The various denominations, and the vaunted boasts of some churches to be the "only true visible church" (even if only within one geographic region), actually don't really tell us anything about the unity of the church.

Take for example RC or EO church(es). Within those bodies with single, or geographic "presence", there is a cacophany of dissent and division underneath the outward, visible unity. Really, the RCs won't even put people out of their church anymore, because if they did that too often they'd soon have many more rival Roman communions (more so than they have today, and they DO have them today). Once they stopped being able to have the civil authorities despatch their heretics, they soon stopped excommunicating. Just look at the time they have with their homo/pedo priests! They can't (won't) discipline anybody. So, as long as people obey the human authority of the church, swear allegiance to the pope, they can believe and teach whatever they want. If it isn't "official" teaching with an imprimatur, these days an RC can promulgate just about anything, with the caveat: "Of course, this isn't the official church-line."

The EOs seem like they just talk in vague generalities anyway, and so avoid making virtually any doctrinal committments. Do their churches even have a catechism, or catechisms? Since their iconodules overturned the iconoclasts' 7th Eccumenical Synod, and replaced it with an opposite ruling 7th Eccumenical Synod, Nicaea 2 (and started calling the previous synod a "local affair") they've just avoided doctrinal statements. So, these groups (east & west) have two different approaches to unity. But they both end up in the same place: outward unity, inner turmoil.

Believers in Christ have more in common with one another, regardless of affiliation, than the pope has with Hans Kung. I have more in common with a typical Reformed Baptist than I do with a typical PCUSA member. There is unity in all the church with respect to the truth of God's Word, remarkable unity really. Which means that really and truly, Jesus prayer has been heard and answered, and it is still being answered today, and we ought to expect further evidence of it (however that may look) in the future.

__________________
Rev. Bruce G. Buchanan
ChainOLakes Presbyterian Church, CentralLake, MI


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