Date of Award

4-15-1927

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Divinity (B.Div)

Department

Systematic Theology

Scripture References in this Resource (separated by semi-colons)

John 17:11; Romans 16:17; Ephesians 4:3-6, 13;

Abstract

Is it true that the union which is advocated by this coming conference is based on God's ideal? Placing the basis of the proposed union along side of the basis laid down in the Bible, we find that the former is based on man's conception and is in direct conflict with many clear passages of Scripture. Nothing is more emphatically taught and stressed in the Bible then that church-fellowship must always, and in all places, be preceded by unity in the spirit, unity in doctrine. We learn this from such passages as Rom.16,17; Eph. 4,3-6 , 13, and many similar ones, where we are told that in the Church the true doctrine and only the true doctrine is to be taught, confessed and practiced by all its members. Accordingly, all true Christians, though not unmindful of the Scriptural admonition to bear patiently with the weak in doctrine and in knowledge and to love our neighbors, dare not countenance the surrendering of any portion of the Christian doctrine in the interest of a church union. Most of the efforts at union are doomed to failure from the beginning because they seek a mere outward ecclesiastical union at the expense of the inward unity which is demanded by the Bible. "How can two walk together except they be agreed?"

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Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.

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