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The Babylonian Unity of the Church
Come let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the face of the whole earth. (Gen. 11:4)
A quick survey of headlines reporting the current crisis in the Anglican Communion reveals one word that appears over and over again:
“Anglican unity at threat around the world” (an editorial in The
Australian)
“Homosexual debate threatens episcopal unity” (Washington Times,
29th July, 2003)
“Church unity is at risk” (Washington Post, 30th July, 2003)
The references are, of course, to a controversy that has come to the surface
in 2003 in the proposed, but abandoned, consecration of an openly homosexual
man as Bishop of Reading in the Diocese of Oxford, and the consecration —
not abandoned — of a practising homosexual man as Bishop of New Hampshire
in the United States, as well as the approval of same sex unions in the Diocese
of New Westminster, Canada.
There is a recognition, it seems, inside and outside the institutional church,
of the value of “unity” and the scandal of “disunity” or
division.
There is just enough truth in this recognition to make it persuasive,
and enough error to make it dangerous. Certainly there is enough confusion
to justify some careful thought and reflection.
Four Propositions
(1) The Bible values unity
It is even possible that, like so many aspects of our culture, the sense of
the goodness of unity may in fact come from the historical influence of the
Bible. Certainly the Bible gives powerful support for the concept of unity in
its revelation of the fact that there is one — and only one — God.
There is a unity to all things, because all things are creatures of the one
God. More significantly there is a unity to humanity, because “in the
image of God he created him, male and female he created them” (Gen.1:27).
Unity between men and women, and between all humans is clearly the good will
of the Creator.
This human unity under God was devastated by the Fall.
However, God’s work of redemption, climaxing in the death of Jesus Christ
on the cross, has broken down all the dividing walls of hostility introduced
because of sin. In Christ Jesus there is no longer male and female, Jew and
Gentile, slave and free, for we are all one in Christ Jesus (see Gal.3:28).
We all have access to the Father by the one Spirit, on exactly the same basis
of the atoning death of Christ, by the one faith in the one Lord. This unity
is the brilliant gift of God, and we are to live out our lives with one another
in the light of its reality. This is our unity in Christ, the unity of the Spirit.
(2) Humans seek false forms of unity
Unity in Christ is not the only kind of unity to be found among human beings.
Indeed, since the Fall, the Bible shows us the human race seeking false forms
of unity that are in fact an expression of our rebellion against God.
The city of Babel, or Babylon, is the epitome of this pursuit. The builders
sought to make a name for themselves, to make themselves secure, and to make
their mark, by a man-made unity, a unity not under God, but in defiance of him.
The story in Genesis 11 tells us that God would not allow such a unity to succeed.
Attempts to establish such a unity have been made in every generation and every
society since. And all have failed.
And so:
(3) There are two kinds of unity.
The unity that matters is the unity of the new humanity God has created by the
death of his Son, and that he is bringing into being by the gospel of our Lord
Jesus Christ. This unity is unity in the gospel, unity in the Christ of the
gospel.
This unity is, by the grace of God, a spiritual reality. “You are all one
in Christ Jesus.” And it is lived out by patience, kindness, love and acceptance
of one another in glad submission to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
The other unity is what humans in their pride and arrogance create. It is the
unity of man-made institutions and structures. In itself it is worse than worthless.
It is Babylonian unity, and will fall under God’s judgment.
We must be for the first kind of unity, but profoundly critical of the second.
My simple question is, which kind of unity do you think the unity in the newspaper
headlines has been?
Finally:
(4) There are two kinds of division
This follows from the two kinds of unity.
The unity God is creating through the power of the Spirit and the proclamation
of Christ, itself creates a division. It is the division between those to whom
the word of the cross is foolishness and those to whom it is the power of God
(see 1 Cor.1:18ff).
That is one kind of division. It is the kind which Paul told the Corinthians
was necessary. Not pleasant. Not desirable. But necessary wherever Christ is
proclaimed.
But there is also division caused by human sin, human “boasting”.
This is the kind of division caused by personalities, by personal preferences,
by human pride.
This kind of division is a denial of Christ. “Is Christ divided?”
(1 Cor.1:13) Paul pointedly asked the same Corinthian Christians.
Faithfulness to Christ must be willing to accept and even cause the first kind
of division.
But we must oppose and — where appropriate — repent for the second
kind of division.
Do we find ourselves in a time when the Babylonian unity of the church is cherished
and guarded, and the necessary divisions are condemned?
May the Lord give us wisdom to discern the differences.
Further Reading
Unity That Helps & Unity That Hinders - John Woodhouse, (Published by Reform)
The Doctrine and Expression of Christian Unity in Serving the People of God,
- J.I. Packer, (Published by Paternoster, 1998 The Collected Shorter Writings
of J.I. Packer, Volume 2, pp 31-42)
John Woodhouse is the Principal of Moore College, Sydney.