For a Divided Church

God Wants Unity

Part II

God wants unity for His Church. In His prayer for His disciples, which includes us, Jesus Christ stated this more than once (John 18).

At the close of our last article I asked the following questions: Why are we in God’s Church today divided? And just who is Jesus Christ holding accountable for this division? Finally, how can we become united once again?

The answers are quite simple. Unity can only come to the Church if we speak the same things. Speaking the same things brings unity. Not doing so brings division. In I Corinthians 1:10 God makes this very clear:

“Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 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.” Not doing so causes contentions (next verse).

These various groups exist because they are divided, because they are not speaking the same thing, nor have the same mind and judgment. But speaking the same thing as who? We know we are to have the mind of Christ. If Christ was truly guiding our lives, we would not be divided.

Being divided today clearly shows we do not all have the same mind as Christ, for He is not divided as the apostle Paul states in verse 13 of the same chapter. Groups claiming to hold fast are not speaking the same things as other groups also claiming the same thing. Who is right? Just what are we to hold fast?

Mr. Armstrong, God’s end time apostle, answers this question for us very dogmatically: “ God's Church today, as in the first century, receives its teachings from the living Christ, through an apostle, just as in A.D. 31” (Mystery of the Ages, 1985, page 350). This was also stated in the following publications: Good News magazine, Oct-Nov 1979, and Pastor General’s Report, May 23, 1980 .

We must all adhere to the same doctrines as given to the Church through an apostle. This is what it means to speak the same things. That was one of the basic reasons for having an apostle in the end-time. Fulfilling the role of the “Elijah” to come, he was used to restore doctrines in the Church (for proof of this please request our literature mentioned at the end of this article). This is what we are to hold fast. Not doing so has brought much division.

Who does Christ hold responsible for this division today? The same men that are held accountable to teach the truth that would bring unity, the ministry. In Ephesians 4:11-16, we read:

“And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love”.

Mr. Armstrong taught us about true ministers: “ It is the duty of Christ's TRUE ministers (and how scarce today ) to PROTECT the begotten but yet unborn saints from false doctrines, from false ministers ” (Mystery of the Ages, p. 262).

The Church is scattered and it’s power shattered because of doctrinal differences in the various splintered groups. Leaders fail to speak the same things, to hold the same judgment as commanded in I Corinthians 1:10. They are not of the same mind. Being divided into all these groups proves this to be true.

Daniel 12:7 speaks about the power of the holy people being scattered. Sadly enough, this has been happening these past several years and is still going on. Jesus Christ is holding His ministers accountable for division in the Church today.

It’s time for ministers to stop this scattering, to gather the church back together by fully returning to all the doctrines given through an apostle.

Why do most ministers today refuse to teach all doctrine as the apostle? Why do they hold back parts of the truth they have been taught? Why do some adopt differing forms of government than what will be in the Kingdom and is supposed to be in the Church as Jesus Christ established through an apostle?

In Jeremiah we read:

“ Woe be unto the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! saith the LORD. Therefore thus saith the LORD God of Israel against the pastors that feed my people; Ye have scattered my flock, and driven them away, and have not visited them: behold, I will visit upon you the evil of your doings, saith the LORD” (Jeremiah 23:1-2).

In Ezekiel 34, we find some more of the puzzle being put together: “The diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was sick, neither have ye bound up that which was broken, neither have ye brought again that which was driven away, neither have ye sought that which was lost; but with force and with cruelty have ye ruled them.”

Verses 9-10: “...O ye shepherds, hear the word of the LORD; ...Behold, I am against the shepherds; and I will require my flock at their hand, and cause them to cease from feeding the flock; neither shall the shepherds feed themselves any more; for I will deliver my flock from their mouth, that they may not be meat for them.”

Most ministers that told members in the past not to worry about losing a job because of Holy Days or the Sabbath now do not show enough faith to stand for the full truth themselves. Their paycheck seems more important than the full truth of God being fed to their flock. II Peter 2 speaks of this: “ Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness;” (2 Peter 2:15 ). Jesus Christ calls such men hirelings (John 10:12 -13). Money over doctrine!

Most ministers have compromised somewhat on doctrines since the death of Mr. Armstrong and still are doing so to this day. Hence, continued division of the Church. Since Christ is not divided and the Church today is, therefore, He is on the outside knocking (Revelation 3:20 ). We definitely are in the Laodicean era of the Church, this is quite clear. Now what are we to do? (To be continued)

Please request our free literature “The Work of God in the Laodicean Era”, a reprint article on the “Elijah” to Come”, a booklet by Mr. Jonathan Bowles, “Just What is an Apostle?”.These three are an overview of what has happened to the Church and how to solve this dilemma.