Continuing the discussion on disagreement and disunity
I love it when my posts (or other posts for that matter) inspire other people to blog about the same topic.
Earlier this week, I wrote two posts on the topic of disagreement and disunity: “Disagreement is not Disunity” and “When Disagreements Lead to Disunity.”
At least two bloggers have picked up on that topic and continued the conversation.
Arthur at “The Voice of One Crying Out in Suburbia” writes in his post “Unity is not conformity“:
It is not only possible, it is absolutely necessary that we fellowship with people we disagree with on some issues. The only person I agree with 100% of the time is myself and sometimes I make pretty poor company even to me! The church is united by so many things, first and foremost the blood bought adoption by God. If God has chosen us and caused us to be born again and become part of His family, we need to be united with one another regardless of our differences. To do anything else is to tell God that perhaps He made a mistake in bringing those people into His family.
Joel at “Grace Roots” says that my posts are “timely” but doesn’t give details in his post “Disagreement and Disunity.” He writes:
It’s a fact that people are going to disagree on doctrines and theology. Does this mean that there has to be disunity? While we can remain convinced in our own individual consciences of what we believe, can we not also live “in harmony with one another and in harmony with Jesus Christ”?
Have I missed any posts on this important topic?
Not sure it’s been missed but, to me, in the context of verse 21 below, that the person described in verse 22 and folloing, who is disagreeing and disagreeable to me, is INDISPENSIBLE to my spiritual health and growth (I wish this was not true!) and is GIVEN the greater honor by God BECAUSE they are inferior. So my priorities in desiring unity (actually conformity to my values) are all out of whack – God desires instead differentiation.
1 Cor 12:21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.”
1 Cor 12:22 On the contrary, the parts of the body which seem to be weaker are indispensable,
1 Cor 12:23 and those parts of the body which we think less honorable we invest with the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty,
1 Cor 12:24 which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving the greater honor to the inferior part,
1 Cor 12:25 that there may be no discord in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another.