HOW CAN WE BE OF ONE MIND WITH SOMEONE WE DISAGREE WITH?

C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien, or Jack and Tollers as they called one another, were the best of friends. They would meet every week in a pub to discuss God, Scripture, philosophy, literature, and anything else their brilliant minds could think up. However, if you were to secretly listen in on one of their conversations, they would certainly not sound like best friends, at least not how we define best friends. Lewis and Tolkien would argue about everything. Lewis would even make tongue-in-cheek comments on how he and Tollers disagreed on everything. Now how could these two men disagree on so much and yet maintain such a close brotherly friendship?

I had a conversation with a friend of mine the other day and we began to discuss this very issue. I have had tons of spiritual conversations with my friend, on a whole variety of issues, and we disagree on a lot. I will give you one of the biggest ones. I am a Calvinist, he is not. That may seem like a short and simple seven word sentence, but it is not that simple. This means that we disagree on a whole host of doctrinal issues. We both study God's Word, pray for the Spirit to lead us into all truth and think long and hard on what we should believe, yet we come to different conclusions. How can I be friends with a guy who does not agree with me on a issue that I hold very dear? The question of how you could be close to someone who disagrees with you on something you think is important, is somewhat perplexing, given what Scripture tells in Philippians 1:27. In this verse we are told that we are to stand firm in one spirit and one mind.

I think many Christians have a misguided understanding as to what it means to have one Spirit and one mind. I have seen people stop worshipping together over disagreements ranging from losing their "assigned seat" in the auditorium to the afore mentioned Calvinism. But does having one spirit and one mind mean you agree on everything? Should we run, with hurt feelings and anger, away from those who disagree with us? If that is the case, then I certainly could not worship with my wife. And given how I disagree with myself from day to day, I would rarely be able to worship with myself either.

I think verse 27 actually gives us the hint as to what it means to be of one spirit and one mind, and it has nothing to do with being in complete agreement, but agreeing on one essential thing. We are told to stand firm in one spirit and one mind striving side by side for the sake of the Gospel. There it is!!! That is what our spirit and minds should agree upon. The key to unity is the Gospel. This is why Jack and Tollers and why my friend and I could be the best of friends while in disagreement, because we are united in the Gospel. We can disagree on all kinds of stuff, but if we agree on the Gospel then we are brothers in Christ, and what a testimony that is to the world.

In fact Philippians 1:28 states that our striving side by side for the sake of the Gospel and not being afraid of our opponents is a clear sign of their destruction and our salvation. So let us disagree, discuss our disagreements with respect and love, learn from one another, and in the end with brotherly love strive together for the sake of the Gospel.

N.T.S.