When to Stand? When to Give?

C. Ermal Allen

CHRISTIAN STANDARD 11/10/1991

Unity in the body of Christ is a given, but it is not easily maintained. When broken, it is even harder to be restored. Division, because it is a work of the flesh (humanity apart from the revelation and power of God), comes so easily. Division is even "respectable" in our world. Satan has certainly done an effective job in sowing discord.

Unity should be sought in the body at large. However, there is much to be done within the local congregation. Too often we find individuals stirring up dissension in the name of "the truth." Too frequently we find individuals leaving one congregation and going to another because their feelings were hurt or they did not like some practice (or leader) in the former. When enough people leave at the same time, there may be a "split" with a new congregation being formed.

Sometimes much good comes as a result of those persons leaving. The individual may find more joy and more opportunities for service in another congregation. The former congregation may enjoy peace and growth when a negative influence leaves. After a split, both congregations sometimes grow larger than the original. But, do these results justify the means?

God frequently brings good things out of bad (e.g., Joseph in Egypt, recorded in Genesis 50:20), but that does not justify the bad. Let me suggest that too often our leaving is essentially divisive and therefore sinful.

The New Testament never gives one example of any person’s being told to leave the congregation in order to start or be a part of one that is "true to the Lord." Indeed, division is seen as a work of the flesh and never as a work of faithfulness. (Note particularly the "bad" churches in Revelation 2-3.) Instead believers are taught what to do while remaining in their situation.

Do not misunderstand. There is a time to leave a congregation. There is a time to recognize that what you are in is not a church in the Scriptural sense. The real question is, "How do you tell?"

Whenever there is tension, there are three possible alternatives: (1) Stand and fight for what you believe; (2) get out of the situation–run; or (3) give in–that is, be quiet about it and hope for a change somewhere down the road. Each of these is appropriate at one time or another. How do we know which we should do in any given situation?

When to stand

First we should ask, how to stand? Stand gently, lovingly, but firmly (Colossians 3:12). There is no place in the Christian life for rudeness, shouting, fits of rage, raised fists, or any other signs of hostility (2 Timothy 2:24-26). These are works of the flesh. There is also no place for underhandedness, secret meetings, and the like. Everything must be done in the open (although not necessarily publicly).

We should stand and "fight" for the following (determined by their importance to the spread of the Gospel):

(1) Gospel facts about Jesus (1 Corinthians 15:1-5), for they are the essence of preaching.

(2) Scriptural requirements for salvation (Galatians 2:5), for preaching without proper response accomplishes nothing.

(3) Trustworthiness of Scripture (2 Peter 1:19-21), for that is the only sure source for the preceding two items.

(4) Ethical holiness in the church (but only in regard to express commands of Scripture, not our opinions; 1 Corinthians 5:9-13), since faith, repentance, and baptism (#2 above) all require good works (James 2:14-26; 2 Corinthians 7:8-11; and Romans 6:1-14 respectively).

(5) Freedom for every believer to draw his or her own conclusions from Scripture (Romans 14:5). One result of responding to the Gospel is freedom from merely human yokes (Galatians 5:1).

When to run

Not all leaving is running. We, of course, can leave when we move out of the geographical area (e.g., Acts 18:1-3,18). We also leave when going to a place where we truly have more opportunity to serve. The situation at the new place becomes our motivation for leaving rather than tension at the old.

There are times to "run," to get out of a particular church (determined by the importance of issues in relation to the spread of the Gospel):

(1) When the things for which we should stand (see above) are clearly and openly denied by the leadership in general (not just by some members or by one or two leaders), but only after we have failed to effect a change in the leadership. Any such efforts, of course, to change the leadership must be done in a Christian manner (legally, humbly, quietly). Division is a sin. We should never practice division in the body. When we "run," it should only be because the leadership has betrayed the essentials of Christianity. In such cases they are in reality the ones who caused the division. Those who run are simply recognizing this betrayal of the Lord’s church.

(2) When we are so "full of ourselves" that we do not consider the spread of the Gospel and the unity of God’s people more important than our own opinions. Of course, we really should repent of such an attitude rather than "run"; but if we will not repent, we should get out of the way. "Lead, follow, or get out of the way and let someone else do it."

When to give in

"Give in" does not necessarily mean "compromise." "Give in" means to be quiet about the matter even if you are "right" because it will just cause trouble (Romans 14:22). We should give in when we cannot persuade others to see our way in the following situations (determined by their relative unimportance when compared with the spread of the Gospel):

(1) Personal insult or injury (Colossians 3:13) in those cases where a person is unaware that he has wronged you or when he does not agree that what he has or has not done is wrong.

(2) Different conclusions drawn from Scriptural teachings (Romans 14:1).

(3) Differences in methodology. In congregational practices that are not express commands of Scripture, the majority should rule. The minority should give in. They should not leave.

What if there are serious large-scale differences? Is it ever right for the congregation to divide? No. Is it ever right for them to multiply? Yes. They can start a new congregation that will take into account the differences. What is the difference between dividing and multiplying? Motivation and method largely determine the answer. When some walk off in anger and start a new church, it is dividing. When the original church works together to plant the new congregation, it is multiplying. Division is caused by bitterness and produces bitterness. Multiplication may have differences between people as a catalyst, but it is done in love and produces a loving and cooperative atmosphere between both groups.

There is then a time to stand and a time to give in. The wrong times: When it is always, "I stand and you give." The right times: to be determined by the issue’s "relative" importance to the effective spread of the Gospel of Christ.

Brothers and sister, we cannot be "faithful" without reaching out to others with the Gospel. We cannot be "faithful" while being divisive. Faithfulness requires standing by the truth, preaching the Gospel to others, and unity among the brothers.