of the Spirit. The church can also be viewed as a flock, constituted as Jesus’ sheep who hear his voice and follow him. From both of these perspectives, the essential unity of the church is invisible, inward, and organic. The church is created by, and the unity of the church consists in, the gospel itself. What about Jesus’ prayer for unity in John 17? Echoing the language of John 10, Jesus prays for those whom the Father has given him. He asks the Father to keep them in order that they might be
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