What is a ‘church-dividing’ issue?

by Randy Freund

As in other Evangelical Lutheran Church in American
Churchwide Assembly years, before the assembly the mantra
again is being used: “These are not ‘church-dividing’”
issues. This is another way of saying that we can agree to
disagree and still be “united” as a church. It is also a
kind of caution (if not a warning) that it is somehow
disloyal to call the issues before the ELCA
“church-dividing.”

Before one could answer, “What is a church-dividing issue?”
one would have to be clear about what is meant by “the
church.” The church that the Holy Spirit calls, gathers,
enlightens, sanctifies and keeps united with Jesus Christ,
can hardly be divided by a vote that takes place at a
convention in Orlando, Fla. A denomination may experience
division and loss, but the Word, Jesus Christ, will
continue to create the church, and the Holy Spirit will
continue to call and gather.

This is not to say, however, that there are no issues that
are denomination-dividing. We in the church are divided
about many things, but here I’m speaking of another divide.
There is a great divide between the gospel of Jesus Christ,
which the church exists to proclaim, and “another gospel.
”When St. Paul speaks of “another gospel” in Galatians, he
is clear that there is a great chasm between the Gospel of
Jesus Christ and any other gospel version that seeks to
replace or add to the true one. And we know Paul doesn’t
mince words when he warns those who preach another gospel
(even if they are angels).

Rather than arguing about what would qualify an issue as
“church-dividing,” we would do better by asking whether or
not something is a “gospel-replacement” issue. While we
would all agree with Paul that there is not “another
gospel” out there, this doesn’t mean that there aren’t
others that parade as such.

When we are pushed to ask ourselves whether or not we are
in real danger of listening to or following one of these
“other gospels,” some may tend to flinch and quickly move
toward yet one more: “the gospel of let’s all get along.”
When the true gospel (versus “another gospel”) is at stake,
there are good reasons to push hard questions. In fact, we
must. And this is not an act of rebellion but a confession
of faith. It is true that Christ cannot be divided. But
there are division and confusion about who He is and why He
came. In fact, the Christ of the Gospels is in some cases
unrecognizable or even replaced in other gospels. Paul’s
warning of “other gospels” still stands. Whenever another
gospel creeps in, people of faith have no choice but to
resist it.

Rather than arguing about what would qualify an issue as
“church-dividing,” we would do better by asking whether or
not something is a “gospel-replacement” issue. While we
would all agree with Paul that there is not “another
gospel” out there, this doesn’t mean that there aren’t
others that parade as such.

There are many. The “gospel of accommodation,” the “gospel
of unqualified tolerance,” the “gospel of culture” are just
a few of the “gospels” out there that have a very different
ring to them than the justification of the ungodly of which
Paul speaks. This is the Gospel that recognizes and names
real sin and the real and only Savior for sinners. It is a
Gospel that comes as an external word. This alone makes it
quite different from other gospels whose source is the
self.

When we are pushed to ask ourselves whether or not we are
in real danger of listening to or following one of these
“other gospels,” some may tend to flinch and quickly move
toward yet one more: “the gospel of let’s all get
along.”When the true gospel (versus “another gospel”) is at
stake, there are good reasons to push hard questions. In
fact, we must. And this is not an act of rebellion but a
confession of faith. It is true that Christ cannot be
divided. But there are division and confusion about who He
is and why He came. In fact, the Christ of the Gospels is
in some cases unrecognizable or even replaced in other
gospels. Paul’s warning of “other gospels” still stands.
Whenever another gospel creeps in, people of faith have no
choice but to resist it.