Quote:
Originally Posted by Ohio
Is God's purpose really oneness?
Christians have been obsessing over "oneness" for two millennia, and it has never turned out well for us. The Catholic "oneness" church obsessed over oneness, and look where it led them. Same with the Exclusive Brethren and the so-called Recovery. Why is it every time church leaders obsess over oneness, their followers end up obsessing over their leader? Think Popes, Oracles, and MOTAs.
This is why I often say, based on church history, that distorted oneness has done more damage to the church of God than any other heresy, and that's exactly what obsessing over distorted oneness is, a horrible heresy in the church. The Catholics held endless inquisitions (and tortures) over perceived violations of their distorted oneness, and the Exclusives and Lee/Blendeds have held endless quarantines (and lawsuits) over perceived violations of their own distorted oneness.
The Lord Jesus commanded us to love God and to love our neighbors. In this regard, love is to be much more desired than oneness. It's also much more difficult to fake love than oneness, since oneness can be so easily disguised as uniformity, manufactured by an unholy allegiance to an earthly headquarters.
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Good point Ohio. Ephesians 1 and 3 plainly state God's eternal plan or purpose is to sum up (Recovery version alone says head up) all things in Christ, and that it has already been accomplished (3:11). Through the mysterious stewardship of God the Apostle Paul was given grace to participate in and reveal, we gentile believers along with Jewish believers in the assembly are given sonship, an inheritance, and peace through Christ, and are the first to hope in Christ. And, his working in us is to be to the praise of the glory of God's grace, and be a display to the heavenly rulers and authorities.
Evangelical is right that Revelation is a good place to see God's plan manifested.