How does Joshua 22:19 relate to the New Testament teachings on church unity? Setting the Scene • After years of conquest, Israel’s eastern tribes (Reuben, Gad, half-Manasseh) return home across the Jordan. • They build a large altar by the river (Joshua 22:10). The western tribes fear this signals rebellion—another place of worship could fracture the nation’s covenant life. • A delegation led by Phinehas confronts them, urging fidelity to the one altar at the tabernacle. Key Verse “But if the land of your possession is unclean, then cross over to the land of the LORD’s possession, where the LORD’s tabernacle resides, and take possession of it among us. But do not rebel against the LORD or against us by building for yourselves an altar other than the altar of the LORD our God.” (Joshua 22:19) Core Principles in Joshua 22:19 • One altar, one worship center—God’s people must rally around a single, God-ordained focal point. • Unity is so vital that the western tribes are willing to share their own land to keep fellowship intact. • Separation from the divinely appointed worship spot equals rebellion against God and against the covenant community. New Testament Echoes • One body, one Spirit, one Lord, one faith, one baptism (Ephesians 4:3-6). • Christ Himself is the sole foundation and cornerstone of God’s new temple (1 Corinthians 3:11; Ephesians 2:19-22). • Believers are called to “have no divisions” but be “perfectly united in mind and judgment” (1 Corinthians 1:10). • Jesus prays “that they may be one… so that the world may believe” (John 17:20-23). • Gathering together safeguards against drifting into private, unauthorized “altars” of belief or practice (Hebrews 10:24-25). Shared Themes Holiness • The plea “if the land… is unclean” mirrors the NT insistence on pure doctrine and holy living (1 Peter 1:15-16). Fellowship • Israel invites the eastern tribes to dwell “among us”; the church is exhorted to “bear one another’s burdens” (Galatians 6:2) and “continue steadfastly… in fellowship” (Acts 2:42-47). Submission to God’s Order • Israel’s altar at Shiloh foreshadows the exclusive sufficiency of Christ’s once-for-all sacrifice (Hebrews 10:12-14). We do not create alternate paths; we gather around Him alone. Living It Out Today • Guard the centrality of Christ—no competing “altars” of personal preference, ideology, or tradition. • When potential division surfaces, pursue face-to-face conversation, just as Phinehas did, instead of allowing suspicion to fester. • Be willing to make personal sacrifices—time, resources, comfort—to preserve congregational and wider church unity. • Keep corporate worship a priority; shared gathering shapes and protects shared faith. • Measure every practice and teaching by Scripture’s standard, ensuring we remain aligned under the one Head of the church (Colossians 1:18). Joshua 22:19 reminds us that unity is not optional; it is a covenant obligation anchored in faithful, centralized worship. The New Testament unfolds the same pattern in Christ, calling believers everywhere to guard and cherish the oneness of His body. |
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