Not The Same
Disagreements arise all the time in every aspect of life. We all have different life experiences which, if shared, would also be interpreted differently depending upon our natural temperaments. If we demand perfect agreement on all things than we cannot hope to get along. As I wrote in another post, unity is important but the common proposal of “just focus on our similarities instead of our differences” can often result in a loss of shared ground rather than the opposite.
Even among actual believers, we can have many disagreements from the style of worship to the way to understand some texts of scripture. While I argued in the past post that trying to preserve friendship with the world will cause more division rather than more unity, in the case of differences between believers (even substantial disagreements) is it always necessary to be divided?
Not Following Us
One of the common signs of Jesus’s authority during his earthly ministry was that he (and his disciples) would cast out demons. However, it is also recorded that others who were not following along with Christ attempted to do likewise during that time and also afterward (sometimes with embarrassing results [Acts 19:13-16]).
However, some who cast out demons in the name of Christ appear to also have been successful. One such attempt was witnessed by the apostles, who believed he ought not to be doing so because he wasn’t a proper disciple.
John said to him, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.”
Mark 9:38
It seems likely that this exorcist was not correct on all points of doctrine. He was not someone who followed after Christ and learned at his feet. Even if he was opposed to demonic work, he could not be considered a “follower” in the same way the apostles were.
What is Jesus’s thought on the matter?
But Jesus said, “Do not stop him, for no one who does a mighty work in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me. For the one who is not against us is for us. For truly, I say to you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ will by no means lose his reward.
Mark 9:39-41
Essentially, his point is there was no benefit in stopping this man. He was no operating against the followers of Christ, but rather was working against demons. Sure, he may be doing it with a wrong view of human nature or demons, but his purpose was not aligned against Christ so they shouldn’t have been concerned.
Wrong Motives
Paul had a similar attitude regarding those who were taking up his ministry while he was imprisoned. He explicitly says that it’s not even relevant what their true motives are.
Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will. The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. The former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment. What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice.
Philippians 1:15-18
Rather than to be bitter that others were trying to prove themselves against him by participating in proclaiming Christ, he celebrated that Christ was being proclaimed regardless.
Fellow Traveler
What can these cases teach us about living in a world full of disagreement? Rather than focus upon our doctrinal differences or be constantly concerned about the motives for why others agree with us, we need to have a clear vision of what our purposes is and not oppose positive momentum.
This doesn’t mean endorsing everything someone else says or does or even their reasons for doing so. If the person is not truly a believer but is furthering the cause of Christ with their actions, we can even rejoice in that!
We live in a time when people view everyone as “against them”. People are afraid to read great literary works enjoyed by Christians for decades suddenly because the author would disagree with them on soteriology. They are very concerned with influencers who are saying many of the right things in public regarding the topics they discuss, but are wrong about even something as seriously as the divinity of Christ (though not something they discuss either way). They oppose any social movement headed in the right direction because some of the members don’t want to go far enough.
The question we must ask ourselves is “are they opposition to our mission?” This isn’t ends justify the means talk. We shouldn’t engage in what we know to be wrong regardless of the potential positive outcomes. However, it does mean we don’t need to spend our time endlessly backstabbing others aligned in the same direction on the grounds they may not want to ultimately arrive in the same place.
This also isn’t a claim that we shouldn’t view them as needing a correction. However, rather than seek to tear them down and invalidate their influence, we should be more like Priscilla and Aquila (Acts 18:27).
If you’re someone who feels like there is literally nobody on your side and everyone is opposed to you, I hope this helps you to realign your friend/enemy distinction. It was your savior who said “One who is not against us is for us.”
