He rightly notes, “Pursuing the unity of the church does not mean that we should stop caring about theology. He went so far as to claim that the inability to recognize true Christians outside one’s own circle leads to the spiritual detriment and ultimately to the death of that group.”- pg 35. The Dutch theologian Herman Bavinck, for example, commented that “the rise of sectarianism that has accompanied the Protestant movement is a dark and negative phenomenon.”17 In the context of his treatment of the church’s catholicity (that is, universality), Bavinck stressed the importance of recognizing a distinction between fundamental and nonfundamental truths. Thoughtful Protestants have always lamented this fact. Though estimates of the number of Protestant denominations are often exaggerated, the fragmentation is undeniable. “One does not need to be particularly well studied in church history to know that churches are not often known for their unity. In his chapter on The Dangers of Doctrinal Sectarianism, he says: has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility.” In context, Paul is speaking of the union of Jews and Gentiles, but his point is certainly relevant to all expressions of unity in the body of Christ, including among various estranged Gentile groups.”- pg 33. He has one bride, and her unity is so important that, as Paul stipulates in Ephesians 2:14, it was among the intended aims of Jesus’s atoning death: “he. Jesus does not have a plurality of brides.
As he says, “To affirm the unity of the church is to affirm that there are not multiple, distinct groups that constitute separate peoples of God. Ortlund is rightly concerned about unity. Ortlund tells his own journey of his experiences with denominations and how it has been a challenge to always adhere to specific doctrinal positions. But I do direct two apologetic ministries and have seen plenty of debates and how Christians treat each other over their differences. Given I am not a pastor, I don’t come from the same background as Ortlund. So I was eager to read this book by Gavin Ortlund.
I have seen more than enough theological and doctrinal debates in my time. Gavin Ortlund, PhD, Fuller Theological Seminary) is senior pastor of First Baptist Church of Ojai in Ojai, California). Gavin Ortlund, Finding the Right Hills to Die On: The Case for Theological Triage (The Gospel Coalition), by Gavin Ortlund, 176pp, Crossway Books.
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