Ecumenical?

[MoreCoffee]

What objectives do you pursue to achieve the unity among Jesus' followers as he prayed for?

John 17:9-19 RSV-CE I am praying for them; I am not praying for the world but for those whom thou hast given me, for they are thine; (10) all mine are thine, and thine are mine, and I am glorified in them. (11) And now I am no more in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to thee. Holy Father, keep them in thy name, which thou hast given me, that they may be one, even as we are one. (12) While I was with them, I kept them in thy name, which thou hast given me; I have guarded them, and none of them is lost but the son of perdition, that the scripture might be fulfilled. (13) But now I am coming to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves. (14) I have given them thy word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. (15) I do not pray that thou shouldst take them out of the world, but that thou shouldst keep them from the evil one. (16) They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. (17) Sanctify them in the truth; thy word is truth. (18) As thou didst send me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. (19) And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be consecrated in truth.

Jesus' prayer for unity served a purpose beyond the benefit of his current followers—it was also for the world, so that those who hear the call may come to believe.

 

[Lamb]

Sanctify them in the truth; thy word is truth.

Because of sin we'll never have true unity until Jesus returns and believers will have new bodies in a new Jerusalem.

But the part of the verse you quoted really stood out the most to speak about what we do and that's evangelize. We give them His Word, Law to convict them of their sins and the Gospel to change them from the Old Adam into the New.

 

[tango]

Unity is important but I think it's also important to consider the limitations.

Jesus warned of false christs and false prophets, Paul warned that after he had gone "vicious wolves will arise from among you" (emphasis mine). This tells us that people will look like their are one of us but really they aren't. When we spot them we need to drive them out rather than listen to pleas for unity.

Paul also said to the Galatians that anyone bringing a different gospel is accursed (literally "anathema"). It's hard to see how there can be unity between the church that that which we are told is anathema.

Of course the eternal question is how different views can be before we need to break unity. It would be a shame to break unity over things that are a matter of preference but sometimes we have to consider something is sufficiently deviant from Scripture to reject it and those who promote it.

 

[MoreCoffee]

But the part of the verse you quoted really stood out the most to speak about what we do and that's evangelize. We give them His Word, Law to convict them of their sins and the Gospel to change them from the Old Adam into the New.

I'm sure I quoted many verses in a single passage.

 

[Lamb]

I'm sure I quoted many verses in a single passage.

This is the part I meant to quote:
As thou didst send me into the world, so I have sent them into the world.

 

[BruceLeiter]

What objectives do you pursue to achieve the unity among Jesus' followers as he prayed for?

John 17:9-19 RSV-CE I am praying for them; I am not praying for the world but for those whom thou hast given me, for they are thine; (10) all mine are thine, and thine are mine, and I am glorified in them. (11) And now I am no more in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to thee. Holy Father, keep them in thy name, which thou hast given me, that they may be one, even as we are one. (12) While I was with them, I kept them in thy name, which thou hast given me; I have guarded them, and none of them is lost but the son of perdition, that the scripture might be fulfilled. (13) But now I am coming to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves. (14) I have given them thy word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. (15) I do not pray that thou shouldst take them out of the world, but that thou shouldst keep them from the evil one. (16) They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. (17) Sanctify them in the truth; thy word is truth. (18) As thou didst send me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. (19) And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be consecrated in truth.

Jesus' prayer for unity served a purpose beyond the benefit of his current followers—it was also for the world, so that those who hear the call may come to believe.

We all need unity around the truths of God's Word, but heresies should not be any basis for unity.