Christian Cooperation and Separation - John R Rice
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<strong>Christian</strong> <strong>Cooperation</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Separation</strong><br />
saying of modernists. They say the “sc<strong>and</strong>al” of so many<br />
denominations. They are wacky. Nobody is home upstairs.<br />
They have bats in the belfry, rooms to let in the upper story,<br />
unfurnished. Their elevator doesn’t go to the top floor.<br />
The Bible does not say it would be wonderful if we all<br />
would get in one big worldly church. But they say the Lord<br />
Jesus prayed that we might be one. But He didn’t pray that we<br />
would be in one big super-catholic church. That is not what<br />
God is talking about. He is not talking about an organic unity.<br />
The whole business of a big man-made denomination is utterly<br />
unknown in the New Testament.<br />
Down south years ago Dr. J. B. Gambrell, a very wise, good<br />
man, said, “God wants unity, but not necessarily union with<br />
everybody.” He said, “You tie two cats’ tails together <strong>and</strong> hang<br />
them over a clothesline <strong>and</strong> you have union, but you lack a<br />
good deal of having unity.”<br />
The Bible does not say we all ought to get in one big superchurch.<br />
No! Not organic union, but a loving underst<strong>and</strong>ing <strong>and</strong><br />
loving fellowship <strong>and</strong> loving cooperation with people who are of<br />
like mind about Christ <strong>and</strong> the Bible <strong>and</strong> soul winning is<br />
proper.<br />
Minor Differences Should Not Prevent <strong>Cooperation</strong><br />
of Brotherly <strong>Christian</strong>s<br />
“I am a companion of all them that fear thee, <strong>and</strong> of them<br />
that keep thy precepts.” That fellowship among <strong>Christian</strong>s is<br />
not to be broken by minor differences in doctrine <strong>and</strong> in<br />
methods.<br />
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