Christian Unity

part four

So far in this series we have seen that, in order to enjoy the unity which Christ intended for His disciples, we must be willing to accept the Bible as-is, without addition or subtraction. We have seen some examples of disagreements that can be very easily and quickly solved by simply accepting what the Bible teaches, and rejecting any other doctrine. And, of course, this brings up the persistent objection, "What about differences of interpretation?"

 There are some issues that may at first appear to be matters of differing interpretation. However, the real problem is generally the result of someone's unwillingness to be content with what the New Testament clearly shows us. For example, consider the question of who ought to be an evangelist, or preacher of the gospel. (Keep in mind that to "preach" means to "proclaim", as one would do before a large audience or in public.) The Bible plainly teaches that a man who fulfils the qualifications set forth in the letters to Timothy and Titus is one who may do the work of an evangelist. All who believe the Bible will admit this. Some, however, insist that a woman may also preach. They justify their view by insisting that the passages which forbid women to teach and preach publicly (I Corinthians 14:34-36; I Timothy 2:11-12) were intended for the cultures of ancient times, and do not apply to us today. On the other hand, I will affirm that these passages apply until the end of time, and that this can be shown from the context. "Aha!" one might think, "A difference of interpretation!"

 But not so fast. Suppose for a minute that I Corinthians 14:34-36 and I Timothy 2:11-12 were specifically intended for the people who originally received those letters, and that the instructions are culturally based. It isn't true, but pretend for a moment that it is. It still doesn't change the fact that the New Testament has no record of a female evangelist, whereas there are a large number of male evangelists mentioned. There are no qualifications listed for a woman who wishes to preach - though there are qualifications for men. All of the preaching in the New Testament - even in written form - is done by men. In short, there is nothing in the Bible about women working as preachers. Therefore, if we accept the view that the passages mentioned do not apply to us today, we are nonetheless forced to conclude that the Bible is silent on women preaching. If that is the case, then the notion of women preaching is another example of a concept that is not from the Bible. Therefore, this is yet another example of a division that arises from something outside of the Bible. It is not a difference based upon what the Bible teaches, but rather it is caused by the introduction of something the Bible does not teach.

 Which leads us to another important point. Very often, "differences of interpretation" do not result from honest, straightforward attempts to understand what the Bible says. Rather, they arise from individuals with agendas of their own. For example, suppose a person is convinced that women are just as qualified to preach as men are. Suppose this same person then concludes that it would be unreasonable of God to forbid women preaching. Now, with this self-conceived idea, this person reads this passage:

Let your women keep silent in the churches, for they are not permitted to speak; but they are to be submissive, as the law also says.
(I Corinthians 14:34)

By now, we hope it is clear that the way to have unity in Christ is to be content to accept what the Bible teaches. If we can learn to quit adding things, and follow God's word with simple, trusting faith, then we will all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God (Ephesians 4:13). There are those of us who are doing so, and if you have not yet joined us, we hope you will soon!