BIBLE TOPICS

"PEACE ON EARTH - GOODWILL TOWARD MEN". For many this phrase contains the essence of the Christian message, the objective of every Christian worthy of the name. And yet the history of Christendom is a history of disunity, dissension within the church, and widely divergent and contradictory versions of the Christian message. The almost unbelievable animosity between different sections of Christendom which is a recurring feature of Western history, has provided excuse for attacks on the whole foundation of Christianity, and poses for the unbeliever a demanding question-mark over everything associated with the name of Christ.

For the committed Christian the problem, though different, is no less insistent. Why is the Christian body divided? Are the differences between denominations significant, or are they merely superficial differences of emphasis, with a fundamental unity of purpose and direction? Should the attempt to unify the church, and to present a united front to the non-Christian world, override any other consideration and the cherished independence of sectarianism? Alternatively Can the Christian opt out of organised religion, reject association with any single sect, and serve Christ in a way which is entirely personal and individual?

These are some of the questions with which this page is concerned.

A CHANGING CHURCH - PROGRESS OR DECLINE?

The present state of Christendom is the result of two millennia of change - change not only in the practice and ritual of religion, but in fundamental doctrines and attitudes. Few would deny the fact of this change - historically there can be little doubt that most forms of Christianity today are far removed from that of the first century. However there is a very wide difference of opinion about the cause and quality of this change. Has it been as many would argue the inevitable and desirable result of adaptation to changing conditions and need, or has it been the unjustified result of compromise with human weakness and the forces of evil that have assaulted the church in every age? The established churches - the Roman Catholic and the Anglican churches - have taken the former view, that Christ himself has directed the course of change through his church: the church being the medium of a progressive revelation of God's will. Many of the minority groups and dissenting sects throughout Christian history have taken the opposite viewpoint, attempting in varying degrees to return to the primitive practices and ideals of the early church, and claiming the Bible as the only authoritative guide to the Christian life. In doing so, they have often been branded as heretics and reactionaries. Several fundamental issues are involved: the authority and infallibility or otherwise of the church; the role of the Holy Spirit in the church's history; and the right of the individual to read and interpret the scriptures independently of the church's authority.

Another Gospel