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Chapter 45, The Purity and The Unity of The Church

The document discusses the purity and unity of the church. It defines purity as freedom from wrong doctrine and conduct, and conformity to God's will. Unity is freedom from divisions among Christians. The document lists signs of a pure church, such as biblical doctrine and personal holiness. It also discusses the spiritual unity commanded in the New Testament. The history of organizational separation in the church is briefly outlined, including the East-West schism and Protestant Reformation. There are three kinds of separation - formation of separate organizations, no cooperation, and no personal fellowship. Reasons for separation include doctrinal differences, matters of conscience, and practical considerations.

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322 views9 pages

Chapter 45, The Purity and The Unity of The Church

The document discusses the purity and unity of the church. It defines purity as freedom from wrong doctrine and conduct, and conformity to God's will. Unity is freedom from divisions among Christians. The document lists signs of a pure church, such as biblical doctrine and personal holiness. It also discusses the spiritual unity commanded in the New Testament. The history of organizational separation in the church is briefly outlined, including the East-West schism and Protestant Reformation. There are three kinds of separation - formation of separate organizations, no cooperation, and no personal fellowship. Reasons for separation include doctrinal differences, matters of conscience, and practical considerations.

Uploaded by

NIKKOLASI
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Chapter 45: The Purity and

Unity of the Church


A. More Pure and Less Pure Churches
• Paul’s letters to the Philippians and Thessalonians reveal that they
were relatively free from major doctrinal or
• moral problems (see Phil. 1:3-11; 4:10-16; 1 Thess. 1:2-10; 3:6-10, etc.),
as opposed to the serious problems
• reflected in Paul’s letters to the Galatians and Corinthians (see Gal.
1:6-9; 3:1-5; 1 Cor. 3:1-4; 4:18-21; 5:1-2; 6:1-
• 8, etc.).
B. Definitions of Purity and Unity

• Purity: The purity of the church is its degree of freedom from wrong
doctrine and conduct, and its degree of
• conformity to God’s revealed will for the church.
• Unity: The unity of the church is its degree of freedom from divisions among
true Christians.
C. Signs of a More Pure Church
• 1. Biblical doctrine (or right preaching of the Word)
• 2. Proper use of the sacraments (or ordinances)
• 3. Right use of church discipline
• 4. Genuine worship
• 5. Effective prayer
• 6. Effective witness
• 7. Effective fellowship
• 8. Biblical church government
cont
• 9. Spiritual power in ministry
• 10. Personal holiness of life among members
• 11. Care for the poor
• 12. Love for Christ
• we are to work for the purity of the v isible church
D. New Testament Teaching on the Unity of the Church
• --There is an actual spiritual unity in Christ [1 Cor. 1:2, Eph. 4:3-6]
• --Because of this actual unity, believers are commanded to live in
unity with one
• another, to avoid those who sow disunity, and to separate [1 Cor.
1:10, Rom. 16:17-18]
• we are to work for the unity of the visible church
E. Brief History of Organizational Separation in the Church
• 1054 A.D.—the Eastern (Orthodox) church separated from the
Western (Roman Catholic) church
• 1521—Martin Luther, who wanted to reform the Roman Catholic
church, was excommunicated
• 1525—the Anabaptists began to form churches of “believers only” in
Switzerland
• 1570—the Anglican (Episcopalian) church was excommunicated
[“We suffer schism, we did not cause it.”]
• [But in 1534 Parliament in England had passed laws placing the
Church of England outside of the control of the Church of Rome]
• In the centuries following the Reformation, Protestantism splintered
into hundreds of smaller groups.
Three kinds of separation:
• 1. The formation of separate organizations
• 2. “No cooperation”
• 3. “No personal fellowship”
F. Reasons for Separation
• 1. Doctrinal Reasons
• 2. Matters of Conscience [2 Cor. 6:14]
• 3. Practical Considerations
• 4. Are There Times When Cooperation and Personal Fellowship are
Prohibited?

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