unity Archives - Gospel Union - A blog about Christian faith and unity

Worshiping According To The Pattern

Tuesday, 10 July 2012 by Editor

The following introductory chapter to Ketcherside’s book According To The Pattern is perhaps one of the most hard-hitting commentaries on the inherent logical problems with so-called “pattern theology,” i.e. the idea that we have to conform our “worship services” to the “pattern” that the first century church set for us. The problem is that the

Published in Reviews, W. Carl Ketcherside

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200th Anniversary of Thomas Campbell’s Declaration and Address

Monday, 05 October 2009 by Editor

While I’ve often said that I don’t believe unity can be manufactured by unity meetings, organizations, and resolutions (because unity is a point of view, i.e., something that exists in the hearts of believers), there is something to be said for the ability of unity meetings to assist in changing hearts and minds. Diane and

Alexander Campbell Thomas Campbell unity

Published in Reviews, Thomas Campbell

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This truth about unity is self-evident

Tuesday, 18 August 2009 by Editor

When I first heard this truth about unity, it was immediately self-evident. It was corroborated by everything I had ever read in Scripture, and resonated vividly with my understanding of the teachings of Jesus and the New Testament writers. Yet this truth is sadly not often taught in the church, and for obvious reasons –

unity

Published in Commentary

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Instruments of peace

Tuesday, 16 June 2009 by Editor

It is ironic that musical instruments get the blame for a major division in Christ’s body when music is supposed to be (and is in fact) such a unifying part of Christian worship. There is nothing more unifying than standing and praising God in song together with other believers, whether there are instruments in the

hermeneutics instruments music unity

Published in Commentary

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One of these days

Saturday, 21 January 2006 by Editor

I just thought I’d post the words of a song that really resonated with me recently. I’ve done a search on the Internet and can’t find the songwriter’s name, so if anyone knows, please leave a comment on this page. I heard a beautiful rendition of it done by a group called Smalltown Poets, and

love music peace unity

Published in Commentary

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Denominational echo chambers

Wednesday, 18 May 2005 by Editor

Some media elites have trouble relating to middle America. The only people they know come from a humanist, left-leaning worldview. They wine and dine only with people in that crowd, they seek to curry favor with them for career and social advancement, and they bestow awards only to them. To these people, the heartland of

denominationalism media sectarianism unity

Published in Commentary

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Parable of the iron bedstead

Thursday, 05 May 2005 by Editor

By Alexander Campbell From The Christian Baptist No. III, Vol. IV. October 2, 1826 “Style no man on earth your Father; for he alone is your Father who is in heaven: and all ye are brethren. Assume not the title of Rabbi; for ye have only One Teacher; neither assume the title of Leader; for

Alexander Campbell opinions unity

Published in Alexander Campbell

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Loveless unity? Impossible.

Saturday, 09 April 2005 by Editor

Think about the fact that it is possible to have loveless agreement on the hotbutton doctrinal issues of the day, but it is impossible to have loveless unity. Sure, it’s easier to love someone I agree with. But while I can fail to love a person I agree with, I cannot fail to love a

love opinions unity

Published in Commentary

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Bickering, bloodsport of siblings

Thursday, 17 March 2005 by Editor

I just saw a copy of the LA Times laying around and noticed a headline on the Home section: Bickering, bloodsport of siblings by Robin Greene Hagey. As a parent it caught my eye. As a Christian, the parallels were obvious. The caption under the headline reads: “You should worry if your kids aren’t squabbling,

division family unity

Published in Commentary

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Diversity and homogeneity

Thursday, 17 March 2005 by Editor

Joe over at EO posted an interesting article today entitled Micromotives and Macrobehavior: How Diversity Leads to Homogeneity. He is writing about how even the extreme diversity of thought represented in the blogosphere tends to coalesce along standard political or religious lines. (I like Joe’s quote from Montaigne: “There were never in the world two

dissent opinion uniformity unity

Published in Commentary, Philosophy

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Barton Stone - "I blush for my fellows who hold up the Bible as the bond of union, yet make their opinions of it a test of fellowship; who plead for union of all Christians, yet refuse to fellowship with such as dissent from their notions. Vain men! Their zeal is not according to knowledge, nor is their spirit that of Christ. Such antisectarian-sectarians are doing more mischief to the cause and advancement of truth, the unity of Christians, and the salvation of the world, than all the skeptics in the world. In fact, they create skeptics."

Alexander Campbell - "We will not hearken to those questions which gender strife, nor discuss them at all. If a person says such is his private opinion, let him have it as his private opinion; but lay no stress upon it; and if it be a wrong private opinion, it will die a natural death much sooner than if you attempt to kill it."

Alexander Campbell - "But men cannot give up their opinions, and therefore, they can never unite, says one. We do not ask them to give up their opinions--we ask them only not to impose them upon others. Let them hold their opinions, but let them hold them as private property. The faith is public property; opinions are, and always have been private property. Men have foolishly attempted to make the deductions of some great minds the common measure of all Christians. Hence the deductions of a Luther, and a Calvin, and a Wesley, have been the rule and measure of all who coalesce under the names of these leaders. It is cruel to excommunicate a man because of the imbecility of his intellect."

Alexander Campbell - "Dear sir, this plan of making our own nest, and fluttering over our own brood; of building our own tent, and of confining all goodness and grace to our noble selves and the "elect few" who are like us, is the quintessence of sublimated pharisaism. The old Pharisees were but babes in comparison to the modern: and the longer I live, and the more I reflect upon God and man--heaven and earth--the Bible and the world--the Redeemer and his church--the more I am assured that all sectarianism is the offspring of hell; and that all differences about words, and names, and opinions, hatched in Egypt, or Rome, or Edinburgh, are like the frolics of drunken men; and that where there is a new creature, or a society of them, with all their imperfections and frailties, and errors in sentiment, in views, and opinions, they ought to receive one another, and the strong to support the weak, and not to please themselves. To lock ourselves up in the bandbox of our own little circle; to associate with a few units, tens, or hundreds, as the pure church, as the elect, is real Protestant monkery, it is evangelical pharisaism."

Alexander Campbell - "I have tried the pharisaic plan, and the monastic. I was once so straight, that, like the Indian's tree, I leaned a little the other way. And however much I may be slandered now as seeking "popularity" or a popular course, I have to rejoice that to my own satisfaction, as well as to others, I proved that truth, and not popularity, was my object; for I was once so strict a Separatist that I would neither pray nor sing praises with any one who was not as perfect as I supposed myself. In this most unpopular course I persisted until I discovered the mistake, and saw that on the principle embraced in my conduct, there never could be a congregation or church upon the earth."

Alexander Campbell - "I have no idea of adding to the catalogue of new sects. I labor to see sectarianism abolished and all Christians of every name united upon the one foundation upon which the apostolic church was founded."