The Unity of the Church

The brotherhood of man and the brotherhood of the Church are two very different unities. Machen outlines the unity of the Church and the unity of mankind in general and the differences that they have.

“…true Christians must everywhere be united in the brotherhood of the Christian Church. Very different is this Christian conception of brotherhood from the liberal doctrine of the ‘brotherhood of man.’ The modern liberal doctrine is that all men everywhere, no matter their race or creed, are brothers. There is a sense in which this doctrine can be accepted by the Christian. The relation in which all men stand to one another is analogous in some important respects to the relation of brotherhood. All men have the same creator and the same nature. The Christian man can accept all that the modern liberal means by the brotherhood of man. But the Christian knows also of a relationship far more intimate than that general relationship of man to man, and it is for this more intimate relationship that he reserves the term ‘brother.’ The true brotherhood, according to Christian teaching is the brotherhood of the redeemed.”

There is a brotherhood that we can experience with mankind in that we all have the same creator, the same nature, the same human needs and struggles, etc. This brotherhood can be extended through the Church. Recognition of sin, communal worship of the creator, fellowship with others, among other things, are pros of the unity of the Church. These are not achievable by the brotherhood of man by itself but must be accompanied by faith in Christ, regeneration, and inclusion in the people of God.

Adoption into God’s covenant community is essential to experiencing and living out the life of the Church, the body of Christ. Liberalism breaks down this unity in the first place by diminishing faith, regeneration, sanctification, the necessity for justification, and the kingdom-vision that God calls us to have. Liberalism cannot possibly believe in the same institution of the Church that is outlined in Scripture.

I enjoyed what Machen wrote about the Church’s influence on society. “…there is really to be a transformation of society; it is not true that the Christian evangelist is interested in the salvation of individuals without being interested in the salvation of the race. And even before the salvation of all society has been achieved, there is already a society of those who have been saved. That society is the Church. The Church is the highest Christian answer to the social needs of man.”

The unity of the Church is God’s intention for the unity of man. Since the Fall, man has been at enmity with God and with fellow man. Through Christ, man can experience the fellowship and the flourishing that God intended at Creation. The Church is God’s medium of bringing humans back to this created order.

I liked that Machen addresses that a society is not saved without the saving of individuals. This is the way that God works. He works through individuals in the Church and brings them together in unity. Society will be influenced and changed by the Church through the individual Christians, not through strictly organizational communication. Individuals must be saved before a society will behave as a saved society.