Disclaimer: I had to research and reflect and check myself a lot for this topic because I really didn’t know much about it, and have strong feelings about what little I did know, so please bear with me. I’m about to throw a lot of Scripture references at you because I read as many as I could in order to get a better picture of what oneness looks like. Any Bible verses I write are in NIV translation.
The Bible shows the importance of unity in God’s people in both the Old and New Testaments.
Psalm 133:1
How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity.
2 Timothy 2:23
Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels.
Matthew 12:25 is a response by Jesus to refute the idea that he was doing the devil’s work, but I think His words show the need for unity as well:
“...Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand.”
Matthew 5:9
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.”
Now I don’t think that these verses mean that we have to passively agree with everything that every Christian does. There are times to stand up for what is right when a person or group of believers is in the wrong. But there are also times to focus more on what we have in common, what is important in our faith, than being divided over small differences. There is a lot that can be done when we work together. And even more so, God’s love and power to change lives and the world is at its fullest when we come together in not just unity but in oneness.
With careful study of scripture, we can see that there is a distinction between the concept of unity versus oneness.
Ephesians 4:2-6, we see both mentioned:
Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all in all.
With further digging into the difference between unity and oneness, I came across the idea that unity is the coming together of different people to do something, while oneness is the coming together of people to be something.*
1 Corinthians 12:12-13 shows us a picture of coming together to be, as we all have different purposes and gifts but we can still act with one spirit:
Just as a body, though one, has many parts [like a hand or foot or eye], but all its parts form one body, so it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body…
Acts 4:32-35 shows a practical example, one that I struggle with.
All the believers were one in heart and mind… No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had.
When I was teaching overseas at my second school, the foreign staff was made up of believers, most of who lived on a compound together. We did each have our own space (our own bedroom with stuff we brought or bought). But there was a strong spirit of unity and even a bit of oneness there. We were there for the same reasons, and prayed together a lot. We shared almost all our meals and free time together. We also shared many of our belongings, not really worrying about what was “ours.” And we had different talents and skills and personalities that came together to function as one body and have an effect on our little world there. That time in my life is very precious to me. Even times of great stress and fear due to living in a conflict zone were sweet times that we came together in one heart and mind. We grieved together and celebrated together and loved each other deeply, despite our differences.
My hope is that the church everywhere gets to experience this unity and oneness. Where we are of one heart and mind and body, as God the Father, Son, and Spirit are. And where we are one with God as well.
*http://richardfbolaji.blogspot.com/2016/12/the-difference-between-unity-and-oneness_59.html
About the Author
Jessie is an educator, she currently teaches teens and has taught overseas. She is also a novice writer, with several books in various stages and a (long-neglected) blog about the journeys of women. She is very excited to be a part of the CitySalt blog team. She has been blessed by a few communities of Christian writers that have encouraged her dream. She lives with her trusty sidekick cat, Arwen in the foothills of South Eugene, where she can go hiking within minutes of the sun coming out from behind the clouds.