How Can We All Learn To Teach the Same Things?

How Can We All Join Together Into “One Body”?

            This information is for everyone who respects what the Bible has to say about “All Christian people teaching the same things”.

            The Bible tells us to be “Joined together into one body” and “To be united as one, like God and Christ are one”. Let’s review these Scriptures together.

John 17:20-23 (NKJV)

             “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.

1 Corinthians 1:10 (NKJV)

             Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.  

1 Corinthians 12:12-13 (NKJV)

            For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body--whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free–and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.

Ephesians 5:23 (NKJV)

            For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body.  

Colossians 1:24 (NKJV)

            I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church,

Now, what have we learned with these Scriptures?

1. Jesus prayed for everyone who would believe on Him, that we would all be united as one as He and God were one. This means we are to be united in our beliefs, our doctrines, and      our fellowship. He did not intend for the church to separate into denominations, each with        different doctrines and statements of faith and creeds. In spite of Jesus’ prayer for unity,         people who call themselves Christian are not “one, as Jesus and God are one”.

2. We also learned from these Scriptures that the Apostle Paul gave instructions about unity in           our teaching. “that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no      divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and      in the same judgment.”  Paul spoke from inspiration and his words are inspired by the       Holy Spirit. We know these words are from God.

3. We also learned that we are all members of “The one body”.

4. We also learned that Christ is the head of the church and the church is the “body of       Christ”. “Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body”.

            And also; for the sake of His body, which is the church,  

            When we put all this information together we have learned this; Jesus and the Apostles instructed and pleaded with us to be unified into one body, the church. We are to teach the same things in unity and we are not to divide the “one body”. Jesus said in His prayer in the garden, that we are to be united as He and God are united “that the world might know that You sent Me.”  How true that statement is. The Devil has convinced the people of this world that division of the church is good. And somehow, even as illogical as it is, he has convinced people who call themselves Christians, that all these denominations somehow all are teaching the truth about Christian religion even though their doctrines are different and even contradict each other. You all know that what I am saying is true. Brothers, this is not right. We just read Scriptures that tell us that this division into denominations is not what God and Jesus had in mind for the “One Body, The Church”.

            The “plea” of the churches of Christ is; “that all those who believe in Jesus Christ and who call themselves Christians be joined together into one church and teach the same things”.

Carl O. Cooper