Page 431 - Way of Life Encyclopedia of the Bible Christianity. Based on the King James Bible

NEW EVANGELICAL

bless where God disapproves, and to make apologies calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and
where He calls us to stand up like men and assert, Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you
though it may be the aptest method of securing all.”
popular applause in a sophistical age, is cruelty to man This is another key passage on Christian unity, but
and treachery to heaven. Those who on such subjects
attach more importance to the rules of courtesy than when we examine it carefully we find that it actually
they do to the measures of truth do not defend the condemns ecumenism.
citadel, but betray it into the hands of its enemies. Ephesians 4:3-6 is a unity of the Spirit (v. 3). It is not
LOVE FOR CHRIST, AND FOR THE SOULS FOR a manmade unity. It is a unity of those who are
WHOM HE DIED, WILL BE THE EXACT MEASURE OF regenerated by and led by the Spirit of God. There is no
OUR ZEAL IN EXPOSING THE DANGERS BY WHICH unity between those who are true born again Christians
MEN’S SOULS ARE ENSNARED” (quoted in a sermon and those who are nominal. While attending ecumenical
by George Sayles Bishop, author of The Doctrines of conferences with press credentials over the years, I have
Grace and Kindred Themes, 1910).
What the Bible Says about Christian Unity asked many attendees when they were born again, and
oftentimes they have not been able to give a Scriptural
The New Testament does speak of Christian unity but answer.
it is nothing like the doctrine that we find in today’s Ephesians 4:3-6 is a unity of the one faith (v. 5). This
evangelical ecumenicism: refers to the faith once delivered to the apostles and
JOHN 17:21 -- The modern ecumenical movement prophets and inscripturated in the New Testament.
has taken John 17:11 as one of its theme verses, Note that “the faith” is not divided into cardinal and
claiming that the unity for which Christ prayed is a secondary issues after an ecumenical fashion. In Mt.
unity of professing Christians that disregards or 23:23 the Lord Jesus taught that while not everything in
downplays biblical doctrine, but the context of John 17 Scripture is of equal importance, everything has some
destroys this myth. importance. Nothing clearly taught in Scripture is to be
In John 17, Jesus is referring to those who are saved despised and set aside for the purpose of unity.
(Jn. 17:3). John 17 is not a unity of regenerate believers In 1 Timothy 6:14, Paul taught Timothy to keep the
with those who are nominal or who follow a false apostolic doctrine “without spot” until the return of
gospel. Christ. Spots are small, seemingly insignificant things.
In John 17, Jesus is referring to those who keep His Thus, Paul was teaching Timothy to value everything in
Word; it is a unity in truth (Jn. 17:6, 17). It is not a Scripture. The theme of 1 Timothy is practical church
unity that ignores doctrinal differences for the sake of truth (1 Ti. 3:15), church government (1 Ti. 3), the
an enlarged fellowship. It is not an ecumenical “unity in woman’s role in church work (1 Ti. 2), care for widows
diversity.” Nowhere does the New Testament teach that (1 Ti. 5), etc. These are precisely the kinds of things that
doctrine is to be sacrificed, or even downplayed, for the are typically ignored in ecumenical ventures, because
sake of unity. they are considered of secondary importance; yet Paul
In John 17, Jesus is referring to those who not of the taught Timothy to keep all of these things without spot.
world (Jn. 17:14, 16). By contrast, the ecumenical Ephesians 4:3-6 is a unity that has as its basic unit the
movement is not separated from the world. Billy local church. The command in Ephesians 4 is addressed
Graham is praised by the world and frequently voted to the church at Ephesus (Ep. 1:1). It was not addressed
the most favorite man in America. In 1989, Graham was to some worldwide body of believers. It is possible to
even awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame! practice biblical unity within the assembly because
His star is near those honoring Wayne Newton and John doctrine and righteousness can be legislated and
Travolta. The ecumenical movement today is preserved there. Outside of the assembly, there is no
characterized by a rock & roll type of Christianity that biblical discipline or authority, and when Christians
does not believe in strict separation from the world, and attempt to practice interdenominational and parachurch
the world responds with awards and accolades rather unity, there is always compromise. I am not responsible
than persecution. to maintain a unity of spirit with every professing
In John 17, Jesus is referring to a unity of the Spirit believer in the world, but with the believers in my
not a man-made unity (Jn. 17:1). John 17 is a prayer assembly. The Bible says we are to glorify God “with one
directed to God the Father, not a commandment mind and one mouth” (Ro. 15:6). That certainly is not a
directed to men. description of ecumenism! This is only possible in the
EPHESIANS 4:3-6 -- “Endeavouring to keep the unity assembly, where believers can be united together in
of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body, and doctrine and spirit and purpose in a way that is
one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your impossible apart from the assembly.

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