Sabotaging Unity
Jesus Prayed For Unity - Stop Sabotaging Unity
Jesus prayed directly for the unity of all believers: “I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me” (John 17:20-21). Jesus prayed for unity so that the world may believe that the Father sent the Son. This is pretty important stuff.
If Jesus prayed for the unity of believers, then why do we see so much division among those who profess to believe in Jesus? The truth is, there is a hidden danger lurking right under our noses that we have either ignored or become blinded to. The Bible warns us about it. We have failed to heed the warnings and have gone our own way instead.
What is the hidden danger sabotaging unity? Presuppositional theology and the doctrines of men is the hidden danger. In one sense, this is not a hidden danger at all because it is openly practiced and even praised as good and right. In another sense, the true danger remains hidden because we think our systems and doctrines are built on the firm foundation of God’s word, when in fact they are built upon the sand of presuppositions that go well beyond what is written. Since the presuppositions seem clear to us and those who are like-minded, we sabotage unity because others who do not share our presuppositions will never, nor could ever, reach the same conclusions we have drawn. Sadly, instead of forsaking our shaky presuppositions, we forsake fellowship and unity instead. In the process, we praise ourselves for our spiritual maturity. We have become modern Pharisees and Sadducees, arguing among each other while we miss the truth about our Lord and Savior.
We must bring these issues into the light. When followers of Christ are one, as the Father and Son are one, then the world will know that Jesus was sent into the world by the Father. It’s a big deal.
A Theological House of Cards
Most who take their theology seriously think they have built their system off of a firm foundation. Really, we have built a theological house of cards. That may be offensive to you. I don’t mean it to be. Instead of getting defensive, take a moment to really think about it.
We live in an era where theological labels are tossed around. We apply them to ourselves. We apply them to others. These labels may be helpful in some circumstances to quickly identify certain core beliefs. However, the labels themselves demonstrate our lack of unity.
This is exactly what the Pharisees and Sadducees did. They were all scholars of the Hebrew Bible. They claimed to take theology seriously. Really, they were experts at setting aside the commandments of God to keep their man-made doctrines. When Jesus pointed it out to them, they were offended.
Can we be sure we have not done the same thing today? Our labels are different but the division is just as prominent. And while we argue with one another over details of doctrine we have neglected God’s command to go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to every creature.
Calvinist and Arminian are big labels today. There are a lot more. A lot of sub-labels and qualifiers even among the primary labels. Examining all of our presuppositions and starting from scratch is more than we can tackle in a single article. So, let’s stick with these for a minute. Be advised: I’m going to paint with a broad brush. I realize that there are many issues that are more nuanced than I’m saying. The point still stands.
Systemic Hostility
Each theological system is opposed to the other. The differences are not a result of the source material. They are built with the same deck of cards, which are biblical passages. The differences are which verses we assert as the controlling verses. How we arrange the verses. Which ones are “clearer” to us become the foundation upon which everything else is forced to conform.
Does the sovereignty of God get to be the lens through which we make these decisions? Or is the love of God more prominent and, therefore, the controlling attribute? The answer will be different depending on who you ask. And this different starting point makes communication and progress toward genuine unity much more difficult.
Who gets to decide? Is it you? Your favorite teacher? When did the “Giants of the Faith” get decided upon?
Was it like a Hall of Fame voting decision? Do the inductees need to be unanimous or just garner a majority of the vote?
These questions are tongue in cheek. Don’t label me a heretic just for asking the questions.
These questions are not intended to stir up controversy. They are intended to get you to think for a minute. If we will really start examining our house of cards, we may be willing to admit that our system depends on an awful lot of presuppositions that may be clear to us and our likewise labeled brethren, but are certainly not inspired. Keep these things in mind as you read this passage of Scripture:
For it is for this we labor and strive, because we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of believers. (1 Timothy 4:10)
No matter who you are, you bring presuppositions to this passage. When others have different presuppositions, a theological impasse is the most likely result.
Here’s another passage:
For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. (John 3:16)
Those in greatest danger of this hidden saboteur to unity are already getting ready for a fight. You can see the, “Yeah, but…” rising in their throats.
Yes, but what that really means is…
Yes, but if you read that in light of this other passage, you’ll see…
There is some truth to statements like these. Context is always important. Understanding the intended meaning of Scripture often requires study and hard work. But there is a difference between striving to understand the passages so we can be changed and striving to find a way to conform the passages to our preconceived ideas, systems, and beliefs. One of those is life. The other, is death. Do you see and understand the difference?
And while we prepare to battle and bring our systems to bear on the “problem passages,” the presuppositions remain hidden. These underlying assumptions drive our desire to steer the conversation to other passages that explain what these mean according to our perspective. Toward the controlling verses of our system which must be agreed upon before we can understand what Scripture really means here—because if we don’t share the same presuppositions the so-called problem passages will continue to divide because they “clearly” say something different to each group when read with differing presuppositions.
But what if you and your favorite teacher are wrong about your starting presuppositions? What if we are all wrong?
If the presuppositions are not agreed upon, the house of cards tumbles. What is clear and obvious to those who share our presuppositions is absurd and ridiculous to those who do not. Even when we put all the cards on the table, they have been arranged so differently that we are not even playing the same game.
I have a radical question. It may sound crazy. I admit it. Here goes: What if the existence of “problem passages” demonstrates that the problem is really with our systems and presuppositions and not with the passages?
It seems to me that unity will only be found when we lay down our presuppositions and systems and let God’s word be exalted to its rightful place again. Above our systems. Not subordinate to them.
Problem Passages Vs. Problematic Presuppositions
There are no problem passages in the Bible.
All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
The problem is not in the Word. The problem is in our presuppositions. We are amazingly adept at justifying our positions and defending our stances. Even when doing so makes God’s Word seemingly mean anything other than what it says.
When we encounter a passage that poses a problem to our system, we begin to analyze, parse, study, dissect, and cross-reference the passage until we find our loophole. Then we stop. And we move on to the next problem. We “solve” it by reading our presuppositions into the text instead of reading what the text actually says and then changing our presuppositions to fit the Scriptures.
Don’t misunderstand me. We should study the Scriptures. Yet, often we study just enough to get around the passages that don’t fit our biases and systems. To come up with our “answer” to the problem so we’ll have more ammunition to fight with those who see it differently.
This is how we can study the same book of Genesis but have disagreements on what a day is or means in the creation account. This is how we can have ongoing disagreements about literally anything and everything. Dig deep enough into the semantic range of the original words, find obscure examples, sprinkle in some fancy hermeneutical language, and viola—the Bible can say whatever you want it to. Or, if you really want the Bible to teach something, you’ll have no problem finding an expert with impressive credentials advocating for that particular view. No matter what it is.
For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths. (2 Timothy 4:3-4)
The sophisticated language we use is a thin veneer over our own sinful pride. We attempt to explain why God couldn’t inspire the Scriptures to just say what He really means. We think so highly of ourselves and so lowly of the recipients of Scripture that we think God couldn’t tell them what He meant but thankfully we have teachers now who can tell us what God really meant all along.
The problem is, the Bible still just says what it says. A lot of the confusion would be diminished if we’d stop trying to systematize everything but instead just, you know, read it. And read it a lot. Good systematic theology must be built off of good biblical theology. We have put the cart before the horse. Instead of first reading every passage, we mistakenly try to interpret every passage through our system. This is backwards. And, it’s dangerous.
We have been sold a bill of goods. We’ve been told that the systems are correct. In doing so, we have become like the Pharisees and Sadducees. Indoctrinating generation after generation into the doctrines of men, divided against others who systematize the same content in different ways, and patting ourselves on the back while we all neglect the commands of God.
Famine in the Land
When I published my most recent book, Every Word: Read Your Bible in 90 Days, I had some push back. One particular gentleman suggested that such a fast pace was not a good idea. He recommended a much slower pace and made himself seem like an expert because he had read his Bible through, cover-to-cover, some thirty times.
For many people, that is an impressive number. A lot of people haven’t read every word in their Bible even once. For most people, thirty times is a lot.
And therein lies the problem.
Most people think they are experts at something they’ve barely even read. We consider ourselves mature when really we are infants.
Our pet passages, we’ve read those a thousand times. Probably more. But every word? Very few have put in the work. It is much easier to read the systems and think we’ve mastered theology than it is to read the primary source itself. You can become an expert in the doctrines of your particular system in just a few hours.
An alternative is to spend our time reading the Bible itself. Over and over. Patiently reading every word of the Scriptures cannot be done as quickly or as easily as memorizing the acronym TULIP. Yet, it is only after we have read every word, over and over, that we can truly be properly positioned to evaluate the claims of our favorite preachers and teachers.
But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves. Many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned; and in their greed they will exploit you with false words; their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep. (2 Peter 2:1-3)
My son will turn thirteen soon. He’ just a boy. He has also read his Bible, cover-to-cover, nearly thirty times so far. He is better equipped than many pastors, missionaries, elders, and deacons that I have met to explain what the Bible actually says about God and where it says it. When he listens to sermons or the Christian radio station, he is able to discern truth from error. He has a broad base of understanding of the whole counsel of God.
I don’t write this to brag about my son. In fact, if the Christian community was taking the Word of God as seriously as we should, this would be normal or possibly even below average. Sadly, the opposite is true. We even have graduates from Bible schools and seminaries that have read their Bibles all the way through less than a handful of times. And they will shape generations to come by preaching the systems of men and neglecting to teach the whole counsel of God.
We are in the midst of a famine of the knowledge of God’s Word while thinking we are in a season of abundance.
Avoiding the False Dilemma
A devious device is often employed in deception. It is a false dilemma (or, false dichotomy). The basic situation is that two options are presented and a choice is demanded. The presupposition is that these are the only choices. However, no matter what choice is made, error ensues.
We are told that you are either: Calvinist or Arminian.
We are told you must either believe: Limited Atonement or Unlimited Atonement, Conditional Election or Unconditional Election, Irresistible Grace or Resistible Grace, and so on.
The language has been crafted to make it seem like these are the only possibilities. They are mutually exclusive. They cover the entire range of possibilities.
Make your choice. Choose your camp. Are you with us? Or with them?
After we choose, we become indoctrinated into the position even more. We must study the systems and learn our proof-texts so we will be able to navigate the problem passages. We become more and more unified with those in our same camp. At the same time, we become more and more divided against those in the other. Our study of our systems drives a wedge deeper and deeper between us.
What if I told you that both options you’ve been presented were false? What if both systems are filled with error? That these terms have been crafted to seem like they are the only options, when really both have serious issues in accounting for all of the biblical teaching? The problems you see in the other system are real. You see them because you don’t share their presuppositions. At the same time, you are likely just as blind to your own errors that they see so clearly.
What if I told you that we aren’t the first group to make this mistake?
God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Now I exhort you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment. For I have been informed concerning you, my brethren, by Chloe's people, that there are quarrels among you. Now I mean this, that each one of you is saying, “I am of Paul,” and “I of Apollos,” and “I of Cephas,” and “I of Christ.” Has Christ been divided? Paul was not crucified for you, was he? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? (1 Corinthians 1:9-13)
We are making the same error. We have just changed the names.
This division is not praiseworthy. It is not good. It is not spiritual maturity.
John Calvin was not crucified for you. You were not baptized in the name of Jacobus Arminius. If you were, you should repent.
Christ has not been divided. So, why are we dividing ourselves and raising up the doctrines of men over the enduring Word of God? I think the answer can be summarized in one word. Pride.
Presuppositional Theology is Dangerous
The Scriptures tell us the importance of doctrine and the foolishness of deviating from it.
If anyone advocates a different doctrine and does not agree with sound words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the doctrine conforming to godliness, he is conceited and understands nothing, (1 Timothy 6:3-4a)
Boom. Mic drop. Case closed?
Well, not so fast. Let’s read the next couple verses, too.
but he has a morbid interest in controversial questions and disputes about words, out of which arise envy, strife, abusive language, evil suspicions, and constant friction between men of depraved mind and deprived of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain. (1 Timothy 6:4b-5)
As the Apostle Paul writes to Timothy, we know that he has the right doctrine. This becomes dangerous because we can then make the presupposition that our doctrine is “right doctrine,” too. Right doctrine, in truth, is that which adheres to the intended teaching of Scripture and conforms those who believe it into godliness and Christ-likeness. It is the faith once for all handed down to the saints (Jude 1:3). We don’t get to rubber stamp our own doctrine simply because it feels right to us or because we have a long list of proof-texts we memorized. The other side has a long, rubber stamped list of proof texts, too.
A dear brother in Christ that I know has said to me before: “It is difficult to operate from the presupposition that I am wrong.” No doubt. If we thought we were the ones in error, we would change our minds.
Since we presuppose we are correct, we then divide ourselves from everyone who disagrees. We can use 2 John 1:9-11 to justify our breaking fellowship. We can spend a lot of time building our theological cases so we can refute those who disagree.
Often the fruit of this pursuit is a morbid interest in controversial questions. Disputes about words. The result of these controversies and disputes is often envy, strife, and abusive language toward those who disagree. Suspicions can arise as well, since the Scriptures seem clear to us, therefore those who dispute are either sloppy theologically, unintelligent, dishonest, or devoid of the Spirit.
Often, conversations of this type are unfruitful. People do not feel that the other person is really hearing them. I know I have had conversations where it seems like the person I’m speaking with isn’t really listening to what I’m saying. I know I’ve made others feel this way, too. I’m not proud of that but it’s true.
When I presuppose that I am correct, and you presuppose that you are correct, it can be difficult to make progress. We add to this many more presuppositions that are even harder to recognize.
An Example
Look at how these false systems can cause division even over the most basic doctrines of the faith.
For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)
Seems clear enough. But the hidden presuppositions are lurking. Waiting to sabotage unity.
Yes, but what kind of grace is it? Is it Prevenient Grace or Effectual Grace? You must choose a side!
The so-called mutually exclusive systems in the false dilemma present us with language that seems to exhaust the possibilities. But what if both camps have gone beyond what is written? Why should I have to affirm anything other than what Scripture says? For by grace you have been saved through faith. Why should I fight with fellow believers, redeemed by the blood of Christ, about additional labels that we have applied to grace?
We should not insert our systems into the text and make people choose sides. Doing so is unwise. It is contrary to Scripture.
Now these things, brethren, I have figuratively applied to myself and Apollos for your sakes, so that in us you may learn not to exceed what is written, so that no one of you will become arrogant in behalf of one against the other. (1 Corinthians 4:6, bold added)
We, too, should learn not to go beyond what is written. If we continue to exceed what the Scriptures actually say, then we will become arrogant and continue to act against one another when we are supposed to be in unity together.
A Suggested Course Forward
I want to be unified with my brothers and sisters in Christ. I want us to tear off every label other than “Christian.” I want to be in genuine unity with all those who have been saved by the grace of God through faith in Jesus. I want this because this is what Jesus prayed for. It is what the Bible teaches we should desire.
Now may the God who gives perseverance and encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus, so that with one accord you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, accept one another, just as Christ also accepted us to the glory of God. (Romans 15:5-7)
I want us to accept one another, just as Christ has accepted us, to the glory of God. And I want this, because when we are one, as the Father and the Son are one, then the world will know that the Father sent Jesus.
So, where do we go from here? My suggestion is simple.
Let’s put down our presuppositions and pick up our Bibles. Let’s read the Bible as it was intended, in big chunks. Whole books in one sitting. Let’s stop trying to fit everything into our predefined systems and conforming the text to our presupposed frameworks. Instead, let’s humble ourselves before the living God, tremble at His word, and resolve to do what He tells us to do and to believe what His word declares about Him.
“For My hand made all these things, Thus all these things came into being,” declares the LORD. “But to this one I will look, To him who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at My word.” (Isaiah 66:2)
Not only this, but we must recognize that the Bible was not intended to be a book we read alone as individuals. It is a book that has been inspired to be read in community. I can make mistakes. So can you. We must take our individual responsibility seriously and gather together with others who are doing likewise. And we must discuss what we are reading and patiently listen to one another.
If we will do this, we will likely start to see that there is a good reason why other believers think differently than we do about some things. God does not fit neatly into any box. We do not have to choose which characteristic is most important—God is sovereign and God is love. We have an article on 21 attributes of God that you can read. It is best if you’ll read it primarily from His Word and see for yourself. None of these attributes are more important than others. To elevate any and to diminish others is to skew God and create a caricature of the truth.
Sometimes we will find unity immediately. Other issues may take time. Maybe even a lot of time. The pursuit is worthwhile, if we are pursuing it the right way. Prayerfully, humbly, lovingly. With open Bibles, open eyes and ears, and open hearts.
I’d recommend not calling anyone names or accusing them of being dishonest, sloppy, or devoid of the Spirit for disagreeing with your presuppositions and systems unless and until you’ve read the Bible for yourself, cover-to-cover, at least twenty-five times. That’s not a Scriptural command. It’s just my suggestion. But before you think I’m being absurd, think for a second about our Lord Jesus.
He began His public ministry at about the age of thirty. He grew up as a boy in a faithful family in Israel. As the incarnate Word of God He knew the Scriptures. He also would have been saturated in God’s Word until the age of thirty as a part of His culture. Jesus wasn’t going to synagogue to hear a twenty-minute sermonette that was packed with jokes and media references. I am betting Jesus was more serious about reading the Scriptures than my son, too. If so, twenty-five times is actually a pretty low bar. By the time my son is thirty, he will have read His Bible closer to one hundred times if he keeps the same pace he is on now. That’s a good start.
Beware False Unity
Unity is not superficial. It cannot be faked. We must not attempt to settle for fleshly substitutes and worldly counterfeits.
We cannot be content with unity for the sake of unity. We are aiming at unity for the sake of the glory of God. These two pursuits are not the same. Not at all.
If we are aiming at unity for the sake of unity, then we are aiming at superficiality. We can achieve this by having rallies, meetings, and other gatherings where we lay down everything substantive and say we are simply content to be together because togetherness is important. Such unity may be worthwhile for some reasons. But this is not what Jesus was praying for.
Kindness and tolerance for others who think differently than you do is commendable. We should be kind to one another. The world could use a whole lot more kindness, especially between people who disagree with each other. But pretending that we do not disagree, when we do in fact disagree, is not unity.
Having gatherings where we simply agree to disagree is not a substitute for unity. When we accept false unity as the genuine thing, we are lying to ourselves. Yet, the world is not fooled.
The world will not come to know that the Father sent the Son into the world by people professing to believe in Jesus getting together and singing kumbaya. The world still sees that these same professing Christians then go back into the world and profess different things about who Jesus is.
True, biblical unity resists false unity. False unity is still disunity but it comes with the added detriment of muddying the waters and making what should be clear, murky instead.
The Apostle John warned against being unified with those who teach differently from what Christ and the apostles taught:
Anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God; the one who abides in the teaching, he has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house, and do not give him a greeting; for the one who gives him a greeting participates in his evil deeds. (2 John 1:9-11)
Abiding in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. We are unified with God when we abide in the teaching. If anyone does not abide, we are not to sabotage unity by pretending we agree when we do not.
Keeping these lines distinct does not mean that we are to be harsh, unkind, or unloving. But we must not go too far to think we are doing the right thing when we blur the lines and disobey the teaching of Scripture in the process.
Conclusion
It is much easier to remain wise in our own eyes and persist in our state of disunity. Christ is worthy of more than this.
By His grace, we are unified in Christ. We can pursue genuine unity in spirit and in truth by dying to ourselves, and taking up our crosses, and following Him. We can prayerfully read the Scriptures, asking the Holy Spirit to lead us, guide us, and open our eyes to behold wonders in His word.
If we will do so, I imagine we will quickly grow weary of the superficial, program-driven, entertainment machine that is modern “Christianity.” We may actually start to look more like what we read in Scripture as we walk closely with our God and make Him known to the ends of the earth.
For the praise and glory of His great name.