Love the Brotherhood of Believers: Preserving and Extending the Unity of the Church

Abstract

John F. Brug explores the biblical foundations and practical expressions of Christian fellowship, emphasizing its basis in shared faith in Christ and unity in doctrine. He affirms that true fellowship is “working together for the truth” and must be grounded in full agreement with Scripture. Brug distinguishes between spiritual fellowship with all believers and outward fellowship, which must be carefully practiced to avoid false teaching. He outlines ways to preserve and extend fellowship, including worship, prayer, acts of love, material support, doctrinal instruction, and church discipline. Brug warns against unnecessary divisions over adiaphora, terminology, or personal strife, and stresses the importance of restoring repentant members. The essay concludes with a call to cherish and actively maintain the unity of the church, working together in love and truth to strengthen the body of Christ. Generated by Microsoft Copilot (GPT-4).