Unity Across our Differences

One of the challenges of Christian maturity is learning that not every disagreement deserves a church split.

That sounds obvious until we remember how much energy Christians devote to dividing over issues where sincere, Bible-believing, Spirit-filled believers have disagreed for centuries.

The problem is not that we have disagreements.

The problem is the temptation to move more and more issues into the category of non-negotiables.

The Apostle Paul confronted this reality in Romans 14, instructing believers to "accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarreling over disputable matters." Paul then describes disagreements over food, holy days, and personal convictions, reminding believers that each person should be "fully convinced in their own mind" while refusing to judge fellow Christians whose convictions differ.

The phrase translated as "disputable matters" (Rom 14:1) is fascinating. Paul is not talking about the deity of Christ, the resurrection, or the authority of Scripture. He is addressing issues where faithful believers arrive at different conclusions while sincerely seeking to honor the Lord.

Reformed theologians have long recognized this distinction. John Calvin understood Romans 14 to concern matters that are neither explicitly commanded nor forbidden in Scripture. Twenty years ago, Dr. Al Mohler popularized the concept of "theological triage," arguing that Christians must distinguish between essential doctrines of first importance, second-tier concepts around denominations and networks form, and third-tier issues on which believers may legitimately disagree while remaining in fellowship. 

For decades, the SBC has been largely unified around the concept that senior pastors (and elders) should be men. More recently, some have sought to clarify exactly how women can serve in a ministry context without holding a senior pastor or elder role.

For many, this is an issue of second or even third-tier importance. For some, they see the issue as of first-order importance. However, as Dr. Mohler’s original article asserts, denominations and networks form boundaries of cooperation around second-tier issues. Does a difference in thinking about women in non-senior pastor roles and functions warrant a boundary of cooperation?

The problem is not that we have disagreements. The problem is the temptation to move more and more issues into the category of non-negotiables. The problem is that we are losing our ability to stand in a space where people reasonably disagree, yet remain in fellowship. 

Some Christians treat every disagreement as though it were a first-order issue. Others act as if no doctrine really matters. Both approaches fail to take Scripture seriously.

Convictional Unity

The New Testament presents a different path.

Paul fought fiercely for the Gospel. He refused to compromise on the person and work of Christ. Yet the same Paul who confronted false teachers also instructed believers not to quarrel over disputable matters. He apparently believed that conviction and cooperation could coexist. 

That lesson seems particularly important today.

Social media rewards the extremes. The loudest voices are often the most uncompromising. Nuance is mistaken for weakness. Charity is mistaken for compromise. Every disagreement becomes a battle for the future of Christianity. Every disagreement becomes a justification for shaming or belittling others. 

But cooperation has never been built on the fringes.

Cooperation requires Christian charity.

It requires people who know what they believe and why they believe it. It requires people who hold their convictions firmly while recognizing that not every disagreement justifies separation. Cooperation requires people who can distinguish between essential doctrines, important doctrines, and debatable matters.

Cooperation requires nuance, which is not the same as theological compromise. 

Better Together

The irony is that cooperation is actually harder than separation.

Anyone can walk away.

Anyone can gather a small group of people who agree on virtually everything. Many of us have learned this the hard way in ministry. Gospel unity is the ground upon which nuance and relationship are held in tension long enough for cooperation to bear fruit. 

The harder task is building a fellowship in which people share core convictions, pursue a common mission, and extend grace toward one another on matters on which faithful Christians disagree.

That has always been the challenge of Baptist life. It is certainly the challenge of associational life.

At UBA, we work alongside churches that differ on a variety of secondary and tertiary issues. We do not pretend that those differences do not exist. We simply believe the Great Commission is too important to allow every disagreement to become grounds for division.

Houston is a big city. The lostness is too great. The needs are too significant.

There are times when cooperation becomes impossible because essential truths are at stake. The New Testament recognizes that reality. But there are also many occasions when the most Christlike response is not to win an argument, but to extend fellowship.

Perhaps the question we should ask ourselves is not, "How many reasons can I find to separate from another believer?"

Perhaps the better question is, "How broadly can I cooperate with those who share my commitment to Christ, the Gospel, and the authority of Scripture?"

Reasonable people can disagree. 

The challenge is learning how to remain brothers and sisters when they do.

Josh Ellis is Executive Director of Union Baptist Association. He has a PhD in Leadership Studies and has served on the UBA staff since 2005. With both practical and scholarly knowledge, he leads the association into innovative collaboration for the sake of strategic gospel advancement.