Rev. Li Tao (pseudonym), who has extensively studied the churches of the apostolic age, believed that those churches were genuinely healthy, with one particular trait being "joining together in ministry."
However, in many churches today, there is factionalism, disputes, and a lack of consensus. A veteran pastor with decades of service in the church expressed disappointment with TSPM churches and despair of house churches due to internal conflicts. Addressing how to achieve unity, Pastor Li Tao presented his perspectives.
Consider others better than ourselves
Dissension often surfaces during interactions in the church. Many have their cliques or groups, leading to meetings where they speak for themselves, unable to find consensus on nearly everything. Some oppose remarks from those outside their group, irrespective of the content.
Rev. Li stated, "As humans, we all have people we don't particularly like. We need to discern what they say and can’t judge according to our preferences." He continued, "We must follow the Lord's command to regard others as more important than ourselves, rather than think we're better."
Additionally, the apostle Paul taught believers not to do anything out of selfish ambition or vain conceit or to look only at their interests. For instance, people can’t aspire to leadership positions solely for glory. Li mentioned that many people solicit votes in diverse ways during the election and even promise a lot of benefits to the church and voters. This is a disguised form of strife, which greatly affects the fairness and result of the election.
Jesus is the practical example.
Pastor Li proposed that a practical example better fosters service in unity. For Christians, there's only one eternal example: the Lord Jesus.
He, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped. Pastor Li shared a story from his youth when he and another young core worker served in the church. When the church leadership changed, Li became the new leader, and thereafter, the core workers began opposing him at every turn. Their once great relationship turned into enmity, with the core worker voluntarily leaving the church.
Li said, "Jesus is truly God, but he did not try to remain equal with God—He was sent by the Father to earth to be a man, volunteering to be a servant with no respect. When Jesus had this obedience, God exalted Him."
"But if we don't follow the path Jesus showed us and insist on promoting ourselves through roping in, defaming, or speaking ill of others, we'll never truly be elevated."
Concrete manifestations of unity and consensus
"Unity" can manifest in three aspects: conviction in truth, submission to authority, and surrender in life.
In today's diverse era, Christians must walk together, starting with believing and practicing biblical principles. Subsequently, as Christians, we must obey God, with significant aspects being submission to authority and respecting those in governance. Furthermore, there should be order in the church, with believers following group leaders and group leaders listening to overseers of pastoral areas who submit to the church leader.
Lastly, we need to live a surrendered life. Sometimes, we might find others' actions beyond our understanding and boundaries, and in such instances, your faith is beautiful if you are surrendered.
To reach "consensus," Christians should value God's word, fathom God's purpose, and experience God's heart.
In considering any matter, we must first observe and contemplate what God's will is in that matter, then follow it unconditionally, regardless of the fame, money, or material loss we might face.
When Jesus preached in Bethsaida and Chorazin, many locals rejected him. Yet, in prayer, He said, "Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure." Often, we struggle to agree because we tend to focus solely on others—"You weren't good to me; you didn't give or help me..."—without seeing God behind them. If something happens, it's because God has good intentions. When we embrace and appreciate God's goodwill, it's much easier for people to come to an agreement.
Furthermore, while we often talk about obeying the truth, in some matters, there might not be explicit biblical truths to guide us. Before being arrested and crucified, Jesus prayed three times for the disciples to be united. In many situations, right or wrong, gain or loss, unity is more crucial than a unified opinion.
- Translated by Abigail Wu
一位对使徒时代教会有很多研究的李涛牧师认为使徒时代的教会是真正健康的教会，其中一个特质就是“同心合意的事奉”。
而今天众多教会中却存在着许多的结党、纷争、不同心的现象。有一位在教会中服事了几十年的老牧者说，“在体制内教会感到非常失望，在家庭教会感受到的是绝望。”因为许多教会都存在着的教会内斗问题。对于如何做到同心合意，李涛牧师提出了自己的观点。
一、真理的教导（观念上的转变）
教会的不同心往往在交通的时候显现出来。在教会，很多人有自己的小帮派、小团体，这样的情况下开会、交通的时候，他们只能是自说自话，在几乎所有事情上都没有办法合一。甚至有的人在遇到非自己团体的人发言的时候，无论对方说的内容是什么，一概反对。
李涛牧师表示：“我们都是人，而人一定都会有自己不太喜欢的人。他们所说的话，我们需要辨别着来听。”然后，他继续说：“我们也必须按照主的吩咐，存心看别人比自己强，而不是觉得自己比别人强。”
同时，我们也有一些不该去做的事情——不可结党、不可贪图虚浮的荣耀、不要单顾自己的事。比如，我们却绝不应当为了追求荣耀而努力成为教会领袖。据他所知，很多人会在选举的时候通过各种各样的方式拉票，甚至还会给教会和投票人许下许多的好处，这是一种变相的结党，很大程度上影响了选举的公正性和结果。
二、实际的榜样（生命和生活的转变）
李牧师认为，实际的榜样更能促进同心合意的事奉。对于基督徒来说，永远的榜样只有一个，那就是主耶稣。
耶稣本有上帝的形像，但是却不以自己与上帝同等为强夺的。李牧师讲了他自己年轻时候的一个故事，那时他和另外一个年轻核心同工在教会里面服侍。在最终教会换届的时候，李牧师成为了新的教会带领者，而在这之后，那名核心同工就开始处处跟李涛牧师作对。本来两个人关系是非常好的，但是却就此变成了仇敌，最终那名同工主动离开了这所教会。
李涛牧师说，“耶稣与父神同等但不强夺——让我成人，那我就成人，甚至是成为不被人尊重的仆人。成为仆人就甘心卑微到为世人死的程度。当耶稣有这样的心的时候，上帝就把祂升为至高。”
“但是如果不走这条耶稣给我们指明的道路，非要走我们自己的升高之路的话，通过拉人、毁谤别人、诋毁别人等方式彰显自己，这样永远也不会真正升高。”
三、同心合意的具体体现
“同心”可以在三个方面体现出来：在真理中信服、在权柄下顺服、在生命中降服。
在今天这样一个多元的时代当中基督徒要同行，首先就是要相信这些真理的原则，且去实行。其次，作为基督徒，我们必须要顺服上帝，一个重要体现就是顺服权柄，尊重在上执政掌权的人。然后，在教会中也需要有权柄的秩序，信徒跟着小组长，小组长跟着牧区长，还是牧区长跟着教会牧者。
最后，我们需要在生命中降服。有时候我们可能会觉得他人在一些事情上做的很离谱，超过了我们的认知和底线，这时的顺服才是生命的体现。
“合意”也可以在三个方面体现出来：看重上帝的旨意、参透上帝的美意、体会上帝的心意。
我们在考虑任何一件事情的时候，我们都必须首先察看和思想在这件事情上上帝的旨意是什么，然后，我们就要无条件的去做——不管我们会受到名声、金钱和物质上多少的损失。
耶稣在伯赛大和哥拉汛传道的时候，当地的很多人拒绝了耶稣。他却在祷告中说，“父啊，你的美意本是如此。”很多时候我们不能合意，因为我们常常只会把这些思想定睛在人的身上——你没有对我好，你没有给与我或者帮助我……却看不到人背后的上帝。这个事情既然发生那么一定有上帝的美意，当我们领受上帝的美意并且感恩时，人与人之间很容易就能合意了。
另外，我们常常说我们要顺服真理，但是常常在一些事情上没有什么明确的圣经真理可以指导我们。耶稣在被抓、被钉十字架之前连续三次祷告让门徒合而为一。在很多事情上，对与错、得与失远没有同心合意重要。
回到使徒时代的健康教会|为什么教会里面同心合意那么难？
Rev. Li Tao (pseudonym), who has extensively studied the churches of the apostolic age, believed that those churches were genuinely healthy, with one particular trait being "joining together in ministry."
However, in many churches today, there is factionalism, disputes, and a lack of consensus. A veteran pastor with decades of service in the church expressed disappointment with TSPM churches and despair of house churches due to internal conflicts. Addressing how to achieve unity, Pastor Li Tao presented his perspectives.
Consider others better than ourselves
Dissension often surfaces during interactions in the church. Many have their cliques or groups, leading to meetings where they speak for themselves, unable to find consensus on nearly everything. Some oppose remarks from those outside their group, irrespective of the content.
Rev. Li stated, "As humans, we all have people we don't particularly like. We need to discern what they say and can’t judge according to our preferences." He continued, "We must follow the Lord's command to regard others as more important than ourselves, rather than think we're better."
Additionally, the apostle Paul taught believers not to do anything out of selfish ambition or vain conceit or to look only at their interests. For instance, people can’t aspire to leadership positions solely for glory. Li mentioned that many people solicit votes in diverse ways during the election and even promise a lot of benefits to the church and voters. This is a disguised form of strife, which greatly affects the fairness and result of the election.
Jesus is the practical example.
Pastor Li proposed that a practical example better fosters service in unity. For Christians, there's only one eternal example: the Lord Jesus.
He, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped. Pastor Li shared a story from his youth when he and another young core worker served in the church. When the church leadership changed, Li became the new leader, and thereafter, the core workers began opposing him at every turn. Their once great relationship turned into enmity, with the core worker voluntarily leaving the church.
Li said, "Jesus is truly God, but he did not try to remain equal with God—He was sent by the Father to earth to be a man, volunteering to be a servant with no respect. When Jesus had this obedience, God exalted Him."
"But if we don't follow the path Jesus showed us and insist on promoting ourselves through roping in, defaming, or speaking ill of others, we'll never truly be elevated."
Concrete manifestations of unity and consensus
"Unity" can manifest in three aspects: conviction in truth, submission to authority, and surrender in life.
In today's diverse era, Christians must walk together, starting with believing and practicing biblical principles. Subsequently, as Christians, we must obey God, with significant aspects being submission to authority and respecting those in governance. Furthermore, there should be order in the church, with believers following group leaders and group leaders listening to overseers of pastoral areas who submit to the church leader.
Lastly, we need to live a surrendered life. Sometimes, we might find others' actions beyond our understanding and boundaries, and in such instances, your faith is beautiful if you are surrendered.
To reach "consensus," Christians should value God's word, fathom God's purpose, and experience God's heart.
In considering any matter, we must first observe and contemplate what God's will is in that matter, then follow it unconditionally, regardless of the fame, money, or material loss we might face.
When Jesus preached in Bethsaida and Chorazin, many locals rejected him. Yet, in prayer, He said, "Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure." Often, we struggle to agree because we tend to focus solely on others—"You weren't good to me; you didn't give or help me..."—without seeing God behind them. If something happens, it's because God has good intentions. When we embrace and appreciate God's goodwill, it's much easier for people to come to an agreement.
Furthermore, while we often talk about obeying the truth, in some matters, there might not be explicit biblical truths to guide us. Before being arrested and crucified, Jesus prayed three times for the disciples to be united. In many situations, right or wrong, gain or loss, unity is more crucial than a unified opinion.
- Translated by Abigail Wu
Back to the Early Church: Serve Him Shoulder to Shoulder
