Dear Friends of “Dial Daily Bread,”
In Paul's letter to the Ephesians, we must take a look at his plea that we let the Holy Spirit do something special: bring us into perfect theological harmony. His plea is in 4:11-16. God has given the church "apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers." To preach and teach confusion, tearing the flock asunder with conflicting theology, perplexing lay members so they don't know which end is up? No, but to "perfect the saints, ... building up the body of Christ, till we all come in the unityof the faith ... unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ." Yes! theological harmony! Paul's illustration is vivid--he compares all these "gifts" of the Holy Spirit to a human body "fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth" (vs. 16).
A good violinist's fingers and wrists and joints dowhat the "head" desires, thus making beautiful music. A basketball team functions in perfect unity. Paul never heard a symphony orchestra like the London Philharmonic; each musician with his unique instrument plays from a different score; if all played the same note it would be boring; but they make harmony in unison with differing parts. No discord! No confusion!
But such perfect theological harmony is widely disparaged as "impossible." "We can't all see alike!" is what we hear. "We must preach and teach contradictory views of this or that theology, differing in understanding the prophecies, trying to silence each other even in understanding what Christ accomplished by His sacrifice." Like a bus load of passengers all telling the driver to take different routes. Canwe achieve "perfecting ... unity of the faith," "unity of the Spirit" (vs. 3)?
A visitor walks into church Sabbath morning, sees the class torn with conflicting theology. He leaves confused. Will he come back? Ephesians gives us the key to finding true harmony: "speaking the truth in agape" (vs. 15). A different kind of love that listens to each other carefully so as not to misrepresent each other, "endeavoring to keep the unity of the [Holy] Spirit in the bond of peace" (vs. 3). No more misquoting each other so as to win an argument.
Yes! At last, self is crucified "with Christ"! Now the church, like a symphony orchestra, is making beautiful music. Will the visitor come back? Yes! It will be "the loud cry."
--Robert J. Wieland
From the "Dial Daily Bread" Archive: March 25, 2001.
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