Unity

 

I’m involved in a study on unity in the Bible.  Yesterday I posted 22 Bible verses which spoke about unity.  This morning as I’m meditating on this, about how I do not believe that it is God’s will that the body of Christ, the Church, be so fragmented as it is.

From Google:

There are estimated to be more than 45,000 Christian denominations globally as of the early 2020s, a number that has grown significantly from around 500 in 1800. These groups range from large, established traditions like Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy to thousands of smaller, independent, or Protestant denominations.

The forecast is that if this trend continues, that there will be 60,000 Christian denominations by 2050.

What a horror this is.  Just a few verses regarding this:

1. 2 Corinthians 13:11 KJV  Finally, brethren, farewell. Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you.

2. Acts 4:32 KJV  And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common.

3. Galatians 3:28 KJV  There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.

On the opposite end of unity, and singleness of heart, and purpose resides confusion:

1 Corinthians 14:33  For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.

James 3:14-16  But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.  15  This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.  16  For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.

I continued to ponder on this, and I began to wonder.  Judaism’s roots far predate Christianity, and again from Google:

The major denominations or "schools" of modern Judaism are generally classified into four to six main movements based on their interpretation of Jewish law (Halakha) and tradition: Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, Reconstructionist, Humanistic, and Renewal. While Orthodoxy is often divided into Modern Orthodox and Haredi (Ultra-Orthodox) sects, these movements represent the primary, diverse approaches to modern Jewish life and observance. 

45,000 Christian denominations vs 6 different Jewish branches. Most of the Jewish branches have arisen since the 1800’s.  Why this huge contrast, and what can we learn from it?

1. One fundamental difference between Christianity and Judaism is that Christianity is focused on outreach, while Judaism is tied to a specific people.  The only Jewish very reluctant evangelist I can think of from the Bible, Jonah, jumped on a ship, and went the other way, when God told him to go preach to the city of Nineveh.  Christianity has billions of believers, and there are only an estimated 15.5 million Jews today.  A huge rock will have stresses and fracture lines that a pebble will not, and therefore will be much more likely to break into pieces than a small rock.

2. The Jews strictly follow an exhaustive list of rules given in the books of Moses.  Thousands of years after these rules were given, they continue to strive to avoid all work on the Sabbath, avoid eating food from unclean dietary items, or prepared in an unclean manner.  The principles that Jesus gave are not so closely defined, and different interpretations of baptism, the godhead, holiness, etc. have caused ruptures, with each side of the schism convinced that they are on the correct side, and the fracture of the body of Christ was deemed essential.

3. Finally and I think this is key, Judaism has faced unending persecution across the ages, from which such external pressures have forged huge internal strengths.  They needed each other in order to survive.  Christian believers have periodically endured great persecution, I have not made an in depth study of this, but in my gut, I believe that in those times, the fracturing of the body probably slowed or disappeared.  When you’re struggling for your life, there is neither the time nor energy left to debate how many angels can dance on the head of a pin. The keys to survival are your relationships with your brothers, and sisters in Christ.   It is estimated that there were only 500 Christian denominations in 1800.  In the 200 years since then, an additional ~40,000 Christian denominations have been added, over 200 per year. . . roughly one new denomination every other day.  What a horror this is.  

Thankfully in the United States, we do not face religious persecution on the scale of history, but though we do not face physical danger, spiritual dangers beset us on every side.

Jesus said:

Matthew 10:28  And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

Spiritual dangers are less visible than physical, but more deadly, and spiritual dangers beset us on every side.  We need our brothers and sisters in Christ.  We need community.  We need the spiritual opposition that we face daily, to forge strengthened bonds between us, and not cause us to fracture under the pressure. 

Galatians 6:2  Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.

Thank You Lord. . .

Help us to draw closer as a body. . .

I love You my God. . .

Dave