Unity
18 When they heard this, they had no further objections and praised God, saying, “So then, even to Gentiles God has granted repentance that leads to life.”
Acts 11:18
Do you know Christians who have some different theological beliefs to you? I know lots. It’s a tricky business, Christians disagreeing with one another. Some prefer to pretend it doesn’t matter - making it less of a deal that it is. Others make it too big a deal, seeking to argue at every opportunity about theological matters that aren’t central to the gospel.
How should we think about theological disagreements?
I think this moment in Acts gives us some clarity. The other Apostles have heard that Cornelius, a Roman Centurion, has been baptised and received the word of God. From Peter no less.
In Old Covenant terms it’s a bit of a no no. The Messiah is for the Jews. To become a member of God’s household, certain things needed to happen. Cornelius needed to be prepared, sanctified and this includes being circumcised. But he wasn’t.
Peter tells them his story. You can check that out for yourself. But essentially he recounts what the Spirit has said to him which aligned with what Jesus had said.
Here’s the question. When we disagree theologically with other believers, where do we go? How do we resolve this disunity? The answer is, we go to what the Spirit has said. In Peter’s time, there are no New Testament Scriptures yet for the guidance of God’s people.
But today, the Spirit has spoken (primarily through the Apostles) to give us everything we need to know God and the gospel and to live Christian lives. This is why Christian unity must be about coming to the Bible. And catch the last part.
When Peter explains to the other Apostles/disciples what the Spirit had said. What was their response? It was humble acceptance. Let this be true of us also. I hope that if anyone can show me the Bible says something different to what I believe. That my attitude would be, praise God. Rather than, I couldn’t possibly be wrong.
Today:
Pray:
Acts 11:18
Do you know Christians who have some different theological beliefs to you? I know lots. It’s a tricky business, Christians disagreeing with one another. Some prefer to pretend it doesn’t matter - making it less of a deal that it is. Others make it too big a deal, seeking to argue at every opportunity about theological matters that aren’t central to the gospel.
How should we think about theological disagreements?
I think this moment in Acts gives us some clarity. The other Apostles have heard that Cornelius, a Roman Centurion, has been baptised and received the word of God. From Peter no less.
In Old Covenant terms it’s a bit of a no no. The Messiah is for the Jews. To become a member of God’s household, certain things needed to happen. Cornelius needed to be prepared, sanctified and this includes being circumcised. But he wasn’t.
Peter tells them his story. You can check that out for yourself. But essentially he recounts what the Spirit has said to him which aligned with what Jesus had said.
Here’s the question. When we disagree theologically with other believers, where do we go? How do we resolve this disunity? The answer is, we go to what the Spirit has said. In Peter’s time, there are no New Testament Scriptures yet for the guidance of God’s people.
But today, the Spirit has spoken (primarily through the Apostles) to give us everything we need to know God and the gospel and to live Christian lives. This is why Christian unity must be about coming to the Bible. And catch the last part.
When Peter explains to the other Apostles/disciples what the Spirit had said. What was their response? It was humble acceptance. Let this be true of us also. I hope that if anyone can show me the Bible says something different to what I believe. That my attitude would be, praise God. Rather than, I couldn’t possibly be wrong.
Today:
- Have you had a theological disagreement with another believer recently? What was it about?
- Where did you/should you go to resolve disagreements over the faith?
- What does it look like for you to wisely pursue unity with other believers?
Pray:
- Praise the Father, Son and Spirit that they are united in all things.
- Give thanks for Jesus Christ who died to unite us with him and each other.
- Ask God for his Holy Spirit to help you and others pursue like-mindedness in your beliefs about the faith.
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