Why Unity in the Church is Important

(Philippians 4:2-3)

These verses today indicate why unity in the church is important. It is apparent from the scriptures that there was some disagreement between some members of the Philippians church.

Paul is quite clear that there should be no disagreements. He instructs the people in question to sort out their disagreements and for those with them to help them.

Today we will look at this and try to understand why unity in the church is important.

Do we have unity in the church today?

When we look at the number of churches and all of the splinter groups, the answer to this question is clearly, No.

The church for all the good it does or can do is not unified. There has been infighting between factions in the church for hundreds of years. And worse, even within some churches there is infighting between the factions of that specific church itself.

This should not be so. Fighting and arguments will not lead us to the kingdom of God.

The true church of God must be unified. Think about this for a moment. We are being called to eventually enter the kingdom of God. Do you think that God wants a divisive, argumentative and non-unified people in His eternal kingdom?

Of course he doesn’t. He wants His people to be as one with each other, with Jesus Christ, and with God

So why is there no unity in the church today? Why is there such disparity of beliefs and opinions within the church?

There are several possible answers to this question. But I believe the root cause is a failure to seek and follow the truth of Jesus Christ.

There is so much false teaching and error in the doctrines of the church that many have gone astray. Divisive preachers driven by the guile of the devil have led the church astray causing divisions. We have even seen wars waged over differences in religious beliefs with both sides claiming to serve Christ.

If this is ever to be rectified then the church needs to go back to the fundamentals. The church needs to return to the scriptures with prayer to seek the truth.

We are meant to live together as one. This is why unity in the church is important, so that we can all be of one mind and heart in Christ.

Why Unity in the Church is Important

Before going any further let us look at the scripture in question.

2 I entreat Eu-o’dia and I entreat Syn’tyche to agree in the Lord. 3 And I ask you also, true yokefellow, help these women, for they have labored side by side with me in the gospel together with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life. (Philippians 4:2-3)

In the words of verse 2 we see the first reason why unity in the church is important.

Paul tells these two women to agree. They had some disagreement with each other that was not helpful for either of them or the church.

Disagreements between people does not just upset those involved. It has a negative effect on those around them also.

What starts out as a disagreement between two people can have the effect of escalating into a full blown war. One of the things that Paul warns against as being evil is “party spirit.”

19 Now the works of the flesh are plain: fornication, impurity, licentiousness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, anger, selfishness, dissension, party spirit, 21 envy, drunkenness, carousing, and the like. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. (Galatians 5:19-21 my emphasis)

Party spirit is not about going out to wild, drunken parties. It is about separating into opposing parties over an issue or matter based upon disagreements. We see it all around us in the world today. Political parties are an example where groups of people form in opposition to others on the basis of differing philosophies.

Why is party spirit a problem, you may ask? It is a problem because it divides people. It does not lead to unity but to division.

That is why unity in the church is important. It is important because in Christ there should be no divisions and disagreements.

In the case of the two women in the Philippians church, let’s extrapolate to where this could lead.

The two women are in disagreement over something. They may go home and speak to friends about their grievances to get them on side. This will lead to dissension and arguments and the forming of opposing parties. This could spill over into the church causing divisions in the church. And finally, if left unchecked it may divide the church.

That’s why Paul wanted these women to resolve their differences and why he asked others to help them do so.

It was to help the church to find a place of unity. Arguments and bickering take away peace, which destroys unity. We are to learn to be at peace within ourselves and with others.

This is another reason why unity in the church is important. It is for keeping peace within the church.

How to find and build unity in the church

Paul has shown us a beginning in these words. Whenever there is disagreement between brothers, they should make every effort to resolve their differences. If they cannot resolve them, then others should help them as impartial and objective observers.

Jesus gave us a process that can be followed to try and resolve differences. His words are a progressive process to be followed.

15 “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. 16 But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses. 17 If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. 18 Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound (Matthew 18:15-18)

Here is a process for dealing with differences. It speaks about sin in this verse, but the process can be applied to other applications as well. The point is that we are trying to find unity between the brethren, whether it is because of sin or disagreements.

The first step is to go to them and discuss the issue. Unity and peace will be restored if agreement can be reached .

However, if the disagreement still exists, then take along others to help resolve the issue. Again, unity and peace will be restored if agreement can be reached.

If agreement cannot be reached the church should be advised. The church can discuss the issue to find a solution and restore peace. The opposers must go to restore peace and unity to the church. This will ensure they cannot negatively affect the rest of the body.

These things must be done for peace and unity among the brethren. The church should be a place of refuge and learning. It should be a place of praise and worship, not a place for division, argument and disagreements. This is why unity in the church is important.

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