{"id":572,"date":"2008-10-24T01:01:10","date_gmt":"2008-10-24T01:01:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/markdroberts\/2008\/10\/christian-unity-a-top-priority.html"},"modified":"2008-10-24T01:01:10","modified_gmt":"2008-10-24T01:01:10","slug":"christian-unity-a-top-priority","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2008\/10\/christian-unity-a-top-priority.html","title":{"rendered":"Christian Unity: A Top Priority"},"content":{"rendered":"

Part 10 of series: The Church as the Body of Christ
\n<\/em>Permalink for this post<\/a> \/ Permalink for this series<\/a>
\nPaul emphasizes the unity of the body of Christ in his letter to the Corinthians because that unity was threatened by self-centered divisiveness. Paul knew that God intends the church of Jesus Christ is called to be united, so he used the image of the body to help the Corinthians understand how they could be united even in their diversity.
\nAnother of Paul’s letters also underscores the priority of church unity for Christian living. In the letter to the Ephesians, Paul begins by laying out God’s grand plan for all of creation. Even before anything existed, God was aware that sin would one day mar his good creation, shattering the perfect unity and harmony God had intended. But, in time, God would mend that which had been shattered, “bringing everything together under the authority of Christ — everything in heaven and on earth” (Eph 1:10-11). Christ’s death on the cross leads, not only to our personal salvation, but also to the restoring of cosmic unity. This restoration begins as human beings, formerly divided, come together through the cross of Christ (Eph 2:1-22).
\nApplying this impressive theological vision to daily life, Paul urges:<\/p>\n

Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. Be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other\u2019s faults because of your love. Always keep yourselves united in the Holy Spirit, and bind yourselves together with peace. We are all one body, we have the same Spirit, and we have all been called to the same glorious future. There is only one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and there is only one God and Father, who is over us all and in us all and living through us all (Eph 4:1-6).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Actual unity among Christians is a top priority because it reflects basic theological realities. When the church is united, then God’s plan for the ages shines forth with brilliance. When we live separate and disconnected lives, the good news of God’s work in Christ hides in the shadow of our disunity.
\nPaul’s prioritization of unity among Christians reiterates the values of Jesus himself. In the hours before his death, Jesus prays,<\/p>\n

Now I am departing the world; I am leaving [my people] behind and coming to you. Holy Father, keep them and care for them\u2014all those you have given me\u2014so that they will be united just as we are. . . . I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me because of their testimony. My prayer for all of them is that they will be one, just as you and I are one, Father\u2014that just as you are in me and I am in you, so they will be in us, and the world will believe you sent me. I have given them the glory you gave me, so that they may be one, as we are\u2014 I in them and you in me, all being perfected into one. Then the world will know that you sent me and will understand that you love them as much as you love me (John 17:11, 20-23).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Jesus prays for unity among his disciples, including specifically those of us who will believe in him without having met him in the flesh. Our oneness is to be so deep and lasting that it can even be compared to the oneness Jesus shares with his Heavenly Father. When we experience this dimension of unity, then the world will recognize who Jesus is and what he accomplished through his life and death.
\nEach of us ought to make Christian community a priority for our lives, not only out of obedience to the clear teaching of scripture, but also so that the world around us will acknowledge the truth of what God has done in Christ. We should seek genuine fellowship with other Christians even when they disappoint us. We should strive for unity among God’s people even when division seems so much easier to manage. Intimate fellowship among Christians contributes, not only to the health of the body of Christ, but also to the persuasiveness of our witness to Christ in the world. As Jesus himself says, “Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples” (John 13:35).
\nFor me, the priority of Christian unity gets worked out in very practical ways in my relationship with the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). Since became ordained as a pastor twenty years ago, my denomination has done many things that have offended me. They always have to do with actions or decisions that diminish or even deny basic biblical truth. Most recently, the General Assembly of the PC(USA) voted to change our church Book of Order<\/em> so as to allow for the ordination of people who are sexually active outside of marriage. This change may very well be rejected by presbyteries (regional governing bodies) so that it will not be official. Nevertheless, I must admit that I\u2019m tired of fighting the same battles again and again and again. Sometimes the grass seems much greener outside of the PC(USA) pasture. But I take seriously the command of Ephesians 3 to eagerly preserve the unity of the body of Christ. Though there may be a time when my conscience will leave me no option but to break fellowship with the PC(USA), until that day I will seek the unity of the part of the body of Christ to which I have been connected.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Part 10 of series: The Church as the Body of Christ Permalink for this post \/ Permalink for this series Paul emphasizes the unity of the body of Christ in his letter to the Corinthians because that unity was threatened by self-centered divisiveness. Paul knew that God intends the church of Jesus Christ is called…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":214,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[55],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-572","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-church-as-body-of-christ"],"yoast_head":"\nChristian Unity: A Top Priority - Mark D. Roberts<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2008\/10\/christian-unity-a-top-priority.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Christian Unity: A Top Priority - Mark D. Roberts\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Part 10 of series: The Church as the Body of Christ Permalink for this post \/ Permalink for this series Paul emphasizes the unity of the body of Christ in his letter to the Corinthians because that unity was threatened by self-centered divisiveness. Paul knew that God intends the church of Jesus Christ is called…\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2008\/10\/christian-unity-a-top-priority.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Mark D. Roberts\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2008-10-24T01:01:10+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Mark D. Roberts\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Christian Unity: A Top Priority - Mark D. Roberts","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2008\/10\/christian-unity-a-top-priority.html","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Christian Unity: A Top Priority - Mark D. Roberts","og_description":"Part 10 of series: The Church as the Body of Christ Permalink for this post \/ Permalink for this series Paul emphasizes the unity of the body of Christ in his letter to the Corinthians because that unity was threatened by self-centered divisiveness. Paul knew that God intends the church of Jesus Christ is called…","og_url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2008\/10\/christian-unity-a-top-priority.html","og_site_name":"Mark D. Roberts","article_published_time":"2008-10-24T01:01:10+00:00","author":"Mark D. Roberts","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2008\/10\/christian-unity-a-top-priority.html","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2008\/10\/christian-unity-a-top-priority.html","name":"Christian Unity: A Top Priority - Mark D. Roberts","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/#website"},"datePublished":"2008-10-24T01:01:10+00:00","dateModified":"2008-10-24T01:01:10+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/#\/schema\/person\/1ff094a57b7e41f534434b1723df3d73"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2008\/10\/christian-unity-a-top-priority.html#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2008\/10\/christian-unity-a-top-priority.html"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2008\/10\/christian-unity-a-top-priority.html#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Christian Unity: A Top Priority"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/","name":"Mark D. Roberts","description":"Mark D. Roberts: Thoughtfully Christian Reflections on Jesus, the Church, and the World","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/#\/schema\/person\/1ff094a57b7e41f534434b1723df3d73","name":"Mark D. Roberts","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","caption":"Mark D. Roberts"},"description":"The Rev. Dr. Mark D. Roberts is a pastor, author, retreat leader, speaker, and blogger. Since October 2007 he has been the Senior Director and Scholar-in-Residence for Laity Lodge, a multifaceted ministry in the Hill Country of Texas. Before coming to Laity Lodge, he was for sixteen years the Senior Pastor of Irvine Presbyterian Church in Irvine, California (a city in Orange County about forty miles south of Los Angeles). Before his time at Irvine Pres, Mark served on the staff of the First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood as Associate Pastor of Education. (Thanks to Janel Pahl for taking the photo to the right.) Mark studied at Harvard University, receiving a B.A. in Philosophy, an M.A. in the Study of Religion, and a Ph.D. in New Testament and Christian Origins. He has taught classes in New Testament for Fuller Theological Seminary and San Francisco Theological Seminary. Mark has written several books, including No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer (WaterBrook, 2005), Dare to Be True (WaterBrook, 2003), Jesus Revealed (WaterBrook, 2002), After \"I Believe\" (Baker, 2002), and Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther (Word, 1993). His most recent book is Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John (Crossway, 2007). He is currently working on a commentary on Ephesians that will be published by Zondervan in 2014. Mark writes a devotional for The High Calling of Our Daily Work, a website associated with Laity Lodge. His \"Daily Reflections\" can be viewed online or sent as a daily email. If you wish to receive this email, just visit TheHighCalling.org and sign up. Mark serves on the editorial board of Worship Leader magazine, where he publishes articles and reviews, including his regular column \"Lyrical Poetry.\" Additionally, he has published dozens of articles in leading magazines and journals. He often speaks for churches and other Christian groups, and has been interviewed on over seventy-five radio programs nationwide. Mark is married to Linda, who is a Marriage and Family Therapist, a Spiritual Director, and a retreat speaker. They have two children, Nathan and Kara.For Publicity Photos and Bio Statements for Mark, please check here. Mark's Dossier Professional History: Senior Director and Scholar-in Residence, Laity Lodge, October 2007 to present. Senior Pastor Irvine Presbyterian Church, June 1991 to September 2007 Adjunct Assistant Professor Fuller Theological Seminary, 1994 to 2007. Courses: New Testament Theology and Exegesis. Adjunct Instructor San Francisco Theological Seminary, 1995 to 2001. Courses: New Testament Greek and Exegesis Associate Pastor of Education First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood, 1987-1991 Teaching Fellow Harvard University, 1980-1983 Education: Ph.D. in the Study of Religion. Harvard University, 1992. Area: New Testament and Christian Origins M.A. in the Study of Religion Harvard University, 1984. A.B. magna cum laude in Philosophy Harvard University, 1979. Phi Beta Kappa; Danforth Fellowship Books: Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Crossway, 2007 No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer. WaterBrook, 2005 Dare to Be True: Living in the Freedom of Complete Honesty. WaterBrook, 2003. Jesus Revealed: Know Him Better to Love Him Better. WaterBrook, 2002. After \"I Believe\": Experiencing Authentic Christian Living. Baker, 2002. Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther in the Communicator's Commentary Series. Word, 1993. Contacting Mark: You can reach Mark at: E-mail: mark@markdroberts.com mroberts@laitylodge.org Phone: Laity Lodge: (830) 792-1216 Address: Laity Lodge 719 Earl Garrett Kerrville, TX 78028","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/author\/mroberts"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/572","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/214"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=572"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/572\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=572"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=572"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=572"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}