Review Unity and Disagreement How does unity contribute to our understanding and handling of disagreement? To what degree does unity operate in all our (matters of) agreement and disagreement? To what degree should unity operate in both? What is unity? Examples How shall we understand unity? Jesus's Prayer (John 17) Believers: We are one with God and one with each other Differences: Sameness isn't required and differences aren't eliminated Oneness: Oneness isn't sameness and it isn't division Unity: It is both identity and practice How is unity related to disagreement? Our normal course of action… Uniting over matters that don’t unite us Prioritizing matters of difference over our essential oneness Moving away from the center of our oneness instead of towards it Minimizing the boundaries of our oneness instead of maximizing them “The fundamental unity of the church is invisible and intangible. It is an inward unity that comes with belief in the gospel. This observation does not imply that outward, visible unity is unimportant. Outward unity, however, can be enjoyed only where inner unity already exists. In sum, unity is always a function of what unites. Fellowship always involves something that is held in common. The quality of the thing held in common determines the quality of the fellowship or unity. The thing that is held in common by all Christians—the thing that constitutes the church as one church—is the gospel itself. Belief in the gospel is how people follow Jesus. Belief in the gospel is how people are Spirit-baptized into the one body. Consequently, the gospel is the essential ground of all genuinely Christian unity. Where the gospel is denied, no such unity exists. Even the most minimal Christian unity depends on common belief in the gospel.” (Kevin Bauder, p. 23) “What Christians ought to hold in common is not merely the gospel, but the whole counsel of God. Wherever Christians differ over some aspect of the whole counsel of God, their fellowship is in fact frustrated. They should not be surprised to discover that this may limit their ability to work together….Differences over the faith always affect fellowship, but they affect it to varying degrees. All other things being equal, cooperation and organization should be maintained wherever the differences do not preclude it….Sometimes, however, a difference is sufficiently serious that it cannot be ignored. When that happens, conflict becomes inevitable at some level. Under such circumstances, greater harmony and outward unity may be maintained by separate organization.” (Kevin Bauder, pp. 36-37) We should strive to be people who are peacemakers… …pursuing avoiding hostility, conflict, strife, and division …pursuing clarity and priority on what genuinely unites us …pursuing care and respect on where we are legitimately different …pursuing humility and holiness, not pride and sin