Letter from the Editor
Submission: The Cost of Unity
Nicholas Chuan
Submission is a frowned-upon word today, especially on college campuses like ours. In a world scarred by slavery, a verse like“ Slaves, obey your human masters in everything”( Col 3:22, HCSB, and all following) reeks of abuse. In a culture which cries for gender equality, verses like“ Wives, submit to your own husbands”( Eph 5:22) sound misogynistic, demeaning and oppressive.
On the other hand, unity is a celebrated concept that everyone seems to cherish and strive for. Be it across denominational, racial, political, or socio- ������������������������������������������������ campus ministries, we yearn for unity and constantly question why we appear so divided. The theme of this Cornerstone issue is unity, and in ���������������������������������������������������� aspects of it. From unity among missionaries on the ����������������������������������������������������� covenantal union between Christ and the Church, to unity bridged by the everyday practice of for- ������������������������������������������������������ subject. However, before you dive into all of that, allow me to provide a Biblical picture. In particular, I would like to contend that submission is a necessary cost of achieving unity.
Submission to whom, in particular? If you’ re a Christian, you may be thinking that I am talking ������������������������������������������������� necessary, the call to submission goes deeper. We are called to submit to one another for the sake of unity.
To see this, I would like to focus on a particular passage, Philippians 2:1-11. This is part of Paul’ s letter to the church in Philippi, after they heard about his ������������������������� �������������
This led to disunity within the church, which is one �� ���������������������������������������������������� four verses, he instructs them on how to seek unity, by“ having the same love, sharing the same feelings,( and) focusing on one goal”( v2). Moreover, they are to“ do nothing out of rivalry or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than( themselves,)” and look out not only for their“ own interests but also for the interest of others”( v3-4). To exemplify this, Paul exhorts the Philippians to make their attitude like that of Jesus. He then writes a beautiful prose on Jesus:
Make your own attitude that of Christ Jesus, who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God as something to be used for His own advantage. Instead He emptied Himself by assuming the form of a slave, taking on the likeness of men. And when He had come as a man in His external form, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death— even to death on a cross. For this reason God highly exalted Him and gave Him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow— of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth— and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.( Philippians 2:5-11)
Paul clearly points to Jesus as the ultimate example as to how the Philippians can consider others more important than themselves and look out for the interests of others. That is how the Philippians can have the same love, feelings, and goal. In a nutshell, they were to be united through Christ-like love for one another.
We are called to submit to one another for the sake of unity.
Let me unpack what“ Christ-like love” looks like according to the passage. It is not self-seeking( v6), it is self-denying( v7), and submissive( v8). Submitting to God’ s will, Jesus gave up His rightful place in perfect communion with the Godhead and took on
6 Fall 2016