I. What Is the Unity of the Church? 1. The unity of Father or Son or Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 12:12-13, Gal. 3:28)
Abuse: Unitarian homogeneity/totalitarianism
2. The unity of Father and Son and Holy Spirit (John 17:20-23)
Abuse: Tritheistic pluralism/anarchy
Either way, the Church's unity is God's unity, a gift and reflection of God
II. How Is Unity Mediated? 1. By communion with the apostles' successors
(Catholics: and ultimately the Bishop of Rome)
Effect: Unity is formal, institutional
2. By obedience to Scripture
Effect: Unity is "invisible," doctrinal
Effect: Confessions and statements of faith proliferate
3. By the presence of God through the Holy Spirit
Effect: Spiritual gifts are the only final evidence
Effect: Unity is spiritual, ethical
III. All of the Above?
Lesslie Newbigin: These types are each insufficient
Christ always has two mediators: Holy Spirit and Church
Bishops, Word, sacraments are media of the Holy Spirit, and ...
The Holy Spirit's action takes concrete verbal, sacramental, and institutional forms
Disunity compromises the Church's witness, injures the body of Christ
