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Does Ecumenicalism Undermine Biblical Unity? (part ii) :: biblical restrictions

Yesterday I began looking at some of the characteristics and demonstrations ecumenical ministry. In this post I want to briefly consider if and how God restricts his people from involvement with others. Specifically I aim to answer questions such as, Does God put restrictions on partnership? Is ‘unity at all costs’ biblical? What is the criteria by which believers are to measure their ministerial involvement with others?

God is a God of unity. He is not the source of error rather Satan is (Jn. 8.44). At the same time as the Sovereign Lord of heaven and earth he does have the final say as to what types of spiritual endeavors his people are to enter into.

: the teaching of Second Corinthians

Second Corinthians chapter six is a passage that is often cited with reference to marriage, however, the passage falls within a context of instructions on biblical ministry. Christians are given clear and concise instruction that there are parameters within which the Christian church can do ministry. Look at what the Scriptures say:

2 Corinthians 6:14-15 Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever?

The imagery employed by the Apostle Paul draws a great picture for us. The word translated “bound together” could also be translated “unequally yoked”. This agricultural image draws us to the field where two animals would be “bound together” for the accomplishment of the farmer’s objective. Here Christians are warned not to be “bound together” with unbelievers for the purpose of ministry.

Notice what the criteria is? Verse 14 says, “unbelievers”. This seems simple enough. Those who are not believers in the gospel; those who do not embrace what the Bible teaches about Jesus Christ, his person and his work; those who do not embrace what the Bible teaches about humanity, our depravity and the means of justification; those who do not embrace what the Bible teaches about its own authority, its nature, inerrancy, and sufficiency. If someone is an unbeliever a Christian cannot partner with them for a spiritual endeavor, it is a sin to do so, for God commands that we do not.

In God’s view the question to be asked is not whether or not the partnership or alliance with various religious groups would further our agenda but whether or not these partnerships would be congruous with the divine agenda.

It is unsettling to consider what is really happening when folks, in the name of unity, promote an agenda or cause above God’s chief agenda. God has willed the Jesus Christ be the unique and exclusive Savior, that he receive the unmitigated praise, devotion and allegiance, and that he be preeminent in the church. However, if the goal (regardless of its apparent nobility) demotes Jesus from this position of preeminence then any appeal that ecumenicalism may have had has just been eradicated.

: the teaching of Galatians

The Apostle Paul marched into the region of Galatia to encounter the religious teaching of the Judiaziers. These conservative Bible believing members of the church promoted a gospel that did not rest solely upon the finished work of Christ alone. Instead it insisted upon a gospel that included the cooperation of the sinner through circumcision.

The Apostle Paul had a lot in common with these people in terms of worldview, family values, and a conservative leaning. However, we are not left with any level of ambiguity in the strong assertion by Paul upon penning the Epistle to the Galatians, the gospel of Jesus Christ is the main thing, and if folks will not accept the pure gospel of faith alone, by grace alone, in Christ alone then they are unbelievers:

Galatians 1:8-9 But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed! As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed!

Paul uses extremely strong language here. He says those who believe and promote a false gospel are to be “accursed” literally they are to be “anathema” that is damned without pardon.

In understanding the teaching of the New Testament, believers are not to receive the teaching of those who promote a false gospel (Gal. 1.8-9), they are not to welcome them into their home or bid them well (2 John 10-11), and they are most certainly not to be bound together for purpose of ministry (2 Cor. 6.14).

(tomorrow we’ll conclude with the answer to ecumenicalism: biblical unity)

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