We are witnessing a great blending and merging within Christianity. Unity is the cry of the times. There is a call to “break down the walls.” The ecumenical principle and spirit is gaining predominance everywhere, but it is a rebellious spirit that is contrary to the Bible.

First, the ecumenical movement has an unscriptural view of doctrine. 

The term “doctrine” appears fifty-six times in the English Bible. The first characteristic of the church at Jerusalem was that it “continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine” (Ac. 2:42). The one true faith, the one true body of doctrinal truth, was given to the apostles and prophets by divine inspiration and enshrined in the New Testament Scripture. The doctrine was inscribed, canonized, and preserved. It was “once delivered unto the saints” (Jude 1:3). The completed faith was sealed with a sharp warning in the last chapter (Re. 22:18-19). From that time, churches are to keep that same doctrine. They are to contend for it (Jude 1:3). 

Paul taught Timothy to care deeply about sound doctrine. In 1 Timothy, Paul mentioned doctrine and teaching 18 times. He began the epistle by exhorting Timothy not to allow any other doctrine (1 Ti. 1:3). That is the strictest position possible. Timothy was to give attendance to doctrine (1 Ti. 4:13). He was to take heed unto the doctrine and continue in it (1 Ti. 4:16). He was to separate on the basis of doctrine (1 Ti. 6:3-5). He was to keep the doctrine without spot (1 Ti. 6:20). 

Most divisions between Christians are doctrinal. Why is an Episcopalian church different from a Baptist church? The doctrine is different. Consider the doctrine of baptism. One denomination teaches that baptism is the new birth; the other, that baptism is symbolic. (“In the waters of baptism, we are lovingly adopted by God into God’s family, which we call the Church, and given God’s own life” (episcopalchurch.org). One baptizes infants; the other baptizes believers only. (“The infant is being cleansed of original sin,” The Episcopal Dictionary). One pours; the other immerses.

One of the names of the Spirit of God is “the Spirit of Truth” (Joh. 14:17; 15:26; 16:13; 1 Jo. 4:6). When the Spirit comes in His saving and sanctifying power, He always comes with Truth. He never teaches heresy. 

It is impossible to take the Bible’s instruction about doctrine seriously and also be ecumenical. 

Second, the ecumenical movement ignores the Bible’s warnings about apostasy.

Christ and the apostles taught that false Christianity will increase throughout the church age and will reign everywhere at the end of the age. Those who preach ecumenical unity ignore this truth. They don’t warn about apostasy. They don’t identify apostasy.

- Apostasy is prophesied in Christ’s parables of the mysteries of the kingdom (Mt. 13:10-11, 24-25, 33). These parables teach that the devil will sow false Christianity into the world, and it will increase like leaven “till the whole was leavened.” This means false Christianity will grow throughout the centuries; it will spread throughout the earth; and it will be the predominate form of Christianity. 

- Apostasy is prophesied by Paul in his final epistle (2 Ti. 3:1-13; 4:3-4). This great prophecy describes false Christianity. It will be characterized by love of self (2 Ti. 3:2). It will have a form of godliness, but deny the power thereof (2 Ti. 3:5). This means it will not have the power of the new birth and the infallible Scripture. It will grow throughout the centuries (2 Ti. 3:13). It will be deceptive (2 Ti. 3:13). It will not endure sound doctrine (2 Ti. 4:3). It will preach liberty to live after one’s own lusts (2 Ti. 4:3). It will be preached by “heaps” of false teachers who will give the people the kind of Christianity they want (2 Ti. 4:3). It will have fables (2 Ti. 4:4). False Christianity is filled with fables such as Mary the Queen of Heaven, transubstantiation (the host of the mass becomes Jesus), the pope having the keys of Peter, purgatory, the intercession of the saints, evolution, the book of Mormon, two Isaiahs, and the word-faith heresy. 

- Apostasy is also prophesied in Acts 20:28-30; 1 Ti. 4:1-3; 2 Pe. 2:1-2; 1 Jo. 2:18; 4:1-2.

Third, the ecumenical movement is disobedience to the Bible’s command of separation. 

God forbids fellowship with error. A truly Spirit-filled Christian will obey the Spirit’s instruction about separation and contending for the faith.

See Ro. 16:17; 2 Co. 6:14; 11:3-4; Eph. 4:14; Php. 3:1-2; Col. 2:8; 2 Th. 3:6; 2 Ti. 2:16-18; 2 Ti. 2:16-18; 3:5, 13-14; Tit. 1:10-11; 2 Jo. 1:7-11; Jude 1:3

If we obey the Bible’s commands about keeping sound doctrine and separating from false doctrine, it is impossible to participate in ecumenical unity.

What about Christian unity? 

1. True Christian unity is practiced in a sound New Testament church in which the members are united together in one mind to serve Jesus Christ and to fulfill the Great Commission. This is the context of the major passages on unity.

See Romans 15:5-6; 1 Corinthians 1:10; 2 Corinthians 13:11; Philippians 1:27.

2. John 17:21 does not teach ecumenical unity.

This is the main proof text for ecumenical unity, but it is taken out of context and misinterpreted. 

John 17 is not a command that Christians are to obey; it is a prayer that Jesus addressed to the Father. It is not something man needs to do; it is something God has already done. It is a prayer, and the prayer was answered. The unity described in John 17 is a supernatural thing that only God could do (Joh. 17:21-24). Born again believers are one with God; they share in Christ’s glory. 

In John 17 is not something pertaining to all professing Christians. Christ prays only for the following:

- those who have received His Word and have believed for sure in Jesus the Christ (Joh. 17:8).  These are Christians who understand the true gospel and have a know-so salvation testimony.

- those who have kept His Word (Joh. 17:6). These are obedient Bible Christians. They do not live according to their own lusts (2 Ti. 4:3-4).

- those who are not of the world but are hated by the world (Joh. 17:14, 16). These are Christians who live a separated pilgrim lifestyle; they do not love the world; they are not friends of the world.

- those who are sanctified by the word of truth (Joh. 17:17). These are Bible Christians who accept the Bible as the word of truth.

John 17 does not describe end-time Christianity with its countless heresies and fables. This is not the Roman Catholic Church. This is not the World Council of Churches with its 350 denominations representing more than 500 million professing Christians. This is not “evangelicalism.” 

True Christian unity is a unity in truth and obedience to the Scripture. It is a unity of born again, Bible-believing Christians. It is the unity of a sound New Testament church. It is not a unity that ignores doctrinal differences for the sake of an enlarged fellowship. It is unity in truth, not “unity in diversity.” It is a narrow unity, not a large unity.

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