Prof. P. V. Cherian: Reconciliation and Unity, the Goal of Christian

fact of the Messiah being wounded for our transgressions, bruised for our inequities, and the chastisement for our peace being upon Him—700 years before Jesus was born—and died on the cross for our sins (1 Corinthians 15:3). Therefore, it is God who reaches out, initiates, and saves fallen humanity, who had become the enemies of God (Romans 5:10). Without God’s sovereign intervention, no sinner could ever be saved (John 6:65). Our own faith itself is a gift from God (Philippians 1:29).

Reconciliation: Jews and Gentiles. A related and practical aspect of God’s Act of Reconciliation for the Early Church was the reconciliation between Jews and Gentiles through Christ, elucidated in Paul’s epistle to Ephesians (Ephesians 2: 11-22). Paul begins by referring to two opposing groups of people: (i) Gentiles by birth, the “uncircumcised”, excluded from Israeli citizenship, foreigners to the covenants between God and His chosen people, the Jews; (ii) Jews by birth, the “circumcised”, heirs to the covenants with God. However, through His blood, Christ Jesus created a new humanity from Gentiles and Jews, reconciling them to God through the cross, with ready access to Father God. Consequently, both the Gentiles and Jews became fellow citizens, as God’s people and members of the same household, with Jesus Christ as the cornerstone.

In his letter to Romans, Paul—proclaiming himself as the apostle to the Gentiles3 —provides a more nuanced theological discussion on the reconciliation between Jews and Gentiles through Christ, noting it to be pivotal in God’s redemptive plan for humanity (Romans 11:11-24). Paul presents a beautiful analogy from nature, comparing Jewish believers to the natural branches of a cultivated olive tree and the Gentile believers to the branches of a wild olive tree. Paul states that the natural branches (Jews) were broken off—because of their unbelief—and the wild branches (Gentiles) grafted in, making them partakers of the promises and blessings of God’s salvation. The tree signifies the community of God’s people, with the grafted-in wild branches as Gentile believers, and the cut-off natural branches as unbelieving Jews. The Jewish believers who remain in the tree are joined with the Gentiles into a new body, the Christian Church4. Paul cautions the Gentiles not to be arrogant about their faith in Christ, reminding that the branches are dependent on the roots and not vice versa, and warning that if God did not spare the natural branches, He will not spare the grafted-in branches either. Paul states clearly that God is not finished with Israel—who has only temporarily lost the privilege as God’s people—and that all Israel will be saved to fulfill God’s covenant with Israel (Romans 11:25–28). The creation of a new humanity as Christians, based on reconciliation between Jews and Gentiles through Jesus Christ, has been a turning point in human history. However, as we know well from the Book of Acts and Apostle Paul’s letters—particularly Galatians—this was not an easy process for the Early Church5. A key dilemma for the Early Church was the standards to be applied to Gentile Christians, given the sudden influx of non-Jewish believers into the Church, especially following the conversion of Paul. Gentile believers brought along their customs, habits and values, many of which were offensive to Jewish Christians. In response, false teachers—called “Judaizers6” —emerged, proposing that Gentile Christians were not really saved unless they observed all Jewish laws such as: being circumcised7 , eating special foods, and celebrating special Jewish feast days. Essentially, the Judaizers’ doctrine was a mixture of grace (through Christ) and works (through the keeping of the Law). The debate was ultimately settled through the Jerusalem Council, where the Antioch church— represented by Paul, Barnabas and other believers8 — discussed the matter with apostles and elders (Acts 15:2), for building harmony between Gentile and Jewish Christians.

Jerusalem Council Discussions. During the Jerusalem Council discussions9, some believers—who were Pharisees—stated that Gentiles could not be saved unless they were first circumcised and obeyed the Law of Moses (Acts 15:5). Following extensive discussions among the apostles and elders, Peter argued—drawing

3 In his letter to Galatians, Apostle Paul talks about preaching the gospel to the uncircumcised, contrasting himself to Peter as the Apostle to the circumcised (Galatians 2: 7-8). 4 This is similar to the reconciliation between Gentiles and Jews through Christ (Ephesians 2:11–22), discussed earlier. 5 Stanley (2012) presents a useful account of the struggles of the Early Church in reaching Jews and Gentiles. In particular, see the discussion in Section 2 (p.86-93). Andy Stanley (2012),“Deep and Wide”, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan. 6 The word “Judaizer”comes from a Greek verb meaning “to live according to Jewish customs.” The word appears in Galatians 2:14,where Paul describes how he confronted Peter for forcing Gentile Christians to Judaize. 7 In Acts 15:1, Judaizers—while teaching believers in Antioch—claimed that one cannot be saved, unless circumcised according to the custom taught by Moses. 8 In his letter to Galatians, Apostle Paul mentions Titus as a member of the Antioch delegation to the Jerusalem Council (Galatians 2:1). 9 In his letter to Galatians, Apostle Paul provides some interesting details of the Jerusalem Council discussions. Paul states that: Jerusalem visit was in response to a revelation; he met privately with the leaders—James, Peter, and John— to present the gospel Paul preached to Gentiles; he wanted to be sure that he was running and had not been running his race in vain (Galatians 2:2, 9).

on his vision from the Lord10 and personal experience11 — that God did not discriminate between Jews and Gentiles—as shown by His outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Gentiles (Acts 11:44)—concluding that we are saved only through the grace of our Lord Jesus12, urging them not to burden the Gentiles with rules and regulations that they or their ancestors were unable to keep13. Thereafter, the assembly became silent as Barnabas and Paul shared with them the signs and wonders God had done among the Gentiles through them.

Perhaps the most surprising, albeit significant, aspect of the Jerusalem Council discussions concerns the role of Apostle James—brother of Jesus—who did not believe in Jesus during His earthly ministry, but became a leader of the Jerusalem church afterwards. Following Peter, Barnabas and Paul, Apostle James spoke up, “. . . we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God” (Acts 15:19)14. Instead, Apostle James suggested that Gentile Christians abstain from the following items: food sacrificed to idols, sexual immorality, meat of strangled animals, and blood. The decisions of the Jerusalem Council were transmitted to the Antioch Church through a letter15, along with Judas and Silas—two leaders from the church—to confirm the contents of the letter. The Jerusalem Council Letter refers to Judaizers as those who “went out from us without authorization”, disturbing the believers, and troubling their minds by what they said (Acts 15:24). The Letter refers to Barnabas and Paul as “dear friends”, who have risked their lives for the name or Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 15:2526). The Letter repeats the prohibitions suggested by Apostle James—to abstain from: food sacrificed to idols, sexual immorality, meat of strangled animals, and blood—and concludes, “You will do well to avoid these things (Acts 15:29)”. It may be noted that the historic Jerusalem Council discussion—which outlined the principle of limiting liberty for the sake of love—was fundamental to the growth and progress of Christianity, taking place nearly twenty years after the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ16 .

Ministry of Reconciliation. An important outcome of God’s act of Reconciliation with sinners is the Ministry of Reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18) mandated to all believers as Christ’s ambassadors (2 Corinthians 5:20), imploring humanity, “Be reconciled to God (2 Corinthians 5:21)”. Jesus himself gave the Great Commission to His disciples and all believers to make disciples of all nations, preaching the gospel, baptizing, and teaching (Mathew 28: 18-20; Mark 16: 15-16). In a similar vein, the “Lighted to Lighten” logo17 of the Mar Thoma Malankara Syrian Church presents the motto of the Church to spread the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ, with every member and believer of the Church given the light to enlighten others.

Unity in Godhead: The High Priestly Prayer. In His High Priestly prayer, recorded in John 17—Jesus’s longest prayer in the Gospels—Jesus prays for Himself, His disciples, and all believers. Jesus begins the prayer by revealing His purpose in coming to earth, to glorify the Father by giving eternal life to those who believe in Him.

10 Acts 10:9-26 describes Apostle Peter’s vision, where Peter was asked to kill and eat all kinds of four-footed animals, reptiles and birds. When Peter responded negatively saying that he has never eaten anything impure on unclean, the Lord answered, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean”. Apostle Peter saw the vision three times. Separately, in his letter to Galatians (2: 11-21), Apostle Paul refers to an encounter between Paul and Peter—when Peter came to Antioch—on the issue of eating with Gentiles, a practice that Peter stopped, being afraid of Jews. 11 Acts 9:23-48 describes Apostle Peter’s personal experience with Cornelius—a Roman centurion in Caesarea—making Peter the very first Apostle to take the Gospel to the Gentiles. Following his heavenly vision (fn#7), Peter visited Cornelius at his home and preached the Gospel message, stating that everyone who believes in Jesus receives forgiveness of sins through His name (Acts 10:43). As Peter concluded preaching, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message, with the circumcised believers astonished at the gift of the Holy Spirit being poured out on the Gentiles, as evidenced by their speaking in tongues and praising God (Acts 10: 46). 12 Apostle Paul has emphasized the same message in various epistles: we are saved by grace alone, by faith alone, not through the Law. Two examples are: (i) Galatians 2:16, which states that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law; (ii) Galatians 2:21, which states that if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing. 13 Apostle Peter made a similar case to the circumcised believers in Jerusalem, as detailed in Acts 11: 1-18. 14 Stanley (2012) suggests that Apostle James’ statement should be the benchmark for making all decisions in the local church. Churches shouldn’t do anything that makes it unnecessary difficult for people who are turning to God. See fn#4 for details. 15 Acts 15: 23-29 presents the Jerusalem Council letter, which was addressed to a broader group of Gentile believers in Antioch, Syria and Cilicia. 16 The timeline for the Jerusalem Council is based on the timeline provided by Apostle Paul in the letter to Galatians. Paul records two visits to Jerusalem: (i) three years after conversion, to meet Peter, staying for fifteen days (Galatians 1:18); (ii) fourteen years after the first visit, with Barnabas and Titus, for the Jerusalem Council discussion (Galatians 2:1). Therefore, if Paul was converted 1-2 years after the Resurrection, it would be a total of 20 years after Resurrection. 17 https://marthoma.in/the-church/story-behind-the-logo/

Jesus’ desire is for all His followers to be in complete unity, just as He and the Father are in perfect unity18 (John 17:21). Jesus taught that when believers are united and abide in God, the world will know that God loves them and that He sent Jesus for them (John 17:23). Jesus promised that He has given believers His glory that they may be one as He is one with the Father (John 17:22).

Unity: A “One-Another” Command19 . Jesus' High Priestly prayer for unity became a reality in the life of the Early Church. The Early Christians were gathered together in one place; they shared their possessions and were of one heart and soul (Acts 2:1, Acts 2:43, Acts 4:32). However, sin threatened the God-ordained unity of the Early Church, as evidenced by the examples of the prejudice of those who neglected Greek-speaking widows (Acts 6:1) and the rigidity of those who demanded that Gentiles become Jews before becoming disciples (Acts 15:1). However, in all situations, the Holy Spirit enabled believers to find creative solutions that maintained the unity of the Church (Acts 6: 2-7; Acts 15: 6-35).

In his epistles, Apostle Paul referred to believers as “one body in Christ”, transcending varieties of giftedness (Romans 12:5-8, 1 Corinthians 12:13, 1 Corinthians 12:27-30), and people groups (Galatians 3:28, Ephesians 2:14-15, Ephesians 3:6). Apostle Paul expounded that the Unity of the Church reflects the Unity of the Godhead: one God (1 Corinthians 12:6), one Lord (Romans 10:12, 1 Corinthians 12:5, Ephesians 4:5), and one Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:4, 1 Corinthians 12:11, Acts 11:17). Apostle Paul has documented well the various shared experiences of Christian Unity: Christ as Lord (Ephesians 4:5, Ephesians 4:13); sense of mission (Philippians 2:2); concern for one another (1 Corinthians 12: 25, Philippians 2:2, 1 Peter 3:8); suffering for Jesus' sake (2 Corinthians 1:6, Philippians 1: 29-30, 1 Thessalonians 2:14, 1 Peter 5:9).

Reconciliation and Unity. Based on the considerations outlined above, the Reconciliation and Unity themes are closely related from a Christian perspective. Reconciliation is a necessary and sufficient condition for Unity and vice versa. God’s redemptive plan of salvation through Jesus Christ has provided the basis for Reconciliation between God and Humanity. Likewise, the Unity in the Godhead between God the Father and God the Son presents a pattern for Unity of the Church,

18 While teaching in the temple in Jerusalem earlier, Jesus had surprised people with His statement, “The Father and I are one” (John 10:30), which nearly got him stoned! (John 10: 31). 19 The New Testament has over 50 “One-Another” passages that address behaviors and attitudes. Many of the “OneAnother” commands refer to Church Unity. modeled and manifested in the life of Early Christians. The foundation for both the Reconciliation and Unity themes could be drawn from Jesus’s command to His disciples during the upper room discourse (John 13-17) to love each other, just as Jesus loved them (John 15:12).

Reconciliation and Unity: World Council of Churches

2022 Assembly Theme. In 2022, the World Council of Churches (WCC) will gather in Karlsruhe, Germany, for the 11th assembly, with the theme “Christ’s love moves the world to reconciliation and unity”20. The assembly theme is set to provide a framework for member churches to renew their common call to: (i) seek the communion (koinonia) that is God’s gift and promise; (ii) shape their service (diakonia) to the people of the world and to creation; (iii) commit themselves to God’s mission of love to the world (missio Dei); and (iv) give words to their common prayer for each other and for the whole world (leiturgia). The 2022 Karlsruhe Assembly is set in the context of the global COVID-19 pandemic, with countries reeling from the adverse impacts on people: personally, economically, and spiritually. The virus has exposed and highlighted both the vulnerability of humanity and its persistent inequalities and divisions. In the shadow of the COVID-19 experience, the WCC gathering is expected to hold a light of hope and celebrate the love of God, a love that moves people to reconciliation and unity. The key questions for the Karlsruhe assembly are: (i) “How does a church – in whom the love of Christ is pleased to dwell–organize, speak, and act in this season?”; (ii) “How, in this moment, shall we share together in God’s mission of love to the world?”

Truth and Reconciliation. The Reconciliation and Unity theme is closely related to the Truth and Reconciliation21 initiatives in post-conflict societies for truth-seeking and conflict-resolution that have proven to be important for

20 The 2022 WCC theme is based on 2 Corinthians 5:14, “For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died” . WCC assemblies are ecumenical gatherings where the member churches, responding to Christ’s High Priestly prayer “that they may become completely one” (John 17:23), call one another to visible unity before a watching world. 21 Truth and reconciliation commissions, also known as truthor truth and justice commissions, are official bodies for discovering and revealing past wrongdoing by a government ornon-state actorsforresolving conflicts.The United States Institute of Peace provides an exhaustive list of Truth Commissions for the following countries: Argentina, Bolivia, Chad, Chile, East Timor, Ecuador, El Salvador, Germany, Ghana, Guatemala, Haiti, Nepal, Nigeria, Panama, Peru, Philippines, Serbia and Montenegro (formerly Federal Republic of Yugoslavia), Sierra Leone, South Africa, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Uganda, Uruguay, and Zimbabwe. https://web.Archive.org/web/20051212235138/http:// www.usip.org/library/truth.html).