely from God’s free and sovereign creation.”


”…he who can no longer listen to his brother will soon be no longer listening to God, either; he will be doing nothing but prattle in the presence of God, too. This is the beginning of the death of the spiritual life, and in the end there is nothing left but spiritual chatter and clerical condescension arrayed in pious words… Anyone who thinks his time is too valuable to spend keeping quiet will eventually have no time for God and his brother, but only for himself and for his own follies.”





Seven billion people on the planet, each one bearing the image of God, and no two doing so in an identical way. Three or four billion Christians bearing the additional image of God found in Christ and, again, no two of them alike in every way. Do we look for the diversity of God's image in every person we meet?

nstatop
.
 
If it hasn't already been read, give "Life Together" by Dietrich Bonhoffer a read. It speaks to this matter profoundly. The sincere reader will not put the book down unchanged. Here are a couple of relevant excerpts.


”Often we combat our evil thoughts most effectively if we absolutely refuse to allow them to be expressed in words. It is certain that the spirit of self-justification can be overcome only by the Spirit of grace, nevertheless, isolated thoughts of judgment can be curbed and smothered by never allowing them the right to be uttered, except as a confession of sin… He who holds his tongue in check controls both mind and body (Jms. 3). Thus it is a decisive rule of every Christian fellowship that each individual is prohibited from saying much that occurs to him… to speak about a brother covertly is forbidden, even under the cloak of help and good will; for it is precisely in this guise that the spirit of hatred among brothers always creeps in when it is seeking to create mischief.”
“Where this discipline of the tongue is practiced right from the beginning, each individual will make a matchless discovery. He will be able to cease from constantly scrutinizing the other person, judging him, condemning him, putting him in his particular place where he can gain ascendancy over him and thus doing violence to him as a person. Now he can allow the brother to exist as a completely free person, as God made him to be. His view expands and, to his amazement, for the first time he sees, shining above his brethren, the richness of God’s creative glory. God did not make this person as I would have made him. He did not give him to me as a brother for me to dominate and control, but in order that I might find above him the Creator. Now the other person, in the freedom with which he was created, becomes the occasion for joy, whereas before he was only a nuisance and an affliction. God does not will that I should fashion the other person according to my image; rather in his very freedom from me God made this person in His image. I can never know beforehand how God’s image should appear in others. That image always manifests a completely new and unique form that comes solely from God’s free and sovereign creation.”


”…he who can no longer listen to his brother will soon be no longer listening to God, either; he will be doing nothing but prattle in the presence of God, too. This is the beginning of the death of the spiritual life, and in the end there is nothing left but spiritual chatter and clerical condescension arrayed in pious words… Anyone who thinks his time is too valuable to spend keeping quiet will eventually have no time for God and his brother, but only for himself and for his own follies.”





Seven billion people on the planet, each one bearing the image of God, and no two doing so in an identical way. Three or four billion Christians bearing the additional image of God found in Christ and, again, no two of them alike in every way. Do we look for the diversity of God's image in every person we meet?

nstatop
.
Josheb, thanks. I'll read what you sent.
 
Josheb, thanks. I'll read what you sent.
Let me (us) know what you think when finished.


Will I ever get answers to the questions asked in the "Fate..." threads? I have a more questions but have been waiting so as not to have them pile up.

.
 
Let me (us) know what you think when finished.


Will I ever get answers to the questions asked in the "Fate..." threads? I have a more questions but have been waiting so as not to have them pile up.

.
Very good, and well expressed, Josheb.
 
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