ecumenicalism noun
- The belief that there should be better understanding and closer co-operation between different denominations in the Christian Church, aimed at universal Christian love and unity.
The more I understand of the early Congregation during at least the first two centuries, the more I am in agreement with ecumenicalism, provided it meets the above definition. I am not talking about, nor do I agree with, the "ecumenicalism" that tolerates actual heresy and false prophets, teachers, and converts who are fleecing the flock. Following the first theological dispute that arose between Alexander of Alexandria and Arius, Hosius was the voice of wisdom telling them to basically "Drop it!":
"What then is our advice? It is this: That it was wrong in the first instance to propose such questions as these. Or to reply to them when propounded. For those points of discussion are not required by the authority of any law. Rather, they are suggested by the contentious spirit that is fostered by misused free time.
Even though they may be intended merely as an intellectual exercise, they certainly should be confined to the region of our own thoughts, and not hastily produced in the popular assemblies, nor unadvisedly entrusted to the general ear. For how very few are there who are able either to accurately comprehend or to adequately explain subjects so sublime and obscure in their nature."
All Christians should be united in their love toward one another in Christ Jesus. The hatred and fighting, which is an utter denial of Jesus and everything His kingdom stands for (love, mercy, faith, justice, and forgiveness), is diametrically opposed to everything Jesus taught in Scripture. Is this how we learned Christ? Christians certainly do not torture, imprison, burn at the stake, or otherwise commit violent atrocities against their fellow Christians. Genuine disciples of Jesus are never the ones who do the killing; they are the ones being killed. Real Christians are the ones who are persecuted; they are never the ones doing the persecuting.
Some of the early Christians no doubt held some erroneous beliefs, but that was not cause for cessation of fellowship. If it was not mentioned in Scripture, it simply was not talked about. Why divide over opinions, right or wrong? The in-fighting began with Alexander and Arius, and has not stopped since. The Congregation has never recovered from this blight. It has gotten less brutal than it once was, where people like Luther and Calvin would wage war against those who would not submit to their theological opinions, but it is still a far cry from how the early Christians behaved.
As I state on my Biblical Views & Beliefs page,
I do not promote the erroneous idea that Christian fellowship between believers hinges in any way upon agreement concerning secondary matters of faith. I also do not promote the erroneous idea that the children of God should be fellowshipping with those who merely have a religious veneer, who "profess to know God, but by their deeds they deny Him," "holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its [transforming] power"; God's Word commands us to "Avoid such men as these." The biblical basis of fellowship between believers is simply their confession of Jesus, and their striving to obey Him to the best of their ability, which requires reliance upon the Holy Spirit. Without the Holy Spirit, it is nothing but behavioural modification, which does not save. Matters pertaining to denominational practices are not the basis of Christian unity in the faith as brothers and sisters in the Lord. The Ephesians and Colossians loved "all the saints." Do you love all the saints, even those who believe differently than you do? Apart from primary matters of faith that concern salvation, each individual must wrestle with the Scriptures and reach his/her own personal conviction. Believers should know for themselves both what they believe and why they believe it. Denominations should not dictate doctrinal positions. That does not mean that we tolerate anything among ourselves that would be considered actual heresy or false teaching. The Word of God is our final authority on all matters pertaining to doctrine, congregational practice, family life, and personal holiness. Believers are to diligently search the Scriptures, submit to the Bible's teachings, and reform and conform themselves and their beliefs in accordance with what God's Word teaches.
Paul writes of both the Ephesians and the Colossians that they had love for “all the saints” (Eph. 1:15; Col. 1:4). How many professing “Christians” today can say the same? I want to fellowship with genuine believers from all denominations who truly belong to Christ Jesus. This means that you profess to believe, and trust, in Him and His work on the cross, and that your life is marked by change, demonstrating that you have truly encountered the living God and are putting sin to death in your life. We may come from different cultures and backgrounds, but we have the most amazing thing in common—the Lord Jesus and our salvation. If I meet a foreign Christian in the grocery store (who is on vacation), I want to invite him/her over for a meal and to fellowship. This is the love that demonstrates to the world that we are indeed Christians—followers of the Lord Jesus. Our encounter should not look like this: "You're a Christian? Me too! Well, have a nice day."
If you truly know Christ Jesus as your Lord and Saviour, and your life reflects Him and demonstrates that you have been touched by Him, and you are truly starving for genuine Christian fellowship, then please reach out to me. I would love to hear from you. You can contact me through my website: https://timothyklaver.com Please introduce yourself and tell me a bit about you. If you have prayer requests, please share them with me. Let us make a world-wide community of loving Christians.