There is no question that God would have his people be one. (John 17.) Unity is commended and division is condemned. (Psalm 133; 1 Corinthians 1:10.) Yet there must be no attempt at unity at the expense of loyalty to God's word. Any attempt to attain unity by tolerating evil is doomed to failure. If, by such means, any show of unity could be made, it would be merely in appearance rather than in reality. It would be a farce. The only unity worthy of the name is that which is brought about by unwavering loyalty to Christ and his word. All divisive and unscriptural innovations and heretical speculations must be discarded in the interest of unity. We cannot be one with the false teachers who cause division contrary to the sound doctrine. We must mark them and turn away from them. (Romans 16:17.) If this makes us sectarian, then it made Paul sectarian! Paul wrote much in the interest of peace, but he never sought peace by winking at and tolerating evil. He never sought peace at any price, neither should we.
—B. C. Goodpasture, November 22, 1945
Reprinted from the Gospel Advocate July 10, 1980
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