We have been talking about Christian unity. A look at history shows that the various branches of Christianity have been fighting each other for centuries. In the 2nd and 3rd centuries, Christians argued over the question of whether Jesus was God or man or both. In their attempts to win the argument for their position, they persecuted those who disagreed with them including resorting to mob violence (a 2nd century Antifa) to impose their will on the other. They excommunicated each other and used the power of the state (when possible) to coerce the other side. “As contemporary historian Ammianus said, ‘no wild beasts are such enemies to mankind as are most Christians in their deadly hatred of one another’”. [1] In the centuries since then, we have dialed back the violence but we still consider the various other versions of Christianity to be heretical and do not treat them as our brothers and sisters in Christ.
How can Christians claim to be Christians when they exhibit such unchristian behavior? Does not Christ tell us to love our enemies and to pray for those who persecute us (Matthew 5:44)? If we are to treat our enemies this way, how much more civilly should we treat our fellow Christians.
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[1] Richard E. Rubenstein. When Jesus Became God. Orlando: Harcourt, Inc., 1999, p. 194. Kindle edition, Loc. 2937.
