Recently I’ve been thinking about what could be the minimal basis upon which to have unity among Christians. I offer the following five propositions:
1) a shared confession that the 66 books of the Bible are God’s inerrant Word.
Old Testament: 2 Timothy 3:16-17
“Every scripture is inspired by God and useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the person dedicated to God may be capable and equipped for every good work.”
John 10:35
Jesus: “The scripture cannot be broken.”
Gospels: John 14:25-26
“I have spoken these things while staying with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and will cause you to remember everything I said to you.”
Epistles: Galatians 1:11-12
“Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel I preached is not of human origin. For I did not receive it or learn it from any human source; instead I received it by a revelation of Jesus Christ.”
2 Peter 3:15-16
“And regard the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as also our dear brother Paul wrote to you, according to the wisdom given to him, speaking of these things in all his letters. Some things in these letters are hard to understand, things the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they also do to the rest of the scriptures.”
2) a personal submission to Jesus Christ as “my Lord and my God!”
John 20:28 — “Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!”
3) a commitment to obey God the Father’s command, “Listen to him!”
Mark 9:7 — “Then a cloud appeared and covered them, and a voice came from the cloud: “This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!”
4) a profound regard for the intrinsic and infinite value to God of every man, woman, and child.
John 3:16-17 — “For this is the way God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world should be saved through him.”
1 John 2:2 — “And he (Jesus) himself is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for our sins but also for the whole world.”
1 Peter 1:18-19 — “You know that from your empty way of life inherited from your ancestors you were ransomed—not by perishable things like silver or gold, but by precious blood like that of an unblemished and spotless lamb, namely Christ.”
5) a tenderhearted acceptance of other believers who, while holding to 1-4 above, may have varied convictions regarding disputable matters, systems of church organization, worship, and outreach, or regarding what they believe the Lord Jesus personally calls them to be, do, or avoid.
Romans 15:7 — “Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.”

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