The Apostolic Dialogue With Catholics 3

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Christian Unity and Diversity

In their call for separation and isolation Bishop Smith and other
Apostolics make no attempt to understand Christian unity and diversity. 
In Bishop Smith's case this is indeed ironic.  The Bishop is the
chairman of an ecumenical Apostolic organization whose sole purpose is
to promote unity among Apostolics in the midst of their great
diversity.  His polemic against the Apostolic dialogue with Catholics
parallels the polemic made by Apostolics who refuse to join the AWCF and
believe that those who participate in the AWCF have compromised the
Apostolic faith by allowing for diversity!  Because of the similarities
between Apostolic ecumenism and ecumenism in greater Christendom I will
begin this discussion of Christian unity and diversity with an
examination of Apostolic ecumenism.

Theological diversity has always been a characteristic of the Apostolic
movement.  The founders of the Apostolic movement came from many
different Christian backgrounds each with their unique theological
emphasis. The Baptists, Methodists, and Holiness Christians, (to mention
just a few of the many different Christians who became Apostolics),  who
became Apostolics appended Apostolic truths to their existing
understanding of the Gospel, their existing theology.   Holiness is an
excellent example of the theological salad of Apostolic Pentecostalism. 
Those Christians from Holiness backgrounds who became Apostolics brought
with them their distinctive theological understanding of Holiness with
its emphasis on appearance, dress, and activities as constituting the
basis of Christian Holiness.  Through the baptism in the Holy Spirit,
water baptism in Jesus name, and the revelation of the fullness of God
in Christ, these Christians became Apostolics.  They were brought into
fellowship with Apostolics from non Holiness backgrounds who did not
define Christian holiness in terms of appearance, dress, and
activities.  Undoubtedly this made for a challenging fellowship! 
However, the excitement and reality of the Pentecostal experience and
the revelation of Apostolic truths, as well as persecution, bonded these
Apostolics together.  There was no theological homogeneity in the early
Apostolic movement.  There was diversity.  Unity was not accomplished by
a theological consensus in all areas of doctrine, but by a common
experience of Jesus Christ, a common faith in Jesus Christ, and a common
life of discipleship following Jesus Christ.  Apostolic Pentecostalism
was not a theological stew where different Christians simmered together
until they lost their theological diversity, but a theological salad
where different Christians retained their theological diversity while
being bathed in the dressing of Apostolic Pentecostal truths.

In past discussions on Higher-Fire it has been suggested that the
Apostolic Pentecostal faith has moved from the diversity of its infancy
to the homogeneity of maturity.  The diversity of belief presented in
the Higher-Fire forum challenges this belief.  While all Apostolics
embrace  Apostolics distinctives, water baptism in Jesus Name and the
revelation of God in Christ, they understand and present these truths
differently. To unite these Apostolics is the challenge of Apostolic
ecumenism.  This is the goal of the AWCF. The AWCF achieves unity in the
midst of diversity by presenting the essential truths of  Apostolic
Pentecostalism in a very broad statement of faith.  The explicit
interpretation of these truths is left to individual members of the
AWCF.  The AWCF, therefore,  allows for the  diversity in Apostolic
belief while maintaining an Apostolic identity.  But the unity the AWACS
promotes is not just intellectual, a consensus in doctrinal belief.  The
unity of the AWACS is also experiential.  The many different flavors of
Apostolics are bonded together by their common experience of Jesus in
the Apostolic community. This experience relativizes the theological
differences which separate Apostolics, i. e. Holiness, and focuses
Apostolics on their common heritage of faith and commission to proclaim
the Apostolic Gospel to the world.

Apostolic ecumenism remains a struggle.  Fundamentalism, with its
emphasis upon doctrinal homogeneity as the basis for Christian
fellowship is the dominant theology in the Apostolic movement. 
Apostolics  fear any  acknowledgment of the diversity of belief which
exists in their movement is compromising the Christian faith. The
ideology of Fundamentalism presents Christian theology as a finished
system of belief clearly defined by Holy Scripture and easily understood
by all.  Diversity is caused by infidelity to Holy Scripture and "being
deceived" by the devil and the spirit of the age. This  ideology is
comforting for many Apostolics accounting for the theological
differences within the Apostolic movement and between Apostolics and
other Christians. However, this ideology does not correspond with the
reality of the Apostolic movement.  Theological diversity is the norm
not the exception in Apostolic Pentecostalism.  There is no one
theological text book, an Apostolic Summa, which presents a consensus of
Apostolic belief.  Apostolics disagree theologically while being bonded
together by the Apostolic experience of Jesus.  This is the norm!  This
is the theological reality Apostolics should be expressing.  This is the
foundation for Apostolic ecumenism as desired by the AWCF.

In my next post I will proceed with a discussion of Christian ecumenism
utilizes insights garnered from Apostolic ecumenism.