ECUMENICAL MOVEMENT
This movement, sometimes called ecumenism, is the idea of uniting all denominations and beliefs together for the sake of cooperating and working together. But in order to do this, our different doctrinal beliefs would have to be put aside, so as not to offend those who hold other beliefs, and focus only on what we do agree on. This ends up being a compromise and in violation of what Scripture teaches. Eventually all that can be agreed upon for sake of unity with those of false beliefs is, “God is love.” They believe we can get more done if we compromise and hold hands with those who deny the great truths of the Bible. Jesus did not work with the Pharisees or the Sadducees in order to change Israel and the world, but instead rebuked them. If someone wants to go to an elected official and tell him or her what he thinks about a moral issue, good. John the Baptist told King Herod what he believed, but he did not ask the Sadducees and the Pharisees to help him; instead, he rebuked them (Matthew 3:7–10). To be sure, this all needs to be tempered with wisdom. Christ certainly did not go around rebuking everyone, but dealt differently with each person He met, and we need His wisdom. He said, “Be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves” (Matthew 10:16). We do not want to scare away those we are trying to reach. We are to be “zealous” (Galatians 4:18), but we are not fanatics, and we will not win people to Jesus that hate us or we hate; that only makes us part of the problem.
There are churches today that do not believe in the bodily resurrection of Christ but say it was only a spiritual resurrection, or worship on Saturday and not Sunday, or deny the inerrancy of the Scripture, or believe the word of a man is as high as the Word of God, or that Jesus is only one way to heaven but not the only way, etc. Should I ignore these differences in order to be under one big umbrella of religion? Who would be in charge of such a group? Who would they help? Is not Christ powerful enough to accomplish things, without their help? It has been said, “God in one man is a majority.”
Some have quoted John 17, where Christ prays for his followers to be “all one,” as a reason to compromise over the truth and unite. But this same chapter teaches us that we are sanctified through “truth” (John 17:17–19). In Ephesians 4:3–5, it teaches that in order to “keep the unity,” there was to be only one teaching of the great truths of the Bible, “one Lord, one faith, one baptism,” etc. Did not Jesus tell us to be careful of the false beliefs of others? (Matthew 16:6–11). Does not the Bible tell us to “avoid” those with false doctrine? “Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them” (Romans 16:17). The Bible says, “Ye should earnestly contend for the faith” (Jude v. 3). Christ told us, “Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:20). Should we embrace the teaching that there are many ways of salvation and many Christs? “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6). Were the apostles wrong who taught “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved”? (Acts 4:12).
This movement, sometimes called ecumenism, is the idea of uniting all denominations and beliefs together for the sake of cooperating and working together. But in order to do this, our different doctrinal beliefs would have to be put aside, so as not to offend those who hold other beliefs, and focus only on what we do agree on. This ends up being a compromise and in violation of what Scripture teaches. Eventually all that can be agreed upon for sake of unity with those of false beliefs is, “God is love.” They believe we can get more done if we compromise and hold hands with those who deny the great truths of the Bible. Jesus did not work with the Pharisees or the Sadducees in order to change Israel and the world, but instead rebuked them. If someone wants to go to an elected official and tell him or her what he thinks about a moral issue, good. John the Baptist told King Herod what he believed, but he did not ask the Sadducees and the Pharisees to help him; instead, he rebuked them (Matthew 3:7–10). To be sure, this all needs to be tempered with wisdom. Christ certainly did not go around rebuking everyone, but dealt differently with each person He met, and we need His wisdom. He said, “Be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves” (Matthew 10:16). We do not want to scare away those we are trying to reach. We are to be “zealous” (Galatians 4:18), but we are not fanatics, and we will not win people to Jesus that hate us or we hate; that only makes us part of the problem.
There are churches today that do not believe in the bodily resurrection of Christ but say it was only a spiritual resurrection, or worship on Saturday and not Sunday, or deny the inerrancy of the Scripture, or believe the word of a man is as high as the Word of God, or that Jesus is only one way to heaven but not the only way, etc. Should I ignore these differences in order to be under one big umbrella of religion? Who would be in charge of such a group? Who would they help? Is not Christ powerful enough to accomplish things, without their help? It has been said, “God in one man is a majority.”
Some have quoted John 17, where Christ prays for his followers to be “all one,” as a reason to compromise over the truth and unite. But this same chapter teaches us that we are sanctified through “truth” (John 17:17–19). In Ephesians 4:3–5, it teaches that in order to “keep the unity,” there was to be only one teaching of the great truths of the Bible, “one Lord, one faith, one baptism,” etc. Did not Jesus tell us to be careful of the false beliefs of others? (Matthew 16:6–11). Does not the Bible tell us to “avoid” those with false doctrine? “Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them” (Romans 16:17). The Bible says, “Ye should earnestly contend for the faith” (Jude v. 3). Christ told us, “Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:20). Should we embrace the teaching that there are many ways of salvation and many Christs? “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6). Were the apostles wrong who taught “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved”? (Acts 4:12).
