Heaven Past Present Future Ministries
ENCOURAGEMENT TO ETERNAL FOCUS IN UNITY AND FELLOWSHIP OF THE GOSPEL
Pseudo-dichotomies of Truth that Divide the Forming Body of Christ
(Thesis statement)
It is the opinion of this author many of these polarizing issues within the forming body of Christ are pseudo-dichotomies of truth. By this is meant believers chose to bifurcate over two opposing views where both are true in the proper perspective.
Much disagreement in interpretation and application of Scripture is a matter of perspective. Division comes when parties decide a choice must be made between the two opposing views. Bystanders are encouraged to pick one or the other to choose fellowship. The following table gives an outline of polarizing issues where from the proper prospective both choices are true.
| Issue | Man’s Earth Perspective | God’s Spiritual Perspective |
| Salvation: | Works | Faith alone |
| Grace: | Free choice | Sovereign choice |
| Gospel Authority: | Congregational | Holy Spirit |
| Church perpetuity: | Particular Assembly | General Assembly to form |
| Church design: | Local | General |
| Creation time: | Ages | Six Days |
| Second Coming: | Divided by Time | Same Coming |
[Links to discussion of several popular bifurcations of God's people are discussed further by clinking on links provided above if interested.]
For example God knows who are His by the deposit of the Holy Spirit by faith alone. Man only knows one is saved as James said by works as evidence of the Holy Spirit within him. Both are true from the different perspectives.
The doctrines of grace or Calvinism are the same. From God’s perspective, He as Sovereign calls, knowing who will accept unto justification and who will harden in unbelief using all choices unto His own glory and purpose of redemption. This foreknowledge of man’s choices in the act of redemption makes the heavenly work His choice. From man’s limited perspective each must choose to believe or not. Both are true from different perspective.
The same applies to other examples above. The polarized stand taken by believers is true, yet so is the other option from the right perspective.
In the First Epistle of Clement to the Corinthians, Clement attempts to correct the problem of envy at the church of Corinth. Clement as a companion of the Apostle Paul is mentioned in Philippians 4:3, "Indeed, true comrade, I ask you also to help these women to have shared my struggle in the cause of the gospel, together with Clement also, and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life." NASB Though the First Epistle of Clement written years later is attributed to his name it is not part of the inspired Cannon of Scripture. It does indirectly reflect Paul's teaching learned by another as Paul's disciple. The Corinthian members naturally looked to Paul's disciples for answers to problems after he was gone. Clement tells the Corinthians congregation, "Ye are fond of contention, brethren, and full of zeal about things which do not pertain to salvation. Look carefully into the Scriptures, which are the true utterances of the Holy Spirit."
It is the opinion of this author we should only contend with zeal about those things "that pertain to salvation." [See link Quiz of Scripture on a True Bond Servant of Christ] Other issues a matter of taste, tradition or culture should be generally acceptable as James 3:13-18 says in "wisdom from above" that is "first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy." Much division has come of "envy" of brethren. Envy is a sharp acrid resentful zeal that creates strife in rivalry, factions and contention. As James says such is "earthly, natural and demonic"; results in "disorder" and "evil work"; and is actually in our testimony to others a "lie against the truth" whereby it actually works against the spread of the gospel proclaimed.
As a principle of Scripture we are told in Exodus 20:5 the "sins of the Fathers" affect the children "to the third and fourth generation." The bitterness of envy with hardness of hearts on many sides still permeates Baptist groups divided over many things that do not pertain to salvation. Revival comes as seen in the days of Hezekiah in 2 Chronicles 29:6 when God's people confess "...our fathers were unfaithful..." in such matters. May we as children of God today find humility to focus only on contention as Scripturally exampled for the pure gospel of Christ.
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