"Indivisible, with liberty..."
by Dean Gibson

The above title is taken from our pledge of allegiance to the flag, but it expresses an idea from the Scriptures. Several passages express the first idea:

"Upon this rock I will build my church" Matt 16:18
"A house divided against itself will not stand" Matt 12:25
"That you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you" 1 Cor 1:10
"There is one body" "the church, which is His body" Eph 4:4; 1:22,23

Several early restoration preachers (so-called because they were trying to restore the original, indivisible Church in a divided religious world) expressed the idea as: "In doctrine, unity; in opinion, liberty." By that they meant that in matters on which the Bible spoke (like baptism, communion), all would unite on the Scripture itself; and on matters where the Bible was silent, there would be freedom of opinion. Cf. Rom 14:10-"But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ." It was believed that all churches would surely see the wisdom of this idea and then the only problem would be to determine whether an issue was a matter of doctrine (to be decided by the Bible), or a matter of opinion (which would not be bound upon anyone, but neither cause one to stumble).

This idea worked well at times and unity was experienced by some for many years, but it was not received by the denominations as enthusiastically as was hoped, for various reasons. But one would imagine that within the very church which was restored by application of the unity-liberty principle, it would work. It worked in the time of the apostles over the matter of circumcision of new converts. In Acts 15, the letter written stated that the apostles "gave no such commandment" vs 24, so the "burden" of circumcision was not bound upon any. It was left up to each person, family, culture to exercise their freedom of opinion. Strangely, when the letter was delivered, "When they had read it, they rejoiced over its encouragement" vs 31. How different their reaction than what we often see today over the questions which divide us. Are the questions more difficult than circumcision, idols, meat, etc. were then? Or, did the Christians of the day who were in close fellowship with the apostles have an attitude which enabled them to maintain unity with liberty of opinion? What would that attitude be?