For Ethos: The Basis of Christian Unity

Londo111

Continued from: http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/jw/friends/241969/3/Greetings-From-an-Existent-JW

A repost from Re: Greetings! From an Existent JW

Ethos,

I am glad you are here. Unfortunately, if this became known to your elder body, you would face sanction of some nature.

I believe true Christian unity is based on love, not total agreement on all issues. (Colossians 3:14) However, if you see what was said during the testimony at the Walsh trial, a Witness would have to accept even a false prophesy to maintain ‘unity at all costs’. A Witness has to support a teaching even when they know it to be incorrect. (1 Corinthians 13:6; John 4:24)

In regard disfellowshipping and the subsequent complete disconnection from friends and family for disagreeing with one or many of the doctrines, I would like to contrast this to what I have found in mainstream Christian denominations, based on my observations of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), the United Methodists, and the Evangelical Lutheran Church.

In mainstream Christian denominations, there is unity in essentials, liberty in non-essentials, and in all things love. The only essential is belief in Christ. Within a mainline church, there is a plurality of viewpoints and people have the freedom to express them. (Romans 14) Nobody is expelled or shunned for believing or expressing them, to congregation members, even to the elders or pastor. (3 John 10) If a person chooses to leave that church or denomination, they are not shunned. A person does not have to go against their conscience or agree anything they believe to be incorrect.

In each of these seven churches I’ve went to observe, I found Christian love to be very operative. (John 13:35) There are very friendly and loving people on par or even exceeding what I’ve observed in a Kingdom Hall. More than that, they do not condemn people of other denominations. They recognize other groups as equally Christian as they. They do good and practical works on behalf on the community without “counting their time”. (James 1:27; Matthew 25:34-45)

People in mainline denominations can read whatever information their conscience allows. Nobody is warned against former members or websites or books. There is no information control. To my knowledge, there is no board like this for former Methodists, Disciples of Christs, Evangelical Lutherans, ect--not anything like there are for former JWs, Mormons, and Scientologists.

Londo111

I believe there can be true unity among Christians, both within a denomination and even ecumenically among different denomination--based on Love. Love is the perfect bond of union, not a long checklist of doctrines a person must adhere to, especially when a doctrine is not directly stated in Scripture, but a matter of interpretation. If you love a person, you accommodate differing viewpoints and interpretations.

When the jailer asked Paul and Silas, “Sirs, what must I do -- that I may be saved?” The answer was really basic: “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you shall be saved.” (Acts 16:30-33) In one sitting, Paul related to him everything he and his household needed to know--the essentials. It was that simple.

The essential is cultivating one’s relationship with our Heavenly Father and his Son (John 17:3). This is a personal responsibility that no organization can do for us. The true Spiritual Org chart goes: God -> Christ -> the individual.

First, contemplate what Romans 14 is saying. I will highlight a few points from it.

Romans 14:4 says, “You -- who are you that are judging another's domestic? to his own master he does stand or fall; and he shall be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand.”

When we gather with fellow believers, each is responsible before God for their own viewpoints and how they cultivate their relationship with God. It is not up to us to intermeddle in that relationship. Inevitably, there will be differences in viewpoints as there were among first century believers.

Romans 14:5 says, “One does judge one day above another, and another does judge every day [alike]; let each be fully assured in his own mind.”

Romans 14: 10-12 says, “And you, why do you judge your brother? or again, you, why do you set your brother at nothing? for we shall all stand at the tribunal of the Christ; for it has been written, `I live! said the Lord - every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall confess to God;' so, then, each of us shall give reckoning concerning himself to God.”

Again each Christian has that individual responsibility to answer to God through Christ, and not to men. This is something Martin Luther called “bound conscience”. When he was called up on trial for apostasy he said, “Unless I am convicted [convinced] of error by the testimony of Scripture or (since I put no trust in the unsupported authority of Pope or councils, since it is plain that they have often erred and often contradicted themselves) by manifest reasoning, I stand convicted [convinced] by the Scriptures to which I have appealed, and my conscience is taken captive by God's word, I cannot and will not recant anything, for to act against our conscience is neither safe for us, nor open to us. On this I take my stand. I can do no other. God help me. Amen.”

In modern terms, we could substitute the terms Pope and counsels with Governing Body and Watchtower Society.

Here I stand. I can do no other.

RayPublisher

Amen Londo! You are a latter-day M.L. bro and I love it.

Christ Alone

Love is the perfect bond of union, not a long checklist of doctrines a person must adhere to, especially when a doctrine is not directly stated in Scripture, but a matter of interpretation. If you love a person, you accommodate differing viewpoints and interpretations.

That is without a doubt one of the best things I've ever read on JWN.

Pterist

Londo.....Excellent

Christ Alone

I hope Ethos responds to this...

panhandlegirl

marked

Emery

Excellent thread Londo111

Vidqun

Good thoughts Londo. Today is a landmark for me. I have been lovingly df'd from the congregation after thirty years of service. The charge: Apostasy. Because my interpretation of prophecies differ from the GB = FDS, not because of right or wrong. I shall wear my badge of Apostasy with honor.

Londo111

My congratulations and condolences for suffering for a Higher Cause.

Here we stand. We can do no other.

For Ethos: The Basis of Christian Unity

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