3. Unity in Christ – Discussion Starters

1. In Protestant history, the heroes are often those who left their existing church and started a new one.
   1. What’s been amazingly beneficial about this history?
   2. How can this work against us at times?
   3. How can we honor the Spirit-led part of this history while still taking seriously Jesus’ prayer that we be one?

2. How do the “ties of unity” differ in the Adventist church compared to other Christian groups? Consider factors such as membership, excommunication, hierarchy, and creeds.

3. Most of us have a strong reaction to someone disagreeing with us.
   1. What is typically your first response when someone disagrees with you? (shut down, try to dominate, complain to someone else, explore, pray…etc)
   2. Has your first response changed with life experience and maturity?
   3. What has been your best ever response as a Christian?
   4. Can you recount a time when prayer brought about more unity than you thought would be possible?

4. What is the differencee between unity and uniformity?

5. Psychologists estimate that we can only manage about 5 or less truly intimate friends at a time. From there, there goes out a series of concentric circles differentiating degrees of closeness of our many social contacts. In light of this, what is the difference between a “clique,” which our author rightly critiques, and a small circle of our closest friends that is inherently limited by the sheer human capacity for keeping up such close relationships?

6. “Cliques” are often socially exclusive, while “factions” are more actively in full competition with each other for power or decision-making.
   1. Which do you think Paul observed in Corinth?
   2. Have you experienced factions in a church setting?
   3. If yes, what was the effect on the church in terms of its feeling, its growth, etc over that period?

7. In a church setting, what is the difference between “unhealthy divisiveness” on the one hand and “healthy conflict” on the other? Where would you put each of the below scenarios on that “scale?”
   1. An elder declares that the General Conference has been in league with Satan for over 100 years, so he is not bound by their guidance.
   2. A member says that the music choices at her local church are too restrictive and do not allow room for her culture.
   3. A pastor confronts a popular couple in the church who are having an affair.
   4. A leader frequently speaks negatively about the pastor to other members.
   5. A board member decides to resign from the board, expressing his opinion that the board is stuck in going over meaningless details that are not advancing the gospel.
   6. A Sabbath School class announces that it is not taking new members.
   7. A member tells the pastor/church leadership that they are not doing enough to reach the young people in the church and keep them involved.
   8. A couple disagrees with the direction of the social committee at church, so they begin to organize their own events for church members.

8. Paul says that the factionalism in Corinth proves that they are still worldly “infants” in the faith. The immature want like-minded followers, while the mature want disciples of Christ. What psychological needs do you think it meets for the immature when they gain such followers?

9. What principles can you use to discern the difference within yourself between a divine call to “speak up” with courage vs. a merely human “need to be right”?

Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/3-unity-in-christ-discussion-starters/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=3-unity-in-christ-discussion-starters