Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!aramis.rutgers.edu!athos.rutgers.edu!christian From: MATH1H3@uhvax1.uh.edu (David H. Wagner) Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian Subject: Re: Why so many kinds of Christians ? Message-ID: Date: 21 Dec 89 04:47:36 GMT Sender: hedrick@athos.rutgers.edu Organization: University of Houston Lines: 34 Approved: christian@aramis.rutgers.edu > [For better or worse, the Holy Spirit does not give us unanimity in > doctrine. > The Church is not a > political party. Its unity does not consist in adopting a unified > platform. Its unity consists in being members of one Lord. At least > that's the only sense *I* can make out of things... --clh] I do not think I can accept a notion that makes God responsible for the disunity of the church. The Holy Spirit teaches us one body of doctrine in the written word of God. The source of false doctrine is the devil. Christ taught this in the parable of the sower and the parable of the weeds in the wheat. It is the devil who divides the visible church. God may use this division to serve his purpose, but he is not the source of the division. I believe that there is one true, undivided Christian church. This church is not my church, (the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod), but it is an invisible church, which is the body of Christ's believers. The church is present wherever the means of grace, namely the Word of God and the sacraments he instituted, (Baptism and Lord's Supper). are being used, for there God is working faith in people's hearts. To paraphrase the Lutheran Confessions (Smalcald Articles?), "We refuse to accept that the Papists are the church, for they are not. A seven year old child knows what the church is, namely the body of believers gathered in assembly." I agree that the church is not a political party. However the unity of the church does involve doctrinal unity. In 1 Cor 10 Paul wrote: "I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought." The principle here is that unity of fellowship requires unity of doctrine. (With more time I might find more Scriptural foundation for this, but this will have to do for now). Even though a visible church cannot claim to be THE church, it ought not to practice fellowship with those who teach false doctrine. David Wagner My opinions and beliefs are completely separated from my employer's.