Despite my attempt to make some generalizations, I would like to recommend another resource or two. Speaking to those in our day, John Piper preaching on Romans 16:17-18 puts it in perspective this way:
"I want you to see from the Bible—and feel in your bones—the importance of being a purity boy for the sake of being a unity boy. I want you to see and feel how out of step this text is with today’s Western culture. It pictures a way of thinking and living that most of our fellow Americans would consider offensive, unloving, fundamentalistic, and out of date. It’s mainly a purity text—a text calling for vigilance in matters of truth and doctrine. But it’s not only that. In a striking way, it is a unity text. The goal of the vigilance for right teaching is to avoid Christ-belittling, self-exalting dissension."
To gain purity you have fight against falsehood, which inevitably produces unity.
"It is indeed an impious and sacrilegious attempt to divide those who agree in the truth of Christ: but yet it is a shameful sophistry to defend, under the pretext of peace and unity, a union in lies and impious doctrines."
No doubt our pluralistic society boasts in its "unity through diversity", which accomplishes neither because the motto at its foundation is that everyone is right and no one is wrong. However, I don't see how you could call it unity if you don't really agree on anything because you disagree about nothing. What binds them together? Imagine a blank, white canvas that was supposed to be a painting, but the only thing agreeable on it was the fact that it was all white. Would anyone comment that such a painting was beautiful display of diversity?
We must contend against this in the church. Again, we have to "feel it in our bones" that fighting against false doctrine is fighting for church unity.
It has been a while, but I haven't forgotten. Church of the Good Shepherd, those who somehow joyfully claim me and my foolish attempts that make their way to this blog, have moved into a new building. This has required a lot of time and energy from many, especially the young men. But I couldn't stay away for too long.
Maybe I should have clarified biblically why "Fighting against false doctrine is fighting for church unity." My primary text for this statement comes from Romans 16:17-18 which states,
"I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive."
Now I recognize that some of you are pointing at your computer screen with one hand, bewildered as to how I could use this text. What stands out to us because of the culture we live in is "those who cause divisions and create obstacles". We are all too sensitive to distinctions and steer clear of declarative statements. But Paul's words so clearly speak to this issue that I am tempted to write a chapter. But for your sakes, I'll try to make it short and sweet.
Let's start with the commands given. "Watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles," is the first. This means we are supposed to be on the lookout. For who? Those who are divisive and creating obstacles. Okay. The second command is, "avoid them." Well, that seems contradictory, right? Avoid (divide from) those who... divide? Or is it beautifully basic and simple? What brings these two commands together should help us. It sounds so sweet to me: doctrine. "The doctrine you have been taught. The doctrine of our justification through faith in Christ that I (Paul) just exlplained." In other words, we fight for the truth of pure doctrine by dividing from those who deny it. Avoid them. Watch out. It's active. I guess I was wrong; doctrine does divide.
So I put it this way, "fighting against false doctrine (avoid, watch out) is fighting for... errr...church unity?" How did I get there? I would propose that Paul is actually fighting for church unity. He says that doctrine has been taught to the Romans, that is, the church. And Paul is trying to protect them from the false teachers (v.18). Only by rooting them out can the believers can have unity of doctrine.
What would they be able to unite under if it wasn't doctrine?
I know this wasn't the most profound, insightful exposition of the text, but I hope it pointed out the simple facts. Fighting against false doctrine is fighting for church unity.
