Fellowship is the keynote of this belief; such a deep fellowship with God through Christ as shall inevitably lead to a deep fellowship with others of His children. The revival of the Christian Church will surely come only through the disciplined and creative fellowship of surrendered Christians; for such a fellowship in Christ is God's supreme weapon for the evangelization of the world (1 John 1:5-7 and John 17:22-23). The isolated Christian is an anomaly.
-Howard Guinness in Total Christian War
That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.
-The Apostle John, 1 John 1:3-4
And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own: but they had all things in common.
Acts 4:32
In World War II the United States narrowly escaped a crushing defeat because of neglect of a principle of war: the principle of cooperation.
Until the invasion of the Philippines, October 20-23, 1944, we had fought two separate wars in the Pacific: the advance through the Central Pacific, Gilbert, Marshall, and Mariana Islands, and the war in the Southwest Pacific via the Solomons and New Guinea. The forces of the former were commanded by Admiral Chester Nimitz in Hawaii and the latter by General Douglas MacArthur in Australia. When these advances met in the Philippines, the two leaders had no superior short of the Commander-in-Chief, the President of the United States.
The invasion was the responsibility of General MacArthur, with Central Pacific Forces filling a supporting role. The Seventh Fleet under the command of Vice Admiral Kincaid was given to General MacArthur for the invasion and included units of escort carriers and old battleships, some of which had been raised from Pearl Harbor. The ammunition of these units was non-armor-piercing, high explosives, as they were for support of the troops ashore and not for an engagement at sea.
Protecting the invasion from attack by sea was the Third Fleet, commanded by Admiral Halsey under Admiral Nimitz. The main striking force consisted of four carrier air groups of four fast-attack carriers each, and a surface striking force of new fast battleships.
The Japanese sent a two-pronged surface attack against the invasion fleet in Leyte Gulf and a decoy carrier group from Japan into the Philippine Sea. The old battleships under Rear Admiral Oldendorf sank all but one cruiser in Surigao Strait, which took care of the southern prong. The fast-attack carriers turned back the northern prong in the Sibuyan sea and then proceeded after the decoy group away from the invasion fleet.
Because of poor communication between the commanders of the Third and Seventh Fleets, Admiral Kincaid thought that Admiral Halsey had detached his surface striking group of seven fast battleships to cover the northern prong of the Japanese surface force at San Bernardino Straits. In reality, Admiral Halsey took the battleships with him after the decoy air group. He had not let the Commander-in-Chief, Pacific, or Commander, Seventh Fleet know of his decision.
The Japanese northern arm returned to the attack, coming through San Bernardino Straits with four battleships and ten heavy cruisers. No one was there to meet them. They caught our escort carriers in Leyte Gulf. After sinking the Gambier Bay, for some unknown reason the Japanese admiral retreated. His only opposition consisted of torpedo attacks and smoke from destroyers and destroyer escorts.
Our forces had intelligence of the enemy. We had an overwhelming superiority in surface and air power. But we did not obtain a decisive victory because of poor communication between cooperating forces. If it had not been for the decision of the Japanese admiral to retire, we might have suffered a decisive defeat.
When we fail to uphold the principle of cooperation, we cannot count on the enemy making mistakes or poor decisions. Nor can we bank on scaring him with smoke and mock torpedo runs.
We must determine to have an overwhelming superiority to meet the enemy in a decisive battle at the right time, which cannot be achieved without cooperation. Cooperation is dependent upon two prerequisites:
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Cooperating forces are allies, not belligerents.
- The cooperating forces come under one commander.
Cooperation with an enemy is not cooperation; it is treason. Failure to cooperate with an ally is a violation of an essential principle of war and a gross error.
Unity of command is necessary for cooperation. The closer the commander is to the cooperating forces, the closer the cooperation. The farther removed the unity of command, the weaker the cooperation.
In the invasion of the Philippines the supreme commander was very distant, the President of the United States. Admiral Nimitz had a unified command. So did General MacArthur. But this was a meeting of two distinct commands. They had no common superior close enough to the situation to provide good cooperation.
The principle of cooperation is very important in the spiritual war. First, it applies to each one of us individually. Most Christians are used to fighting (win or lose) their own spiritual battles. We are so used to fighting the spiritual war alone that when we come into contact with a fellow Christian in the same war at the same time or place, we find it difficult to cooperate and communicate. Cooperation is a prelude to concentration and concentration is one of the keys to victory.
It should be immediately apparent that the Christians have the advantage of a unified command. Furthermore, their Commander is not too far removed from the situation to provide effective cooperation. Jesus Christ himself experienced the temptations and difficulties encountered in this world, so he is close to our situation in the sense of personal experience.
More important, he presently occupies a position close to all Christians from which to direct their cooperative effortsÑthat is, he dwells in their hearts. From there he can guide us as individuals or as part of a group: "Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them" (Matthew 18:20). "I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world" (Matthew 28:20).
If there is any breakdown in the principle of cooperation, it is not on the part of the spiritual Commander; rather, it must be traced to the individual combatants.
The greatest deterrent to cooperation is pride. Pride says I can handle my problems alone; I donմ need any help. Or perhaps it will allow me to accept help, but not from him! Sometimes pride keeps us from admitting our needs even to ourselves, let alone to anyone else.
Other Christians could help us in our weakness, but we will not let them know what it is. A proud man wishes to win a struggle alone so he may take all the glory. When he loses no one else knows about it, or so he believes. James 5:16 says: "Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another." This cooperation in the spiritual war is essential if we do not wish to be continually defeated at the point where pride hides the fault.
God's attitude toward pride is explicit in the Scriptures. Proverbs 6:16 says, "These six things doth the Lord hate . . . a proud look . . . ." 1 John 2:15-16 states, "Love not the world . . . For all that is in the world . . . the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world."
The Bible also describes the results of pride. Daniel 5:20 explains the downfall of Nebuchadnezzar in these words: "But when his heart was lifted up, and his mind hardened in pride, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him." King Uzziah suffered leprosy until the day of his death, "because when he was strong, his heart was lifted up" (2 Chronicles 26:16).
Proverbs 16:18 states the principle in this way: "Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall."
In the military services pride is deliberately generated in order to encourage obedience and high quality in performance of duties. Rivalry and competition in training bring the units to the peak of readiness.
Yet platoons should cease to compete when they act as a company. They are held together by the company commander. Companies should cease to compete when acting as a battalion and so on up the line until the Commander-in-Chief unites the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps.
But a problem exists. Whereas the highest sense of loyalty should be to the highest commander, the greatest pride somehow frequently is generated in the smaller units and the greatest loyalty is given to subordinate commanders. There may be fierce loyalty to the skipper and indifference, antagonism, or at best a lesser loyalty to the squadron commander. (This is no great difficulty as long as the skipper insures no deviation from orders by the squadron commander.)
Another way that pride is fostered is through the function of the unit. The method of warfare used in the particular unit becomes, so far as the men involved are concerned, the primary means of winning wars. For instance the armor historian will tell of the heroic part that that unit played in winning World War II. In turn, we can find out how destroyers, submarines, the Navy, the Air Force, Coast Guard, Marine Corps, and the Army each won the last war.
The pride and loyalty that is encouraged, the rivalry and competition that keep units sharp and on their toes, can and do backfire. After a few years in the service, the naval officer has been indoctrinated to such an extent that it is difficult to cooperate with the Army, even though aims are in agreement. We then find that the individual thinks his loyalty to the Navy is synonymous with loyalty to the United States. Unfortunately, the Army feels the same way. Strained cooperation results. Thus the function of one's branch can become more important to an officer than the overall objective of the Armed Forces. This is a result of instilling pride in subordinate units to the neglect of emphasizing higher loyalties.
In the Army of the Lord the same error may occur. The different units (denominations, mission societies, and nondenominational groups) may develop a pride in the distinctives of their church or fellowship. The doctrines, liturgy, or methods that make a group distinctive are the points that are emphasized.
Many denominations and other groups are primarily the result of the ministry of individual men raised up by God: John Wesley, Martin Luther, John Calvin, Hudson Taylor, as well as living leaders. These are the "subordinate commanders" who may get the fierce loyalty and obedience that belong only to the Supreme Commander, Jesus Christ.
This would be strongly denied by most of us. Yet we betray our loyalties when our conversations frequently begin with ourselves or our group and its leader. Is Jesus Christ as often the subject of our opening sentences? If anyone draws this matter to our attention, we explain that our group and Christianity are synonymous, or that our leader is the most devoted follower of Jesus Christ, or that we meant Christianity, even if we did not say so. Thus each group feels it is most representative of Jesus Christ.
Strangely enough, if we were to apply the mathematical axiom, "Things equal to the same thing are equal to each other," we would conclude that all the groups were very nearly identical to each other and would enjoy great freedom in cooperation. This is not true. It is true that people who have a genuinely close fellowship and contact with the Supreme Commander have no trouble with each other, regardless of the groups with which they are associated.
We must guard our loyalty and keep it for the Lord Jesus Christ.
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:37-39, RSV ).
Sometimes we will encounter another Christian or Christian group on the same battlefield. Will we oppose his presence, tolerate his presence, ignore it, or unite with him to win the battle?
The question never really centers around the method of our group versus the method of the other group. The question is loyalty to our group versus loyalty to Jesus Christ. He commands both groups. For infantrymen not to accept the cooperation of tanks is not only stupid, it is disobedience to the one commander of both tanks and infantry. Our controversy is not with the other groupÑit is with Jesus Christ:
John said to him, "Teacher, we saw a man casting out demons in your name, and we forbade him because he was not following us." But Jesus said, "Do not forbid him; for no one who does a mighty work in my name will be able soon after to speak evil of me. For he that is not against us is for us" (Mark 9:38-40, RSV ).
Our determining factor is the person Jesus Christ. The man may not be with our group and we may disapprove of his methods. But if we agree with his loyalty to Jesus Christ and with his message, we should cooperate.
Paul saw this very clearly when he wrote:
Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will. The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel; the former proclaim Christ out of partisanship, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment. What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed; and in that I rejoice (Philippians 1:15-18, RSV ).
The other fellow's motives should not be our concern.
This is easy to say and to quote, but to enter into an openhearted willingness to work with someone from another camp is not so easy. The problem is that we, as allied groups, are not close enough to the Supreme Commander, the Lord Jesus Christ. The solution, then, is to spend more time with Jesus Christ individually, in our group, and with other groups. This time alone or together should not be spent in thinking or talking about distinctives or differences. Nor should it be spent in accusation or introspection.
We should spend our time with him in prayer, praise, worship, reading, study, and meditation. When we listen to him, talk to him, sing praise to him, and talk about him, we will come to know him better. We will begin to realize more of his love and power, and to follow more closely his commandments and purpose.
A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have love you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another (John 13:34-35, RSV ).
Questions:
- Study 1 Corinthians 1:10-17 and 3:1-9
- Do you have a loyalty to a person, a doctrine, a group, or a name that hinders full cooperation with Christians of other groups, doctrines, etc.?
- If so, are you willing to admit that it is sin?