The CofE is split on sexuality, but structural differentiation is wrong. Christ calls us to unity

Most Rev Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury was recently interviewed by Alastair Campbell and Rory Stewart. The conversation has generated widespread headlines. But whatever you believe about the theological and political perspectives he shared, there was one thing he said that I hope we can agree is deeply biblical.

“Every Christian is a brother or sister in Christ…You might really disagree with them passionately, but they’re still your family. And Christians are a family.”

This is a familiar but wondrous concept. As it says in Romans 12:5: “In Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others”. Throughout the New Testament we are reminded that all who belong to Christ are ‘one body’, united irrevocably with all Christians throughout the world and throughout the ages (see, for example, 1 Corinthians 12:12-31; Galatians 3:28). Note that this is true even if we profoundly disagree on many things. We will one day shout with joyful praise together as part of the one “great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language” gloriously described in Revelation 7:9.

Crucially, this still applies despite the bitter acrimony within the Church of England over Living in Love and Faith (LLF), which has culminated in the call by some (eg the Alliance and Church of England Evangelical Council) to “structural differentiation”, enabling those who hold a particular view to be formally “differentiated” from others. 

Whatever the intentions, I am concerned this formal division within the body of Christ seems - ironically - profoundly opposed to clear teaching of scripture. Here are four reasons why:

1. There is no good biblical precedent for structural differentiation

Scripture contains references to redemptive discipline involving individuals (eg 1 Corinthians 5) and separation from worldly values (2 Corinthians 6:16-18), but nothing about structural division is ever applied corporately within the true body of Christ.

Of course, there’s plenty of historical ‘precedent’ for division. Indeed, the Church has been ‘divided’ thousands of times throughout her two millennia – into an estimated 45,000 denominations! Human organisations, whether faith-based or secular, have a tragic tendency to fragment.

Yet we are called to a better path: in scripture we are commanded to be one in Christ (see Ephesians 4:3-6). If we are faithful to God’s word, we must accept the hard teaching that our relational divisions are offensive in his eyes. Unity is a matter of obedience to Christ 

2. ‘Dissensions’ are listed among the “acts of the flesh”

Scripture teaches that the oneness of God’s people must be guarded from our human tendency to engage in ‘dissensions’ and ‘factions’.

“The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like” (Galatians 5:19-21, emphasis mine).

Separation based on disagreement may feel reasonable, expedient, even comfortable. It can certainly seem preferable to staying around the same table with siblings in Christ whose doctrinal difference feels awkward. But Christ commands us to stay around the one table! What else is the meaning of “one loaf” (1 Corinthians 10:17)?

Christ commands us to stay around the one table! 

If we share one table, with Christ reclining beside us, we must also abandon the financial threatening, political manoeuvring and derogatory, ungenerous, insulting language. Let’s also stop the blame-shifting. It is utterly dishonest to try to blame division on someone else, if we are the very ones calling for separation and differentiation. Do we not see that we risk being characterised by ‘hatred’ and ‘discord’, those “acts of the flesh” so grievous to our Lord?

3. The non-negotiability of unity between Jews and Gentiles

The deep theological differences between Jews and Gentiles could have been resolved with two ‘parallel provinces’ within the fledgling Church. Yet we know that this is utterly opposed in the strongest terms throughout the New Testament – such as when Cephas (Peter) decides to ‘differentiate’ himself from the Gentiles, effectively ‘breaking communion’ by avoiding eating with them. Here is Paul’s response (Galatians 2:11-12,14): “When Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. For before certain men came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself from the Gentiles…I saw that they were not acting in line with the truth of the gospel.”

Formal divisions are a grievous sin against Christ’s body

Peter fails to act “in line with the truth of the gospel”. The gospel is non-negotiable in that everyone who belongs to Christ joins one family, where formal divisions, no matter how right they seem in our own eyes, are a grievous sin against his body (1 Corinthians 12:13,25). Perhaps this hard call to unity is one of the less spoken-of aspects of the cross he calls us to carry (Matthew 16:24)?

4. Scripture insists that we ‘need’ one another

Scripture tells us in no uncertain terms: “As it is, there are many parts, but one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I don’t need you!’ And the head cannot say to the feet, ‘I don’t need you!’” (1 Corinthians 12:20-21).

We ignore our Lord’s clear teaching on this to our peril, and to the peril of the nation that we so long to reach with the love of Christ. No matter how hard it is, this is non-negotiable: Christ commands us to be one, as we will be manifestly when he comes again in glory – for he has caused us to need one another.

Do we not realise all our divisive structures and differentiations will be burned up in the fiery gaze of his presence? Why do we pour our zeal into such vanity that we will ultimately be ashamed of when we see him face-to-face? Imagine if all the time, energy and ingenuity spent on these controversies were poured instead into earnest, intense, united prayer for revival.