Christian Unity (the book) - The Maranatha Community
Christian Unity (the book) - The Maranatha Community
Christian Unity (the book) - The Maranatha Community
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Ano<strong>the</strong>r issue is <strong>the</strong> primacy of <strong>the</strong> pope (<strong>the</strong> bishop of Rome), <strong>the</strong> seed ofwhich doctrine was clearly sown by Cyprian’s day. In his On <strong>the</strong> <strong>Unity</strong> of <strong>the</strong>Catholic Church, Cyprian, in one version of <strong>the</strong> text of <strong>the</strong> treatise known as <strong>the</strong>‘Primacy Text’ writes:‘Again, after his resurrection he says to him (Peter), “Feed my sheep.” He“builds his church” on him, and to him he gives his sheep to be fed: andalthough he confers an equal power on all <strong>the</strong> Apostles, yet he hasappointed one throne and by his authority has ordained <strong>the</strong> source andprinciple of unity. <strong>The</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r Apostles were, to be sure, what Peter was,but primacy is given to Peter, and <strong>the</strong> Church and <strong>the</strong> throne are shownto be one.’Scholars debate whe<strong>the</strong>r or not this was Cyprian’s final view of <strong>the</strong> Papacy, but<strong>the</strong> idea took root and became a central tenet of Catholicism in <strong>the</strong> West.Pope Damascus I (366-384 AD) made much of <strong>the</strong> claim for Peter’s (Rome’s)primacy over all o<strong>the</strong>r bishops.This view of <strong>the</strong> Papacy is a great stumbling block to unity to both Protestantsand Orthodox.Yet ano<strong>the</strong>r issue is <strong>the</strong> question of <strong>the</strong> nature and importance of baptism forunity. Is Trinitarian baptism enough to establish a person as a <strong>Christian</strong>? <strong>The</strong>Catholic/Orthodox position would see baptism as not to be repeated, as itincorporates <strong>the</strong> <strong>Christian</strong>s into <strong>the</strong> Church once for all, a position also takenby many Protestants.Finally, is <strong>the</strong> Church for <strong>the</strong> holy only? Who is holy enough to be in <strong>the</strong> Churchanyway? If I sin as a <strong>Christian</strong>, can I be restored on repentance only?<strong>The</strong>se are all issues to be thought about today in <strong>the</strong> context of <strong>Christian</strong><strong>Unity</strong>. If I am concerned about <strong>the</strong> structural and organic union of churches<strong>the</strong>n, it seems to me, <strong>the</strong> difficulties of union are immense: <strong>the</strong> historicallegacies of <strong>the</strong> Episcopal churches cannot be laid to one side. But a measureof unity is possible on <strong>the</strong> basis of shared spiritual life. As to <strong>the</strong> validity ofeach o<strong>the</strong>r’s baptisms, <strong>the</strong> Catholic view of Rome in Cyprian’s day ofaccepting Trinitarian baptism as a basis for fellowship should prevail today.Augustine of Hippo (354-430 AD) profoundly influenced <strong>the</strong> development of<strong>the</strong> thinking of <strong>the</strong> church in <strong>the</strong> West among both Catholics, and later,Page 39