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Third, true Christian unity cannot be purchased at the expense of genuine diversity. Paul makes this abundantly clear in 1 Corinthians 12, where he describes the unity of the church in terms of the interdependence and mutuality of the members of the body. God has so created the body and "tempered together" its members that there should be no internal disconnect or division within the organism, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other (1 Cor. 12:25). There is one body and one Spirit, just as there is one God and one Redeemer. But there are "many" gifts, many places to serve, many "diversities of operations," as the KJV puts it (12:6). Unity is not uniformity. To try to impose an artificial oneness on the genuine diversity in the body of Christ is to be blind to the many-faceted, many-colored wisdom of God.

That being said, we today, with our tens of thousands of divisions, should ponder Paul's penetrating questions. The path from disunity to unity is strewn with land mines and heartache. To be sure, not all efforts at unity are justified. But surely most of the divisions we endure are unnecessary if, in fact, Jesus Christ the crucified, in whom we have all been baptized, is not divided. As we come closer to Jesus Christ, Christ the Center (as Bonhoeffer called him), we will grow closer to one another. How we should proceed toward unity is a matter of healthy debate. That we should continue to move closer to one another is not.

Timothy George is dean of Beeson Divinity School of Samford University and an executive editor of Christianity Today. This article is adapted from The Mark of Jesus: Loving in a Way the World Can See, written by George and John Woodbridge (Moody Publishers, 2005).

Copyright © 2005 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.

Other CT articles on church division and ecumenism include:

No-Fault Division? | It may be time for mainline churches to consider an amicable divorce. A Christianity Today editorial (July 01, 2004)

A Distinctive People | A new document from Evangelicals and Catholics Together challenges narcissism, individualism, and spiritual sloth. (March 03, 2005)

Christians Form Broad Alliance | Christian Churches Together in the USA announces it will launch once 25 denominations join. (March 25, 2003)

Whither Christian Unity? | The WCC and the WEA represent very different paths. One of them has real promise. (Aug. 09, 2002)

Slovakia's Catholics and Lutherans Reach Agreement on Baptism | Signing clears the way for the common celebration of other inter-church accords. (June 21, 2001)

Koreans Plan Historic Easter Prayer for Christian Unity |Taking advantage of calendar anomaly, Protestants, Catholics, and Orthodox will celebrate together. (March 12, 2001)

The New Ecumenists | At the Vine, emerging Christian leaders are reinterpreting the meaning of church unity. (Feb. 5, 2001)

Seeds for a '100-Year' Peace Process | Ecumenical summit leaves religious leaders cautiously hopeful for gradual change. (Sept. 6, 2000)

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July 2005, Vol. 49, No. 7