UNITY IN LOVE AND FORGIVENESS

Ephesians 4:1-7

All your strength is in your union, All

your danger is in discord;Therefore be at peacehenceforward, And as brothers live together.

From Hiawatha byHenry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882).

union

strength vigor

muscle

mightpower

discord

Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. Be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. Always keep yourselves united in the Holy Spirit, and bind yourselves together with peace.

We are all one body; we have the same Spirit, and we have all been called to the same glorious future. There is only one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and there is only one God and Father, who is over us all and in us all and living through us all. However, he has given each one of us a special gift according to the generosity of Christ. (Eph 4:1-7, New Living Translation)

He is the one who gave these gifts to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ, until we come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature and full grown in the Lord, measuring up to the full stature of Christ.

Then we will no longer be like children, forever changing our minds about what we believe because someone has told us something different or because someone has cleverly lied to us and made the lie sound like the truth. Instead, we will hold to the truth in love, becoming more and more in every way like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. (Eph 4:11-15, New Living Translation)

What’s missing in Christendom?

The Answer

THE ROMAN CATHOLICS

When Emperor Constantine moved his capital from Rome and ruled from the new Constantinople (formerly Byzantium). Christendom’s splinting into two was underway.In the East, there were four patriarchs; and one in the West, the Pope of Rome.

The transference of the seat of power to the East meant the shifting of the political and social influence of Christendom.

Political influence

Social Influence

Roman Catholic Church

Liberal Catholic Church

The Mariavite Old Catholic Church

North American Old Roman Catholic Church

Polish National Catholic Church of America

ORTHODOX CHURCHES

the state of being orthodox, what is authorized or accepted as right and true.”

The word orthodox is a Greek word. Orthos means right, and doxa opinion

ORTHODOX

Led by synod bishops

President of synod known as Patriarch, Archbishop or Metropolitan

Orthodox regard the Bible as, “scripture is fixed, it is the pillar of our faith.”

American Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Greek Catholic Church

Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America,

Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of North and South America

PROTESTANT CHURCHES

Protestantism is the product of the Reformation.

Martin Luther, a German Catholic priest posted his Ninety-five Thesis for debate on the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany on October 31, 1517, the eve of All Saints’ Day.

The Lutherans believe that they are “justified through faith.”

American Lutheran Church

Apostolic Church of America

Church of the Lutheran Confession

Free Lutheran Congregation

LUTHERAN

CHURCHES

CHRISTIANITYChristianity arose out of Judaism

The teachings of Jesus of Nazareth spread by His disciples. The early story of

Christ’s ministry are all written in the New Testament in the Holy Bible.

acknowledged as the official statement of faith used in the Roman Catholic, Anglican and other Protestant denominations.

I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of Heaven and earth.I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary.

He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried.He descended to the dead.On the third day he rose again.He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father

He will come again to judge the living and the dead.I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.

Amen.

Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of malicious behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you. (Eph 4:31-32, New Living Translation)

Now, dear brothers and sisters, I appeal to you by the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ to stop arguing among yourselves. Let there be real harmony so there won’t be divisions in church. I plead with you to be of one mind, united in thought and purpose. (I Cor 1:10, New Living Translation)

Jew and Gentile are the same in this respect. They all have the same Lord, who generously gives his riches to all who ask for them. (Rom 10:12, New Living Translation)