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Archive for the ‘Unity’ Category

>Real Authority

Posted in Submission, Unity, tagged , on January 20, 2011| Leave a Comment »

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“when Peter came to Antioch, I had a face-to-face confrontation with him because he was clearly out of line.” – Galatians 2:11(MESSAGE)

Valid authority in the Church derives from following the truth.

Those aligned with God’s word are to be honored and followed,1 those who don’t are to be resisted, sometimes even publicly, regardless of their name, rank, or history.

The apostle, Paul, wrote

“Let me be blunt: … If anyone, regardless of reputation or credentials, preaches something other than what you received originally, let him be cursed … If my goal was popularity, I wouldn’t bother being Christ’s” – Galatians 1:9-10a (MESSAGE)

This doesn’t mean arguing every little point. The Brethren church has a wonderful saying,

In essentials, Unity;
In non essentials, Liberty;
In all things, Charity.”

All valid authority comes from adherence to God’s word, not an ecclesiastical or educational title.

– fritz

1 – 1st Timothy 5:17

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Unity, Liberty, and Charity

Posted in Liberty, Quotes, Unity, tagged on September 20, 2010| Leave a Comment »

Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth: for God hath received him … Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another. – Romans 14:3, 19

There was controversy in the early church. Some participated in activities others thought unacceptable. Participants thought the abstainers were prudes, abstainers thought the participants were sinners.

The Apostle Paul called both to focus on Christ not themselves or each other. We don’t have to agree on everything to love God together; and we don’t have to worship the same way or at the same place to worship the same God. We can each trust God will change each other as we, both, grow in Christ.

All Christian churches are 95% in agreement in faith and practice. They all confess Jesus is LORD and believe God has raised him, bodily, from the dead.

There’s an old saying attributed to an ancient theologian, St. Augustine:

In essentials UNITY,
In non essentials LIBERTY,
In all things, CHARITY.1

-fritz

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