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Unity among those who wear the name of Christ is a beautiful thing. The Psalmist said, "Behold, how good and pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!" (Ps 133:1). It is a blessing and joy to work with brethren who love God and one another, who "stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel" (Phil 1:27). Five times in the first five chapters of Acts, the brethren are described as being of "one accord." The word "accord" means "to be in agreement, having one mind, one passion." The word has the musical imagery of striking a pleasant chord of music. The instruments differ and notes are not the same, but they co-exist in beautiful harmony. This is God’s desire for His children and as such should be the goal of every child of God.

Paul commanded diligence among the Ephesians to "keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace" (Eph 4:3). To "keep" in this instance means "to attend to carefully, take care of, guard" (Strong’s). The unity of the Spirit exists among those who practice the principles of "oneness" listed in Ephesians 4:4-6. Unity is maintained by adherence to the principles of brotherly love as noted throughout the New Testament. Love among brethren is a characteristic of genuine Christianity. Jesus said, "A new commandment I give to you, that ye love one another, even as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another" (John 13:34-35). John wrote, "let us love not in word or tongue, but in deed and truth" (1 John 3:18). Love and unity are principles to be practiced and not just lofty ideals to which men pay lip service.

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Brotherly love manifests itself in a variety of ways. Note the following:

These attitudes and actions can only be exhibited by brethren who genuinely love the Lord and one another. It would be misleading to say that such traits are easily obtained. In truth, the exact opposite is the case. To consistently practice these Christ-like attributes, one must possess the humility that comes from a continuous dying to self. Paul said that "those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its desires" (Gal 5:24). Peter wrote, " all of you be subject one to another and be clothed with humility: for God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble" (1 Pet 5:5).

The apostle Paul paints a wonderful picture of the church in 1 Corinthians 12:12-27 where he likens the church to the human body. The church, like our own bodies, requires the cooperation of every individual members in order that the body can thrive as a whole. Some members are prominent, that is to say, they are easily seen and appreciated. Others are obscure. However, the beauty of this arrangement is seen in verses 18 & 24, where we are told that God "has set the members every one of them in the body as it pleased Him," and that God "hath tempered the body together." The word tempered does not mean hardened by heat, but rather united together. If we are a part of the body of Christ, God has put us there (Acts 2:47) and united us together. This is why Paul said that when one member suffers, all the members suffer with it, and when one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it (1 Cor 12:26). Too many Christians fail to realize that by failing to maintain love and unity in the local body, they are actually tearing themselves apart. Realizing the common bond we all share in Christ will help us to work toward building love and unity in the local body.

Unfortunately, such is not the case among all brethren. Like immature children who drive their parents crazy with their constant bickering and complaining, some brethren continually stir the pot of controversy in the local body. They are always tearing down some program of work or their fellow Christians. Give heed to how God views congregational troublemakers: "These six things doth the Lord hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto Him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that diviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, a false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren" (Pr 6:16-19). God’s hates complainers and those who cause disunity in the local body!

One of the chief ways of sowing discord in the local body is through gossip. The Bible has much to say of gossip and talebearers (gossipers), but none of it is flattering:

Proverbs 18:8 — "The words of a talebearer are as wounds . . ."

One might say, "What I am telling isn’t gossip; it’s the truth!" Where did we ever get the idea that only what was untrue or unconfirmed qualified as gossip? Proverbs 11:13 says, "A talebearer revealeth secrets; but he that is of a faithful spirit concealeth a matter."

Generally speaking, gossiping, complaining, and backbiting are acts of cowardice. Participants in such do not possess the courage to stop the talebearer in his tracks by telling him to hold his peace. Neither do they possess the courage to confront one with whom they are in disagreement. They would rather sin against God and their brethren as show some backbone. The Bible is clear on how to handle disagreements among brethren. Brethren who love the Lord and one another will follow the Lord’s procedure for conflict resolution as given in Matthew 18:15-20 and Luke 17:3-4.

Paul admonished the Philippians to ". . . be like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind" (2:2). Whether we are going to be of one accord or plagued by discord is up to each member of the local body. It only takes one malcontent to stir up a hornets nest of trouble. The Preacher wrote, "one sinner destroyeth much good" (Ecc 9:18). Let each one commit himself to maintaining and promoting peace and brotherly love among the local body.

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