During class today, we were told to introduce someone by telling the class their name, where they are from, their church affiliation, and why they chose to take the class. Being that I do not have a declared affiliation, I thought that the concept Lewis addresses in his article went very well with the introductions done in class. Being that I attend a CRC college, many of the students are affiliated with the CRC, and being affiliated with the CRC, those students have many traditions, doctrines, and practices that other students do not share, such as the one student whose affiliation is Roman Catholic.
As I mentioned, I do not have a declared affiliation. I think that there is good in every denomination, and most of the arguments that have come up between denominations are petty and should not separate people. The body of Christ is to be one body, and the Kingdom to be one Kingdom, not divided against itself.
I used to declare myself Baptist. So, why now do I not declare myself an affiliation? To avoid quarrels and promote unity within the Body. Many people are stuck so strongly to their interpretation, or at least the way they have been taught to interpret, of doctrine or traditions that they will argue and quarrel and be mad at a brother or sister in Christ over these matters. I suggest that the Body be unified, and not quarrel over such things. There are very few doctrinal debates that actually have to do with one's salvation, so why do we debate them?
The reason this article brought this to my attention is because most people look along with their doctrine and traditions, while looking at other doctrine and traditions. They think that theirs is entirely accurate, therefore the others must not be accurate. I suggest that many of the things that divide us need not to divide us. A good Catholic confesses his sins on a regular basis, and perhaps a good Baptist should practice confession more often. If a man were to practice confession whole heartedly, and truly be confessing his sins, then he will experience the good of confession. But, if a man were to look at confession, he would not see the great experience.
Perhaps if we were to look at and along with every tradition or doctrine we did not agree with, we would be able to have a better understanding of that. We would be able to see why it helps those who do it. And perhaps, if all were able to do that, the Body would not be divided into these denominations and affiliations.
In Christ,
Ben
I really like your argument for the unity of the body but I'd like to ask wouldn't everyone separate themselves because no one else has the exact same beliefs? Or can denominations love and respect each other while still being firmly convinced in their own doctrine?
ReplyDeleteP.s. I agree with you almost entirely I just want to see how you feel about this.
Ben, I think your view on unity is a breath of fresh air that seems to be growing in popularity! Attempting to see things as C.S. Lewis saw things, our generation is desperately searching for a transformation in Christ. We all know that the New Testament focuses on unity, and decades and decades of fallen nature have deterred us from doing so.
ReplyDeleteNow, here's the catch. I agree with you, BUT I would like to hear some practical ways of transforming our factions into unity. I can spit out ideal situations all day, which is part of the churches problem. When are we going to make this unity a reality and how?
Ben,
ReplyDeleteYou say that most people think the beliefs held by their own denominations are entirely accurate. I can’t speak for most people, but I admit that my denomination (CRC) is flawed, as is every other denomination. It is not possible for humans to create an institution that follows God’s Word perfectly. However, abolishing denominations will not abolish quarrels in the church. In fact, if everyone were part of one big church, the increased diversity of ideas would stimulate even more hostility. There can be many divisions within a single church; there would be a great number more if all churches were one. While I agree with you that we need to look along with others’ beliefs and be less judgmental, it is important to understand that some issues are very difficult to reconcile. I suggest we strive for unity by learning from others (both with and without our own beliefs) and growing individually and communally closer to Christ. Our great comfort is that all divisions will cease in heaven.
Additionally, you say that there are very few doctrinal debates regarding salvation, but arguably the biggest divide (Protestantism and Catholicism) is directly related to acquisition of salvation.
I like your example of confession as a practice in which most Christians do not actively participate. This highlights how we can learn from other denominations.
Interesting comments Ben. I would have to agree some with Corey. I don't believe the division of denominations to be a bad thing (maybe we needed be quite as divided as we are, but there are some issues that seem to necessitate different denominations). I do believe however, that the hostility between denominations is bad. There are some things that simply will not be resolved on earth. As Corey stated, we take comfort in the fact that it will be in heaven and we will likely all be wrong about something. That should humble us here.
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