Is Christian Unity Really Possible?

[Friend_Of_Rome]

People must remeber the following things. It’s beginning to get a little annying seeing everyone placing labels on everyone else. "Dispensationalists, Conformists, Traditionalists, Modernists, etc. . . " [SIGN]We are Christian, first and foremost. [/SIGN]
Though this is true, some poeple purposely distance themselves from the Church Christ established. There is one denomination though, that has remained ever faithful to christ except on one small variation . . . The Orthodox. **No one seems to realize that the Orthodox have valid sacraments! **They do! Catholics are free to go to them if a Catholic clergyman is unavailable. The people with whom I have a problem are the people who trample on the sacrments, and spit on their validity. They are god given, and not for any of us to judge, debase, etc . . .

Also, if you notice, the only person thus far, in 100 posts, who posted a negaive feeling was an Episcopalian. That somewhat proves my point, doesn’t it. :tiphat: I tip my hat to you, who hath evoked such fire among the Church.

 

[spauline]

More argument? I bearly understand what you’ve written so far

I don’t know, maybe I’m not explaining this very well?

 

[Gottle_of_Geer]

AFAICS, visible & corporate Christian unity hasn’t existed since the Apostles - and IMHO, it never will. So it’s a waste of time to bother with it.​

What I do think exists, and cannot be broken, not even by man, is the unity of Christians in Christ - for that is upheld by God’s grace, not by Church discipline, or doctrines, or Apostolic Succession, or anything sociological: but by God alone. He is the Source of the life & identity of His Church - nothing in man or the world is.

That unity in Christ will be real & lasting even if all Churches currently existing are so utterly forgotten that future generations may wonder if they existed. The faithfulness of God has no need of them - He can always be faithful to the Church He has created in a way that is compatible with their deaths and the birth of new forms of Christianity; so they would be continuous with vanished Christianities by the fact of their existence in His Will

 

[Image_of_God]

AFAICS, visible & corporate Christian unity hasn’t existed since the Apostles - and IMHO, it never will. So it’s a waste of time to bother with it.​

What I do think exists, and cannot be broken, not even by man, is the unity of Christians in Christ - for that is upheld by God’s grace, not by Church discipline, or doctrines, or Apostolic Succession, or anything sociological: but by God alone. He is the Source of the life & identity of His Church - nothing in man or the world is.

That unity in Christ will be real & lasting even if all Churches currently existing are so utterly forgotten that future generations may wonder if they existed. The faithfulness of God has no need of them - He can always be faithful to the Church He has created in a way that is compatible with their deaths and the birth of new forms of Christianity; so they would be continuous with vanished Christianities by the fact of their existence in His Will

Sir, why do you go so far as to doubt the Power of our God? Is not everything possible for him? Have you limited God’s power to your own human comprehension?

Your idea of current Christianity can’t be right. Since Christ teaches the same thing, how can all these Christianities be right? Some of them would be contrary to what he believes. Your interpretation of the Christian Church as “One” is most certainly not the interpretation held by the Early Christian Fathers, or by St. Paul. Since so many Christianities that teach contrary things cannot possibly be the voice of Christ in the world at once, then doesn’t that mean there is a problem?