Unity
There is an old adage that says that "a camel is a horse designed by a committee." A camel is a very strange-looking creature indeed.
Wikipedia tells us that the expression, "design by committee", has become a pejorative term for a project that has many designers involved but no unifying plan or vision. The most powerful and effective designs in any endeavor are those which reflect the expression of a single individual (or group of like-minded individuals) whose creative vision is constructed exactly as imagined. Generally speaking, "design by committee" is design by compromise and will never produce the power of expression formed by a single, unified, unmanipulated plan. The call for unity in the Bible is a plea for all Christians to stick to the plan.
The seventeenth chapter of the Gospel of John might be the most powerful passage in a book that is chock-full of powerful passages. John 17 - often referred to as "The High Priestly Prayer" - is Jesus' final appeal to his Father on behalf of his disciples before being arrested. Perhaps the most ardent plea in this powerful prayer is for unity among the believers.
And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one. (John 17:11 ESV)
that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, (John 17:21-22 ESV)
I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me. (John 17:23 ESV)
Jesus seemed to know that when people gather in a collective group of disparate entities, the tendency is toward compromise, and that unless the gathering is guided by a single, powerful, unified message dedicated to the original vision, "group-think" and design-by-committee corruption can prevail. So he prayed for "oneness" among his disciples.
Nothing New
The call for unity among God's people is not a new concept. In the Old Testament writings, we find that God prepared wonderful blessings when there was a "oneness" among his people :
A Song of Ascents. Of David. Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity! (Psalm 133:1 ESV)
We see that the nation of Israel was their strongest and most effective when they were unified under the word of God.
all the people came together as one in the square before the Water Gate. They told Ezra the teacher of the Law to bring out the Book of the Law of Moses, which the LORD had commanded for Israel. (Nehemiah 8:1 NIV)
Unity, Not Uniformity
To be clear, although it is popular these days to speak in terms of diversity and inclusion with regard to ethnicity and social class, the Christian faith seeks unity in the message, not uniformity in the social complexion of its messengers. True Christianity is not a respecter of race, ethnicity, gender, social class, or political bent. The apostle Paul makes this clear in his writings.
And from those who seemed to be influential (what they were makes no difference to me; God shows no partiality)--those, I say, who seemed influential added nothing to me. (Galatians 2:6 ESV)
For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. (Romans 10:12 ESV)
Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all. (Colossians 3:11 NIV)
Yet while the messengers may be diverse, God did not allow for diversity in the message. Only the one, true gospel has the power of salvation for all who believe (Rom 1:16). Any deviation from the message as presented in the Scriptures will only empty the cross of its power to save. God did not allow for diversity or compromise in the plan.
I would also propose that unity - not uniformity - in presentation is the Christian mandate. There is but one gospel, but there are many acceptable ways to "live out our Christian faith"- many ways to express, the true Christian message, many ways to be true to the divine vision. There is no single, prescribed manner or method of worship or service. Any claim to the contrary is cultic and needs to be shunned. Paul encourages us to simply live a life "worthy of the gospel of Christ" (Philippians 1:27).
Final Thought
God has provided a single, unified message of salvation that has been passed on to the world by his apostles, the "guarantors of the tradition”. They were to ensure the accurate relaying of the truth exactly as taught by Jesus. This simply means that all Christian doctrine, all gospel messages, all preaching and teaching, needs to be rooted in the "God-breathed" writings of the apostles - the New Testament gospels and letters. Much of the ineffectiveness of many gospel presentations can be attributed to the "design by committee" corruptions that often infiltrate the clarity and focus of the simple, powerful gospel message as presented by the apostles in Scripture.
There is only one vision, one gospel, one plan; the singular, uncompromised plan of the true God to save the world through his Son, Jesus Christ. Any other "gospel" is a "camel" - a design-by-committee appeal - which is no gospel at all. When it comes to faith and the body of Christ, unity - not diversity - is our strength.
"The same Lord is Lord of all . . . Christ is all, and is in all."
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