churchesofChrist

Keep the Unity

Posted in Baptism, Baptist Church, Church of Christ, Denominations, Doctrine, Faith, God, Gospel, Hermeneutics, Jesus, Knowledge, Lords Supper, Love, Music, Repentance, Salvation, Sin, Unity, church by churchesofchrist on April 9th, 2008

Many people do not know where the debate attitude came from and why we have so many ultra-hyper conservative cofC preachers among us today, well maybe not many, seeing they are dying out.  Daniel Sommers was one of these men who spent most of his life preaching unity, but was really causing disunity.  Later in life he changed his attitude and began to attempt to undo the division he help cause, but he could not undo what was done and today, we still have men of his mindset and attitude.

 

Daniel Sommer spent the fading days of his life trying to “put Humpty back together again.” As he did so, the younger hot-headed conservatives took their shots at him. He was denounced by many as soft on doctrine, as one who had abandoned the true faith. In reality he never abandoned his convictions about what the scriptures teach on those controversial topics. But he added to that an understanding that God calls us to a kind of unity that includes toleration. Daniel Sommer died in 1940, without seeing success in his late efforts toward that kind of unity. What regret he must have felt, that he had led the way in the fracturing of the Restoration Movement! Though he repented personally, he could not undo all that he had done.

My hopes and wishes are that we can drop our petty differences and learn to accept one another, and learn to have patience for those we “think” are wrong, and not be so quick to write each other off as fallen brethren.  I know many will never reach this point, and they will be the ones not keeping the unity, but the ones taking part in disunity. 

 

 

 

I have laid out my convictions for all to see and many will disagree with me on several issues.  I will name a few.  Most all church of Christ people believe one can lose his salvation – I lean more to a salvation Kept by God and I have faith in the blood of Christ and Him being raised to keep me saved.  This does not mean one live it up in sin, this means a saved person will have the fruits of a saved person and not desire to displease God.  I also lean a little off when it comes to baptism – I do see the connection between baptism and forgiveness, but I don’t think one must fully understand this before God can do his work Col. 2:12.   I also do not see anything wrong with music being played with Christian lyrics in an assembly, nor do I find music called sinful by God.  I am well aware of each argument on this subject made from CENI and silence of scripture.  I know our pet hermeneutics quite well.  And another biggie is the Lords Supper – I can’t build a doctrine mainly from one verse, which is one example and then make that some binding law.  If another Christian feels he should, I respect his views, but don’t see them as a reason to split and divide.   It’s time we take a look at these and keep in mind we all do not share the same brains and we all are on various levels of understanding – we need to take heed to the statement of Paul and “keep the unity”.

One Response to 'Keep the Unity'

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  1. John Paul Todd said, on April 14th, 2008 at 11:47 pm

    Brother in Christ,

    I can’t really express my gratitude adequately for this post. I have noted your posts before in passing, but recognized the standard message of the CofC -which I know quite well. I have been able by God’s grace, to respect your tradition and give thanks for the contributions that perspective makes to the rest of us in the community of faith.

    Only two weeks ago, my wife and I attended the CofC here in berea. The pastor is a godly man, whom I love and respect very much, brother Charles Moore. I am always welcomed in this congregation with respect and allowed to take communion for which I am always deeply grateful; for you see in my tradition, we have communion just once a quarter.

    I have studied church history and mission history many years, my wife and I were missionaries in Brazil for 12 wonderful years. I always am reminded that the movement God raised up to be the restoration of Christian unity could end up like the rest of us-divided into at least three major traditions that at times show exactly the attitude you spoke of in the beginning of this blog.

    You have ministered to me in what you have said- I hear the Spirit of Christ in your ability to hold to your convictions, make room for those that do not exactly hold the same convictions on very important matters for CofC people and even recognize that perhaps there is a problem in ” our pet hermeneutics”.

    Keep the Unity ! Is the passion of my own heart and I am convinced that we not going to have the restoration of New Testament Christianity without giving this the priority that Christ have given it : “By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you have love for oneanother”, “This is my commandment, that you love oneanother as I have loved you.”

    God bless you my brother in your ministry on the weblog.

    John Paul Todd
    e4unity.wordpress.com

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