ESSENTIALLY ONE:
Striving for the unity God loves
By Jonathan Lamb
IVP. £9.99. 240 pages.
ISBN 978 1 783 599 110
This book is ‘essential’ for today’s troubled church in a troubled world. Jonathan Lamb sets out very clearly the biblical mandate for true church unity, applies it in the real world, and helps us to work towards seeing it in our lives.
In an increasingly divided world the church should demonstrate a deep oneness, across secondary issues, status, culture, class and ethnicity. While obviously written before the recent highlighting of racial inequalities, the subject is very relevant.
Essentials and secondaries
Each chapter has a ‘base passage’ which is well applied. The first section expands our understanding of our unity in Christ and what it means in practice. Then the author discusses the difference between essentials and secondaries. There are doctrines where our understanding of faith means division is real, but should be handled graciously. But all too often it is secondary issues that divide those who are ‘essentially one’. While enjoying diversity within our unity, we must be clear that we are one family in the Lord.
Divisive issues
The section on confronting challenges draws very helpfully on how the early church managed divisive issues. Three passages show the apostles responding to major issues – chapters entitled Managing Conflict, Productive Change, and Division and Discipline.
If you are likely to be involved in a disagreement in church (i.e. just about all of us!), then you need to read and absorb the principles clearly expounded here from the Scriptures.
Enjoyable, helpful and important
Jonathan Lamb draws helpfully from his experience of UCCF, IFES and Keswick Ministries. Relevant illustrations and contemporary references combine to make this book an enjoyable, helpful and important book for us all.
