MENDING A FRACTURED CHURCH

How to Seek Unity with Integrity

EDITED BY MICHAEL BIRD AND BRIAN ROSNER

lexham press

Mending a Fractured Church: How to Seek Unity with Integrity

Copyright 2015 Lexham Press

Lexham Press, 1313 Commercial St., Bellingham, WA 98225 LexhamPress.com

All rights reserved. You may use brief quotations from this resource in presentations, articles, and books. For all other uses, please write Lexham Press for permission. Email us at permissions@lexhampress.com.

Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are the author’s own translation.

Scripture quotations marked (asv) are from the American Standard Version. Public domain.

Scripture quotations marked (esv) are from ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (hcsb) are from the Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Holman CSB®, and HCSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.

Scripture quotations marked (leb) are from the Lexham English Bible, copyright 2013 by Lexham Press. Lexham is a registered trademark of Faithlife Corporation.

Scripture quotations marked (niv) are from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture quotations marked (nrsv) are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989, National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (kjv) are from the King James Version. Public domain.

Print ISBN 9781577996316

Digital ISBN 9781577996866

Lexham Editorial Team: Rebecca Brant, Lynnea Fraser

Cover Design: Christine Gerhart

CONTENTS

FOREWORD

Graham Cole

PREFACE

Brian Rosner

INTRODUCTION

Michael Bird and Brian Rosner

1. DISPUTABLE MATTERS

Constraining the Topic

Andrew S. Malone

2. UNITY MATTERS

A Study of Joshua 22:1–34

Lindsay Wilson

3. WHAT TO DO WHEN CHRISTIANS DIFFER

Disputable Matters in Romans 14:1–15:7

Brian Rosner

4. WHEN DO WE DIVIDE?

The Johannine Letters on Love and Separation

Michael F. Bird

5. DISPUTABLE MATTERS IN PROTESTANT HISTORY

How to Express Christian Freedom

Rhys Bezzant

6. REMAPPING THE CHURCH

Migration, Transnationality, and the Future Church

Peter J. Leithart

SCRIPTURE INDEX

FOREWORD

Graham Cole

When Christians disagree, how may the bonds of peace be preserved? It is so good to see an interdisciplinary approach to the question. Lindsay Wilson works in the field of the Old Testament, Brian Rosner in the New Testament, Andrew Malone in both as well as mission, Mike Bird in systematic theology, and Rhys Bezzant in church history. Lindsay Wilson tackles a key Old Testament passage (Josh 22:1–34) and Brian Rosner an New Testament one (Rom ...

Content not shown in limited preview…
MFC:HSUI

About Mending a Fractured Church: How to Seek Unity with Integrity

What does it really mean for the church to have unity? How should we deal with diversity? Which differences are worth dividing over?

In Mending a Fractured Church, editors Michael Bird and Brian Rosner seek to answer such questions, looking to the Bible for examples of how to behave when Christians differ. Speaking to pastors, churches, and seminary students, they provide a guide to maintaining unity without compromise.

Support Info

mndngfrctntgrty

Table of Contents