Among other things, God likens His church to a human body. One passage in which He does so is 1 Cor. 12:12-27.

"As the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. For the body is not one member, but many.

"If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?

"But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him. And if they were all one member, where were the body? But now are they many members, yet but one body. And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you. . . But God hath tempered the body together, . . : That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another. And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honored, all the members rejoice with it."

We could well look around from Christian group to Christian group to try to find this condition existing. However, I dare say you will find no such relationship existing between any two of them. Occasionally we find friendships which develop between members of different groups, but that does not an intergroup alliance make. The standard "message" that a visiting minister receives is, "We have no need of you." The same condition, many times, exists between groups in the same organization, as the Apostle John experienced in his ministry.

John told us, "I wrote unto the church: but Diotrephes, who loveth to have the preeminence among them, receiveth us not. Wherefore, if I come, I will remember his deeds which he doeth, prating against us with malicious words: and not content therewith, neither doth he himself receive the brethren, and forbiddeth them that would, and casteth them out of the church. Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is good." (3 John 1:10)

Where is this "Body of Christ" where they are "tempered together, and have the same care one for another?"

In Col. 2:17-19, Paul told us, "The body is of Christ. Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshiping of angels, (This phrase simply means submitting to those that have the rule over you, such as were James, Peter and Paul.) intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, And not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God." Where, pray tell, is this "Body of Christ" which is joined together with "bands, and knit together?" Is it possible that I have been a part of it for the last fifty-five years, and let the sectarianism hide it from my spiritual eyes?

Nay, but it is apparent from these passages of Holy Scripture that God’s Church is, or shall be, a unified group of Christians. But, contrariwise, for almost 1900 years, Christianity has been a profusion of schisms. It appears that, if Jesus is to present to Himself a glorious Church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing (Eph 5), God must soon do a miraculous work of uniting at least some of us who believe, in the unity of the faith.