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Read the book "Ecumenism" by yours sincerely!
Read the book "Ecumenism" by yours sincerely!
Preface
The Challenges against Christ and His Church has been around since the Church’s birth and throughout its growth. This work is not enough to address the issue of Ecumenism in promoting the division in the Universal Church of Christ. This is just an attempt as there are serious issues bedeviling her existence. No wonder he said that “the gates of hell shall not prevail against the growth of His bride (the Church). But His Bride is seriously suffering in the hands of both charlatans and demonized religions and individuals.
This is happening both internally and externally. To claim I’m addressing issue is to deal with all the following texts below in which yours sincerely cannot treat extensively; at least not now, neither tomorrow but properly sponsored in the distant future.
"Now I beseech you...that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment." Paul, 1 Corinthians 1:10, The Christian Scriptures (New Testament), KJV.
Divisions within Christianity:
In its earliest years, the Christian religion was divided into three major religious movements: the Gnostics, Jewish Christians, and Pauline Christians. There were also many minor versions of Christianity. Often, there would be many competing forms of the religion in a given city -- much like today. The Gnostic Christians almost disappeared, but is experiencing a period of rapid growth today. The Jewish Christians -- the original form of the religion -- were largely wiped out by the Roman Army and eventually disappeared from the scene. Almost all current Christian groups trace their lineage back to the Pauline Christian movement.
Today, there are many ways of classifying the over 1,000 Christian faith groups around the world:
By denomination
Into three or four meta-groups (e.g. Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant, Anglican),
By theological belief system (Calvinism, Arminianism, etc.)
By religious family, (Baptist, Lutheran, Pentecostal, etc.), and
By "wing." The conservative, mainline, and liberal wings of Protestantism are described below.
Divided Christianity:
According to David Barrett et al, editors of the "World Christian Encyclopedia: A comparative survey of churches and religions - AD 30 to 2200," there are 34,000 separate Christian groups in the world today. "Over half of them are independent churches that are not interested in linking with the big denominations."
Differences among Christian faith groups are so great that some observers have suggested that a useful way of classifying Christian groups is to view them as a number of separate religions with different beliefs and practices, who share:
The name "Christianity,"
The text of the Bible, and
Not a great deal else.
They often take various conflicting positions on such topics as abortion, homosexuality, physician assisted suicide, therapeutic cloning, disciplining children, divorce, etc. They have very different beliefs on historical Christian teachings, such as the virgin birth, the atonement, the resurrection, Heaven, Hell, salvation, Satan, demons, etc.
This section describes how people have attempted to classify individual Protestant Christians and Protestant Christian denominations into liberal and conservative -- or liberal, mainline and conservative -- wings. It also describes some of the conflicts both within and among Protestant denominations. These divisions and conflicts are largely traceable to different methods of interpreting the Bible. Ranging from the most conservative to the most liberal Christians we see the following three belief systems:
The Bible is the actual Word of God.
Its authors were directly inspired by God.
The first five books of the Bible were written by Moses.
Since God cannot make mistakes their writings are also inerrant -- without error -- in their original autograph version.
It is only when a person is saved -- they repent of their sin and trust Jesus as Lord and Savior that the Holy Spirit possesses them and shows them what the biblical text really means. Unless a person is first saved, their interpretation of the Bible will inevitably be in error.
All passages are useful for the believer.
The Bible contains the Word of God. However, it also contains material that we must reject because it has always been opposed to the will of God. This includes passages which condone slavery; exhibit religious intolerance; involve the torturing prisoners; treat women as property; require the execution of non-virgin brides, witches and gays; and which advocate genocide, sexism, racism, homophobia, xenophobia, etc.
The Bible is a wide-ranging human document.
It was written by very human and fallible people who were not directly inspired by God.
The motivation of the authors was to promote the beliefs of their religious groups.
The first five books of the Bible were written by four unknown authors or groups of authors over a period of centuries and later redacted (edited) by a fifth person or group.
The Bible records the authors' evolution in spiritual and religious belief over a period of about 1,000 years.
They incorporated a lot of material from nearby Pagan religions, like the book of Genesis' creation stories and Noah's flood -- events that never happened.
The Bible contains a great deal of folklore, religious propaganda, and myth.
Stories of the great heroes of the ancient Hebrews (Adam, Abraham, Joseph, etc) are myths and involve characters who never existed.
Some of its content is profoundly immoral by today's religious and secular criteria, and must be ignored.
The Bible calls for justice and decent treatment of all persons. These themes are vitally important today.
With such a different approaches to the Bible it is extremely rare that conservative and liberal Christians will agree on anything about its message. By starting with such diverse beliefs about the Bible, conservative and liberal Protestants come to totally different conclusions about its contents. As far as the North is from the South, the east from the west and the lightening-bug is from lightening. So are differences in the beliefs of Christians all over the world.
Chapter One
Ecumenism
“A leader who is willing to step out in faith may step out alone, but he will soon have followers. Together they will change lives. Many have changed the course of history.”-Anon
“A person who doesn’t have to survive chooses to make the right decision even if it’s not a popular one.”-Anon
“God gives selfless people spiritual power. That’s what makes the difference.”- Anon
“ That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.”- John 17:21 KJV
“The concern for restoring unity involves the whole Church, faithful and clergy alike. It extends to everyone, according to the talent of each…” (Decree on Ecumenism Unitatis Redintegratio, n. 5, Second Vatican Council)
“ A naughty person, a wicked man, walketh with a froward mouth. He winketh with his eyes, he speaketh with his feet, he teacheth with his fingers; Frowardness is on his heart, he deviseth mischief continually; he soweth discord. Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly; suddenly shall he be broken without remedy.” Proverbs 6:12-15 KJV
“These six things doth the Lord hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, an heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, a false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.” Proverbs 6:16-19
“ Eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” (Eph. 4:3)
“We can hardly expect to affect the world while Christians are so fragmented, so divided. In our disunity we really have nothing to say to the world and it is for this reason the church lives in weakness and is held in contempt by society. Therefore, above all other things our need is to unite. There is power in numbers and if we can get enough Christians together we can influence society as the church was intended to do.” – Pastor Ray C. Stedman, Body Life
“To carry out anything lawful that shall promote the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ and its unity.” – Article 3(h) of the Constitution of the United Fellowship of Christ Ministries,(A Messianic Jewish Ministry) USA
“Having all faith in the spiritual unity of believers in our Lord, Christ Jesus; that there is but one true Church in the Body of Christ of which the Lord Jesus is the head; that we, His servant, fit jointly together for the service of His continuing ministry. That His true Church is without divisions of any kind.” – Statement of Faith of the United Fellowship of Christ Ministries, New Jersey USA
“The restoration of unity among all Christians is one of the principal concerns of the Second Vatican Council. Christ the Lord founded one Church and one Church only. However, many Christian communions present themselves to men as the true inheritors of Jesus Christ; all indeed profess to be the followers of the Lord but they differ in mind and go their different ways, as if Christ himself were divided. Certainly, such division openly contradicts the will of Christ, scandalizes the world, and damages that most holy cause, the preaching of the Gospel to every creature.”
- Vatican Council 11, Decree on Ecumenism (Unitatis Redintegratio, 21 November, 1964) page 452
Added to this statement is what Ray C. Stedman had to say on the Unity of the Church; “It is extremely important that Christians stop quarreling, bickering, struggling against one another, and feeling strong resentment and hate. A Church where these attitudes exist is a totally ineffective body in its community. A Church that has this kind of activity going on can say nothing to which the world will pay any attention.”
The unity of the church cannot be overemphasized rather the time has reached for us to face it squarely.
The Word Ecumenism simply means “Universal”. That which concerns itself with the Whole Christian World or universal Church. And any such effort seeking to restore the unity of the Christian Churches worldwide.
On a lighter mood, Ray C. Stedman wrote that; “Certain men have become so devoted to this ideal that they have been labeled ‘ecu-meniacs,’ while others disdainfully suggest that the problem with the church is that it is passing through its ‘ecu-menopause.’ Then I wonder when we will reach an ‘ecu-meniscus’ in order to measure the level of achievement we have made so far in our ecumenical pursuit.
The Creeds:
Apostle’s Creed
I believe
In God the Father Almighty
Maker of heaven and earth:
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost,
Born of the Virgin Mary,
Suffered under Pontius Pilate,
Was crucified, dead and buried,
He descended into hell;
The third day He rose again from the dead,
He ascended into heaven, and
Sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty;
From thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead.
I believe
In the Holy Ghost;
The Holy Catholic Church;
The forgiveness of sins;
The Resurrection of the body, and
The life everlasting. Amen
The Nicene Creed
We believe
In one God, the Father, the Almighty Creator of heaven and earth and of all that is seen and unseen; and
In one Lord Jesus Christ the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father: God from God, Light from Light, True God from True God. Begotten, not made, one in being with the Father, through Him all things were made. For us and for our salvation, He came down from heaven and, by the power of the Holy Spirit He was born of the Virgin Mary and became man. For our sake, He was crucified under Pontius Pilate, he suffered, died, and was buried. On the third day He rose again, in fulfillment of the Scriptures. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He shall come again in glory to judge the living and the dead and His Kingdom shall have no end.
We believe
In the Holy Spirit, the Lord the Giver of Life, who proceeds from the Father. With the Father and the Son He is Worshipped and glorified; He has spoken through the prophets.
We believe
In one Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church, we acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins, and we look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen.
The Reformed Faith
One God in Trinity: There is only one God. This God, however includes the Trinity of Father, Son and Holy Spirit, each of which has his own area of concentration.
Creation: God has created the entire universe and DECLARED BOTH PHYSICAL AND SPIRITUAL AS GOOD. Therefore, we accept both physical and spiritual as having equal value in His eyes. It is important to work in the world as it is in the church.
Salvation by Grace: The only way we can we can be saved by Christ is by His undeserved grace. Because we are all dead in sin, we are unable to lift up ourselves. Thus the initiative has to come from God and that is called ELECTION. No amount of human effort can lead to or cause our salvation. Nevertheless, this salvation comes to us through our faith, which is a gift from God and ENABLES us to do good works. This salvation and its resultant Christian life begin in this world and continue into everlasting life.
God’s Covenant Promise: God is free and cannot be bound. However, he has voluntarily bound Himself to us by a promise of faithfulness in His care for us. He is therefore not arbitrary. We can count on Him to keep His Promises to us in life and death. We can thus be sure of our salvation. Our own part on that covenant is to obey and follow Him without fear that He will forsake us.
One Kingdom and Lord: In distinction from other Christian traditions, the Reform faith testifies that there is only one kingdom of God that includes all of the creation, the Physical and the spiritual, heaven and earth. The church plays a central part in that Kingdom, but it is not the whole. This Kingdom is created and preserved mainly by God the Father, but at this stage of history, Jesus Christ, the Son, has been appointed Lord over this entire Kingdom. Thus His Lordship covers all life, including politics and business. The Holy Spirit gives us power to obey Him in all we do and to overcome opposition.
Revelation: God reveals Himself in three major ways: In nature, in the Bible and in Jesus Christ. Each of these is the word of God. Nature proclaims His power, and love. But because our ability to reason properly has been undermined by sin, we need the Bible to understand nature. The Bible explains to us the meaning of creation and the entire scheme of salvation, including the role of Jesus Christ. It is trustworthy, reliable and dependable in what it tells us of God and His world. We listen not only to the Bible but also nature, which includes human history and experience.
Our Task (Cultural Mandate): We have the CULTURAL MANDATE in Genesis 1, which instructs us to develop and rule the world as God’s deputy governors. Thus Christians must participate in all areas of life in the name of God. That is our basic RELIGIOUS duty. Because unbelievers cannot properly carry out this task, we also have the GREAT COMMISSION of Matthew 28, which sends us into the world to preach the Gospel and to teach our neighbors all that we are taught in God’s word. Thus these two commandments have common aim. Both are to be carried out in the context of the GREAT COMMANDMENT, which is love for God and neighbor. In our present day, important aspects of this basic task include strong concern for evangelism, honesty, healing, and peace, justice for all and the environment.
Our Christian Hope: We share with all mainline churches the hope of the return (the new heaven and the new earth), and through the resurrection, everlasting life. In the meantime, we witness to the same world of the love, peace and justice that is promised us in the new creation.
Priesthood of all Believers: While some churches have developed many ranks and titles almost army style, the Reformed have rejected this approach. They have seen that in the long run, rank and title have led to abuse of power in the church. Instead of responsibility, lust for privilege took over. Hence, there are no different ranks for the Pastors: all are equal. And the Pastors are under the supervision of the local elders, who are expected to be spirit-filled servants of God and His people. In fact, every believer is considered a priest. That is. Every believer has the Spirit of God. The Pastors have no monopoly over His Spirit…
You can order for your spiral bounded copy today
By Dr. Genesis A. Dawuda
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