04/13/07
R.L. Dabney on Christian Unity
This quote comes from R.L. Dabney and is drawn from his Discussions. It deals with the always-difficult subject of unity among Christians. Dabney writes realistically about the implausibility of Christians, mere men, agreeing on disputable issues such as church government. I find this quote timely as I think about associations like Together for the Gospel or even the Twin Lakes Fellowship, groups and events that are deliberate about looking beyond disputable matters and joining forces around the gospel—around the main thing.
Men, being fallible, always have differed, and always will honestly differ in details. How vain is it to expect anything else, when we look soberly over the past history of opinion; when we remember that the different races are reared under different climes, languages, political institutions, and social usages, all of which have an unavoidable effect upon their habitudes of thought; when we consider the limitation and weakness of man’s understanding; and, above all, when we bear in mind that he is at best a sinner, imperfectly sanctified, with passions and prejudices still subsisting. Men cannot be made to think exactly alike, if they think honestly, and this simply because they are men.
Comments (10) »
1. Randy Hurst
April 13, 2007
11:10 PM
Hi Tim. I vicariously relished the Twin Lakes experience with you through your bloggings. Thanks.
Now, with this post, you are teasingly toying with me (I know you didn’t mean anything personal …that’s just my narcissism rearing its ugly head).
You write: “Dabney writes realistically about the implausibility of Christians, mere men, agreeing on disputable issues such as church government.” Anyone who has attended an old fashioned Baptist business meeting would soundly Amen that sentence. Especially in the days before authoritarian pastorships began to squelch “deacon” boards.
Are we missing the point that though we will always have the poor, the wars, and sinful human nature around to keep us busy, our very mission is to preach “one” kingdom of God…not the 31 Flavors of Faith? Christ fervently prayed for or unity. That unity does not turn us into Stepford Saints. We just begin to work together as one body (to use Paul’s analogy). Making excuses for not allowing Him to do that unifying work in us is defeatism. The unifying supernatural connections that He makes between the people in my life everyday often makes me shake my head in disbelief…I mean belief! Our frequent family feuding is an anti-witness. I hear a campfire song coming on… “We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord…”
2. Joel
April 13, 2007
11:55 PM
Randy, I suspect I agree with you more than you would agree with me on that comment. :)
3. Joel
April 13, 2007
11:57 PM
However, I also think I have to agree with Dabney as well, if I understand him correctly. We should have unity, and one day we will. Given the state of Christendom since 1517 (or 1084, depending), I doubt that’s likely to happen before the Lord returns.
4. Ken Davis
April 14, 2007
8:03 AM
“Dabney writes realistically about the implausibility of Christians, mere men, agreeing on disputable issues such as church government.”
I find it interesting that in the quote you provide from Dabney he makes no mention of church government but does refer to race. He took his defense of the implausibility of agreement on disputable issues into the realm of race to justify his horrible views (even in his own day) of black people.
Dabney did write good stuff, but when it came to the issue of race he simply lost his mind, to put it kindly. He would lump together such disputable matters of baptism and church government in with integrated worship and other race related matters. In the provided quote he makes it sound like different cultural tastes are the reason not to come together in worship. His views were a lot less innocuous than that.
But quoting Dabney on this does raise the whole issue of how we determine what is truly legitimately disputable and what is sinful. And how much should the non christian attitudes of people effect our using them, in areas where they are clearly sound?
Maybe that new book about discernment will help (?)
5. Armen
April 14, 2007
8:27 AM
I normally don’t appreciate people hijacking a post with a url to their own posts. However, I have recently posted on ‘Contrasts Within The Body Of Christ’ Some might find it interesting.
6. Blake
April 14, 2007
9:46 AM
Dabney’s quote is ridiculous! Everyone should just join the Orthodox Presbyterian Church.
7. Joel
April 14, 2007
11:46 AM
Everyone should just join the Orthodox Presbyterian Church.
Don’t be silly, Blake. Who would there be to condemn as heretics? If we all joined together, we’d have to have a schism just to keep the starbellied sneetches happy. :)
8. Brian @ voiceofthesheep
April 14, 2007
1:04 PM
Is Dabney in this quote attempting to provide a valid excuse along racial lines for disunity within the church?
Yes, men are men…but that is no excuse for the absence of unity along some of the lines Dabney has listed in the quote (racial, social, political, etc.).
9. aires
April 14, 2007
1:08 PM
The best booklet I have read on Christian unity is “The Basis of Christian Unity” by Martyn Lloyd-Jones
10. BrianW
April 14, 2007
11:31 PM
You didn’t say that the T4G folks are trying to look past disputable matters to the gospel, did you? How laughable. Since the T4G folks want to move past the periphery, I’m only guessing they put their “core” beliefs in their statement of faith. Oddly, this includes things like expository preaching, complimentarianism and congregational approaches to church discipleship. How in the world can anyone say the T4G folks are trying to move past secondary issues to the gospel with a statement of faith like this?