Ecumenism: Common Ground or Compromise of Doctrine?

It’s no secret that the Christian visible church is fractured (the institutional Protestant, Catholic, and Orthodox churches), yet in another sense we have unity in the true Church which is the invisible Body of Christ. It’s made up of the regenerate (God’s Elect) in all the various institutional churches and denominations.

Can we achieve common ground? Can we work together? Do our significant differences preclude cooperation? Is there any overlap in our theologies?

First let’s consider what the 3 major churches (Orthodox, Catholic, and Protestant) share in common:

1. The belief in a Triune God who Has revealed Himself both in man’s history as well as in His recorded Word which is Holy Scripture.
2. The belief that Jesus is the Messiah.
3. The belief that Jesus is the God-Man Who has 2 natures perfectly in balance, a divine nature (100% divine) and a human nature (100% human).
4. The belief in the inerrancy of Scripture.
5. The belief that Scripture is a major authority. Orthodox and Catholics believe there are other authorities on the same level as Scripture. Whereas we Protestants believe Scripture is the highest and final authority in matters of faith and praxis.
6. We all believe in Jesus’ teachings and commandments, to feed the poor, clothe the naked, pray for our enemies, to turn the other cheek if we are offended, to love God with our whole heart, mind and soul, to love our neighbor as ourselves, etc.
7. The belief that we should spread the Gospel to the entire earth.
8. We all meet on the Lord’s Day – the first day of the week, Sunday.
9. We all hear God’s Word, praise and worship God each week.
10. We worship God with music, some with instruments and some without.
11. We hear a message/sermon/homily each week.
12. All of our churches has various outreaches and social ministries to help people.
13. All of our churches have time set aside for Bible study.
14. We all practice communion, though we differ on its significance and meaning.
15. We all believe marriage is a God designed institution between a biological man and a biological woman, and that they make a solemn covenant before God.
16. The importance of prayer in a believer’s life.
17. The importance of reading and meditating upon Scripture.
18. We all place value on the teachings and lives of Christians who have gone before us.

Now let’s examine some areas where our 3 main churches differ:

1. Eschatology (End Times events)
2. Covenant theology or dispensationalism
3. The meaning of baptism.
4. How one enters the new covenant.
5. Whether one can have assurance of salvation or not.
6. Whether one can lose their salvation and go from a saved to an unsaved state.
7. How we are justified. Whether it is on the basis of faith alone or faith plus works.
8. Whether salvation is strictly monergistic (God acting alone), or synergistic (Man cooperating with God).
9. Ecclesiology and church governance
10. Whether one has Reformed or non-Reformed soteriology (how we are saved).
11. Whether one is a Calvinist, Arminian, or Molinist in their soteriology.
12. Whether or not baptismal regeneration is salvific or not.
13. Whether infants can possess faith.
14. The various Marian doctrines – whether one accepts some, all, or none of them.
15. Whether one believes the extraordinary gifts such as prophesy, words of knowledge, speaking in tongues, etc. are valid or not.
16. Whether charismatic theology is valid or not.
17. Whether Hell is eternal conscious torment, recapitulation (souls can be released from Hell after a certain period of time), or annihilation (souls cease to exist).
18. Whether the visible (sheep and goats), or the invisible church (Elect sheep only) is the true Body of Christ.

I’ve given two equal lists of 18 items per list of both things our 3 churches share in common, as well as differences. I think it’s fair to say we have a good deal in common, yet real differences (non trivial ones) exist.

I believe true and effective ecumenism is not compromising on our many theological differences, yet finding ways to work together, and to attempt to gain greater understanding of each other on the basis of our shared brotherhood and sisterhood in Christ. That is my goal.