Sabbath: The Unity of the Gospel
Image © Pacific Press from GoodSalt.com
Read for This Week’s Study: Gal. 2:1-14, 1 Cor. 1:10-13, Gen. 17:1-21, John 8:31-36, Col. 3:11.
Memory Text: “Complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind”(Philippians 2:2, ESV).
Protestant reformer John Calvin believed that disunity and division were the devil’s chief device against the church, and he warned that Christians should avoid schism like the plague.
But should unity be preserved at the cost of truth? Imagine if Martin Luther, the father of the Protestant Reformation, had in the name of unity chosen to recant his views on salvation by faith alone when he was brought to trial at the Diet of Worms.
“Had the Reformer yielded a single point, Satan and his hosts would have gained the victory. But his unwavering firmness was the means of emancipating the church, and beginning a new and better era.” — Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy, p. 166.
In Galatians 2:1-14, we find the apostle doing all in his power to maintain the unity of the apostolic circle in the midst of attempts by some believers to destroy it. But as important as that unity was to Paul, he refused to allow the truth of the gospel to be compromised to achieve it. While there is room for diversity within unity, the gospel must never be compromised in the process.
Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, July 15.
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Many do not easily agree to disagree. That is the characteristic we find in most societies that we are associated with. There appears to be dissention among the apostles including the most outspoken Peter in Galatians 2;11-14. The grace in verse 9 given by the other pillars of the faith must have meant the reputation that Paul earned during the attempt to destroy the church. The unity being emphasized was not all that evident as verse 13 credits some as Hypocritical.
This chapter 2 of Galatians is powerful!
Adventists, we're now needing the Holy Ghost to give us his understanding so that we might complet Paul's joy by being in one mind as we study this quarter's lesson.
If not, the lesson will desunite us!
Some of us are still dealing with the law as a way to bring us to Christ,
You know!
When we're preaching proselytes, we want to bring them from Sunday to Saturday, and we show them that the Saturday is the sign between God and his people, and that they will not get in ... Without resting on Saturday.
We show them that they are wrong and we're the only right church!
All of that is excellent!
But Paul wants us to see that in another way!
And he says, if you, adventist can't worship as they worship, why then are you want them to worship as you do??!
Let's show them Christ and his love manifests in his sacrifice, and after being attracted by Christ's love, Christ himself will teach and cleanse them!
Paul tried all in his power to defend the truth. He did it without resorting to unchristian means. That should be a lesson to us adventist. When a brother or a sister apostatise let us not beat him/her using abusive language and other tactics only used by evil men. Present the truth confidently like Paul and pray and God will win their hearts or purge them from the church .
I love how Paul clearly pulls no punches in his letter to the Galatians. He is unapologetically standing for the gospel of Jesus Christ and calling out the distractions and detractors from that gospel and unity in Christ/the church. Many powerful lessons to be learned for SDA Christians here. Bless.
That's why we should not have ethnic churches. the love of Jesus is not cultural or ethnically given. it id not handed down to generation as some born in the church make it appears. Paul was against this because it breads division and sets us apart. As Bro Paul propagated the love and unity of Christ we should en devour to do like wise. We have enough examples of these around the world. Especially in more developed countries or countries where migrants go for a better life/work.
Calvin is saying avoid disunity as a plague
Martin Luther was not willing to recant for the sake of unity
When is unity worth fighting?
In what situations you cannot compromise for the sake of unity?
To stand for truth is required of us all. But when truth is compromise we blur the line between what makes us different from the world. For those who are searching for truth want to find something that is quite distinct from the life that they live. Let is continue to be peculiar people and expressing the joy in the life that we live.
While unity is very important for the church it should always be subordinate to the truth .We should be wary of uniting in error, quite often the unity mantra is pushed by people who dont want to be challenged to whip people into following their errors.What did Christ meant when he said the words;
Luke 1249 “I came to send fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! 50 But I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how distressed I am till it is accomplished! 51 Do you suppose that I came to give peace on earth? I tell you, not at all, but rather division. 52 For from now on five in one house will be divided: three against two, and two against three. 53 Father will be divided against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.”
Benjamin Franklin quoted the following before the Continental Congress & before the signing of the Declaration of Independence: "We must all hang together, or most assuredly we shall all hang separately." He was seeking unity by country's patriots. Unity is what Paul stressed in the early church; doctrinal unity of salvation by faith alone through Christ alone! As is indicated in our lesson however, unity at the sacrifice of truth would never do! Or, as Benjamin Franklin said, "....most assuredly we shall all hang separately." For we each must stand before the throne of God in the judgment!
Robert S Jackson