[Biblemat] Article - How Is Unity Possible - Number 9

[GLClair at aol.com]

HOW IS UNITY POSSIBLE – Number 9 

The concept of  unity among most denominational clergymen and so called 
pastors is to disagree  about many things but not about the trinity [i.e. the 
Godhead], Lordship of  Jesus, and about the need to live good, moral lives. Based 
on this formula  several so-called church of Christ preachers and elders have 
encouraged unity of  all who accept these very basic tenants of Biblical 
doctrine [examples: Karl  Ketchercide, Leroy Garrett, and others] This approach to 
unity is not really  useful because it tends to cause some religious people to 
accept the philosophy  and thereby condemn themselves and others that follow 
their false concepts. The  following verses of Scripture indicate clearly these 
facts about “partial unit” --- cf. Matt  23:24-28, 
“24 Ye blind guides, that  strain out the gnat, and swallow the camel! 
25 Woe unto you, scribes  and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye cleanse the 
outside of the cup and of the  platter, but within they are full from extortion and 
 excess. 
26 Thou blind Pharisee,  cleanse first the inside of the cup and of the 
platter, that the outside thereof  may become clean also. 
27 Woe unto you, scribes  and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto 
whited sepulchres, which  outwardly appear beautiful, but inwardly are full of 
dead men's bones, and of  all uncleanness. 
28 Even so ye also  outwardly appear righteous unto men, but inwardly ye are 
full of hypocrisy and  iniquity.” ASV 
Luke  6:39, 
“39 And he spake also a  parable unto them, Can the blind guide the blind? 
shall they not both fall into  a pit?” ASV 
Romans  2:19-20, 
“19 and art confident that  thou thyself art a guide of the blind, a light of 
them that are in  darkness, 
20 a corrector of the  foolish, a teacher of babes, having in the law the 
form of knowledge and of the  truth;” ASV 
Romans  10:1-3, 
“1 Brethren, my heart's  desire and my supplication to God is for them, that 
they may be  saved. 
2 For I bear them witness  that they have a zeal for God, but not according 
to  knowledge. 
3 For being ignorant of God's righteousness, and seeking to  establish their 
own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of  God.” ASV 
CONSIDER  THIS: 
The concepts discussed in this study [i.e. number 9], encompasses much of  
the world’s religious efforts to unify. A partial list of such partial efforts  
at religious unity follows: 
1.         “Christian ecumenism is distinguished from _interfaith  pluralism_ 
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religious_pluralism) .  
A.        Ecumenism in this broad sense is called religious pluralism, as  
distinguished from ecumenism within a faith movement.   
B.         The _interfaith_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interfaith)  
movement strives for greater mutual  respect, toleration, and co-operation among the 
_world  religions_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Major_world_religions) . 
C.        Ecumenism as interfaith dialogue between representatives of diverse 
 faiths, does not necessarily intend reconciling their adherents into full, 
_organic  unity_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organic_unity)  with one another 
but simply to promote better  relations. It promotes toleration, mutual 
respect and cooperation, whether among  Christian denominations, or between 
Christianity and other faiths. {From  Wikipedia on line}. 
It is apparent  that there is little hope for real unity from these 
international efforts at  uniting religious movements into partial unity --- which is 
really no unity at  all. The efforts of man in the last 1900 + years to attain 
absolute unity of all  religious people have failed miserably. The only legacy 
that religious efforts  at unity have established is that the kind of unity 
for which Jesus prayed prior  to His death and resurrection has yet to be 
realized within the established  church that Christ instituted and started on 
Pentecost Day according to facts  revealed by Luke in the 2nd chapter of  Acts. 
_glclair at aol.com_ (mailto:glclair at aol.com)                                    
      



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