It is amazing how many so-called “Gospel Preachers” are concerned about the reaction people will have to their stands for the faith.  A preacher of the truth is not to take a vote to see who will agree with him prior to his taking a stand for the truth.  As a matter of a fact, truth typically does not have the greater numbers on its side.  Today there are even preachers that form their own circles and parties that help them decide what to say, how to say it, and when to hush up.  The current “Second Putting Away” and “Differing on ‘Application’ Under Romans 14” issues are certainly two that display the party spirit and the fence riding abilities of some of our brethren.  Recently a congregation in our area decided to cease their stance for the truth and “peaceably co-exist” with erring brethren so that they too could ride the fence of neutrality.  While fence riding is popular among brethren it is not acceptable to God.

     Jesus made it clear, you are either with Him or against Him (Matthew 12:30).  You cannot serve Christ and follow the doctrines of men (Matthew 15:7-9 and Galatians 1:6-10).  Those who do not abide in the doctrine of Christ, those who do not teach the whole doctrine of Christ, and those who partake in the errors of the erring do not have God (II John 9-11).  The middle ground of truth exists only in the polluted minds of those who desire to please men over God.  Jesus told the church at Laodicea that their fence riding of spirituality made him essentially sick in that He would spew them out of His mouth (Revelation 3:15-16).  That is what Christ thinks of those trying to walk between the straight & narrow and broad & wide.  The Lord requires brethren to walk the path of unity by being of one mind, doctrine, etc.  This is how we can peaceably co-exist.

     Some brethren have the idea that the fence is comfortable and keeps them from getting any battle scars.  In many cases that may be true.  However, those on the fence of compromise will not find themselves with the Lord.  They will scream “we taught no error and caused no division.”  Yet, their compromise came by doing nothing.  Consider what the Lord spoke to Ezekiel and told him that if he did not act as a watchman and warm the people telling them to repent that their blood would be required at his hand (Ezekiel 3:18; 33:7).  Ezekiel is not alone.  Paul realized that he was “pure from the blood of all men” for he had not shunned to declare unto them the WHOLE COUNSEL of God (Acts 20:26-27).  The only thing the fence rider will keep themselves from is Heaven!  Unity demands that we all teach and stand for the truth.

     Several brethren over the years have expressed that unity cannot come through agreement.  Charles Wheeler (former preacher at the Uniontown church of Christ in Cherry Tree, PA) said: “The only way we can have unity without diversity is to have an artificial unity.”¹   Ed Harrell says: “Christians sometimes disagree about scriptural instructions, even in matters of considerable moral and doctrinal import...That behavior...is, I believe, the issue addressed in Romans 14.”² W. Carl Ketcherside (one of the foremost false teachers of the past that excused all manners of false doctrine with his famous Unity in Diversity Doctrine) said: “Let me save you some postage. Some of you will be bound to write and ask how we can be one so long as some have instrumental music and others oppose it, or so long as some have Sunday schools and others oppose them, or so long as some have individual cups and others oppose them? That is easy! Quit making tests of fellowship out of them. Quit acting as children and quit yourselves like men. God did not make conditions of salvation out of these things, so quit making them conditions of union and communion.”³

     Straddling the fence just causes your pants to tear - causing a division.  True unity is pleasing to the Lord (Psalms 133:1) and it comes through agreement (Amos 3:3).  Regardless of what the false teachers quoted above have taught, there is no scriptural support for their false doctrines.  Notice several passages penned by the Apostle Paul that makes this point clear: (I Corinthians 1:10) “Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.”  (Philippians 2:2) “Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.”  (Philippians 3:16) “Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing.”  For those whom say that agreement is impossible, I tell you that the Apostle Paul disagrees and not him only, but the Lord who inspired him to write the passages quoted above (II Timothy 3:16-17 and II Peter 1:20-21).  Jesus prayed for us to be one as He and His Father are one (John 17:20ff.) not because it is impossible but, because it is possible.

     Carl K. and many today that hold forms of his doctrine think that those of us that stand for truth are the ones making issues “tests of fellowship”.  Institutional brethren say “their causing the division by making these issues tests of fellowship” just as those teaching other false doctrines try that same argument.  Ahab tried this tactic with Elijah (I Kings 18:17).  It is those who bring the new and unauthorized doctrines that cause division, not the brethren who stand unwaveringly for the “old paths”.  Fellowship is broken not when we determine such, but when those erring from “the faith” cease to walk in the light and uphold the truth (I John 1:7; cf. Romans 16:17 and II John 9-11).

     When one teaches something that God has not taught and they pervert a scriptural text to do so, they have sinned and God has made that a "condition of salvation" (Deuteronomy 4:2; 12:32; 29:29, Proverbs 30:5-6, and Revelation 22:18-19).  Teaching more than God did is no worse than being liberal and loosing from the word of God (Deuteronomy 5:32; 28:14, Joshua 1:7; 23:6, Matthew 15:1-9, and I Timothy 4:1-3).  Unity does not come from compromise; it comes through being one – agreement!

     The body of Christ is divided many times over.  The problem of false doctrine is not the only source of the divisions among us.  Indifference is just as much to blame.  Brethren have friendships with men that they value more than fellowship with God.  This keeps them from rebuking their brethren in error.  Others fear battle.  They think they will be hurt.  They are right (Matthew 5:10-12 and II Timothy 3:12).  However, we must all realize that the battle is truly the Lord’s (I Samuel 17:47).  We are His servants.  We are to earnestly contend for the faith (Jude 3).  We must realize that souls are at stake and fence riding will not help those in error to see the sinfulness of their ways (Galatians 6:1).  If we cannot save those who depart from the truth we cannot cease, for we may be able to protect those whom they might influence into error (Romans 16:17-18).  Let all sound brethren put on the armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-17) and step into battle to preserve the truth, the church, and our own salvation.

1. Charles Wheeler; former preacher for the church of Christ in Cherry Tree, PA; Wednesday March 6, 2002; Berean Spirit Study List; http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BereanSpirit/message/48747
2. Ed Harrell – Original quotes: “Bounds of Christian Unity #1-16”; Christianity Magazine, Feb. 1989 - May 1990.
3. Carl Ketcherside, Mission Messenger; “Letters I Receive”;  Vol. 37 number 9; September 1975 (Pages 171-172)