[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"\u002Farticles\u002Fthe-point-of-unity":3,"\u002Farticles\u002Fthe-point-of-unity-surround":69},{"id":4,"title":5,"author":6,"bibleBooks":8,"body":13,"columnName":51,"date":52,"description":19,"extension":53,"image":54,"meta":55,"minRead":56,"navigation":57,"path":58,"postType":59,"publication":60,"publicationUrl":54,"seo":61,"stem":62,"topics":63,"__hash__":68},"blog\u002Farticles\u002Fthe-point-of-unity.md","The Point of Unity",{"name":7},"Dave Faust",[9,10,11,12],"Philippians","John","1 Corinthians","Ephesians",{"type":14,"value":15,"toc":47},"minimark",[16,20,23,26,29,32,35,38,41,44],[17,18,19],"p",{},"The Bible doesn't say much about Euodia and Syntyche, but it isn't hard to read between the lines. These two women were members of the church in Philippi. Perhaps they had come to Christ through Lydia's prayer group that met down by the riverside (Acts 16:13). For some reason, these sisters in Christ weren't getting along; so the apostle Paul had to plead with Euodia and Syntyche to \"agree with each other in the Lord\" (Philippians 4:2).",[17,21,22],{},"Divisions bothered Paul. After all, Jesus prayed for the unity of his followers (John 17:20–23). Paul longed to see an undivided church where the members of Christ's body were \"perfectly united in mind and thought\" (1 Corinthians 1:10).",[17,24,25],{},"Today the Christian community remains sadly divided. Where two or three are gathered . . . there's usually a disagreement.",[17,27,28],{},"But deep in our hearts, more and more of us long for unity just as the apostle Paul did. Robert Frost was right: \"Something there is that doesn't love a wall, that wants it down.\"",[17,30,31],{},"Isn't the purpose of Christ more important than petty disagreements? Isn't the gospel message still clear enough that we can preach the basic truth of the gospel while granting freedom to disagree in matters of opinion? Can't the love of Christ heal hurt feelings, mend broken relationships, and help us work together for the common good? Haven't there been enough church meetings filled with angry accusations? Isn't it time we help each other more and attack each other less? If Christians would devote our energy to planting and growing churches instead of splitting them, the work of Christ would advance mightily in the world.",[17,33,34],{},"Non-Christians are unimpressed by religious wrangling. Some of them watch with cynical amusement while people who claim to know the way to eternal life battle over personalities and budgets and building plans. Others turn away in disgust, reasoning, \"I already have enough hassles in my life. Why should I go to a church filled with conflict?\" Perhaps saddest of all are the sincere but bewildered seekers who feel confused by the variety of religious denominations and wonder, \"Where can we find the truth?\" They hear our quarrels more than they hear the gospel—and everyone misses the point.",[17,36,37],{},"Which brings us back to Euodia and Syntyche. They needed to agree with each other not only for the sake of their own relationship, but also so they wouldn't hinder the work of Christ. Paul considered them valuable workers who had contended at his side in the cause of the gospel (Philippians 4:3). But now they were contending with each other instead of contending for the gospel. Division does that. It distracts and disarms us when we should be serving side by side, bringing the lost to Christ. Something is very wrong when we're debating more than discipling, quibbling more than equipping, pushing people aside instead of reaching out to them.",[17,39,40],{},"What are you doing to encourage church unity? Are you praying for it? Do you try to distinguish between biblical truths and your own personal preferences? Do you hold firmly to your convictions, but express them with humility, gentleness, patience, and forbearance (Ephesians 4:1–6)?",[17,42,43],{},"National efforts to promote church unity will never work unless individual Christians like Euodia and Syntyche think biblically, love earnestly, work tirelessly, share unselfishly, and forgive patiently. It starts at the grassroots level. Unity is God's doing; but each of us must \"keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.\"",[17,45,46],{},"Blessed are the peacemakers.",{"title":48,"searchDepth":49,"depth":49,"links":50},"",2,[],"From the Editor's Desk","1997-02-16","md",null,{},3,true,"\u002Farticles\u002Fthe-point-of-unity","column","The Lookout",{"title":5,"description":19},"articles\u002Fthe-point-of-unity",[64,65,66,67],"Biblical Theology","Christian Unity","Church Leadership","Spiritual Formation","gqinJdTlm4nozHpYxGNPQ0vUzIS2fWuWBrZh_raDZns",[70,75],{"title":71,"path":72,"stem":73,"description":74,"children":-1},"The Holidays’ Hard Edge","\u002Farticles\u002Fthe-holidays-hard-edge","articles\u002Fthe-holidays-hard-edge","Do you ever get grouchy during the holidays? If so, you can relate to the first half of the psalmist’s blues song: “Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me?” (Psalm 42:5, 11). It’s tough to sing “Joy to the World” when your soul feels disturbed and downcast.",{"title":76,"path":77,"stem":78,"description":79,"children":-1},"The Power of Ten","\u002Farticles\u002Fthe-power-of-ten","articles\u002Fthe-power-of-ten","Christ calls us to make disciples of all nations, baptizing and teaching until he comes again. How can we do the job? Let me show you The Power of 10. There are 10 New Testament books which contain 10 chapters or more. Interestingly enough, chapter 10 of each of these books has something to teach us about our disciple-making mission."]