As we consider degrees of importance, we soon come to 1 Corinthians 15.
I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures (1 Corinthians 15:3-4).
It is easy to say, “The first verses of 1 Corinthains 15 provide all we need for unity: belief in Christ’s death, burial and resurrection. That is the all-sufficient basis—the ‘one faith’—on which we all can unite.” Paul well knows there are other great truths, as his literal wording shows: “I delivered in first things.” If Christ’s death, burial and resurrection are in or among first things, what are other things of first importance?
Can a few verses serve as a shortcut to “one faith”?
- How about the God of the greatest command, is He important?
- What about the supreme truth and confession, “Jesus is Lord”?
- Where, in these few verses of 1 Corinthians 15, is Jesus’ ascension to reign at the Father’s right hand? That truth was central to Peter’s declaration of the Gospel in Acts 2.
- Belief is mentioned in 1 Corinthians 15, but where is repentance, without which we will surely perish? (Luke 13:3, 5).
- Where is the new birth, which Jesus declared to be essential? (John 3:3-6).
Of course, Paul’s digest of the Gospel in 1 Corinthian 15 has no intention of leaving out other essentials. He gives another summary in 1 Corinthians 2:2, “I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.” Is Paul rejecting Christ’s resurrection? Of course not! Summaries are valid for their purpose. In 1 Corinthians 2, Paul’s purpose is to contrast his preaching with Greek “wisdom.” In 1 Corinthians 15, Paul’s purpose is to introduce a broader discussion of resurrection. In neither case is Paul’s purpose to establish the formal platform for unity. Summaries, however, are tempting as shortcuts for creating ecumenical unity. “We can all unite on…
- belief that there is one God.” Unfortunately, that might unite us with demons who have the same belief (James 2:19). Virtually all the heretical groups described in the New Testament would have been comfortable with confessing one God.
- the confession that ‘Jesus is Lord’ or ‘Jesus is the Son of God’.” Unfortunately, that might unite us with unclean spirits (Mark 3:11). It might join us to those with whom Jesus has no relationship. He condemns those who call Him “Lord, Lord,” while disregarding His will (Matthew 7:21-23). Also, “believers” can easily make such confessions while attacking other essential truths, as was the case with the Circumcision Party (Acts 15:5).
- adopting an official statement such as the Creed of Nicaea.” Constantine was the first Roman emperor to accept Christianity. Concerned that disputes among Christians affected his empire’s unity, Constantine assembled the Council of Nicaea to define the orthodox faith (A.D. 325). That was a human initiative supervised by an earthly king who, at the time, had not been baptized. Yet even today, some treat the Nicene Creed as authoritative, the very foundation for all Christian unity. The classic creeds affirm basic truths but, like all summaries, they cannot state all essentials. There are other considerations: Can mere men define the “one faith” with better words than God used in His inspired Scriptures? Did God authorize Nicaea or subsequent councils? The Nicene Creed was a product of its time. It addressed issues that were pressing at that moment in history. But it could not anticipate future issues. How then can it be claimed as the formal and abiding basis for unity today?
- agreements by today’s ecumenical councils.” While well-intentioned, such councils endorse the major divisions represented by their members. Their “unity” efforts, therefore, are more about mutual acceptance and improved cooperation.
Many such efforts are sincere and cite Jesus’ prayer in John 17. But they fall far short of the unity Jesus envisioned. He prayed, “that they [believers] may be one even as We are one, I in them and You in Me, that they may become perfectly one” (John 17:22-23). Jesus did not merely want factions to get along, giving a better impression to the world. He looked to the Father for maximal unity that faithfully reflected Deity’s perfection. Modern efforts go in the opposite direction, looking for minimal unions. For human alliances to work they must be based on the lowest common denominators on which humans can agree. Jesus holds us to the much higher standard—His own “one faith”—that truly honors His Father.
Jesus’ unity is more than actions getting along better.