Is this what we should be aiming for? Does this mean abandoning your own understandings and interpretations? Are you supposed to accept whatever the norm is? Who acts as the dispenser of knowledge and understanding in determining that ‘norm’? Are they always right? What does one accord mean!?
“Agreement; harmony of minds; consent or concurrence of opinions or wills. (Example: Acts 1)” (KJV dictionary)
“The concept of being in one accord is expressed frequently in the Bible, with ten instances in the book of Acts. …
To be in one accord communicates being one in heart and mind. More specifically, the words in the original language convey the inner unity (oneness of heart and mind) of a group of people engaged in a similar action. As such, the expression is sometimes rendered “with one mind,” as in Romans 15:6…” (gotquestions.org)
This is what the 1st century church was trying to accomplish, to display. Why? United front? And… the 21st century church?How are the words from those two descriptions meant … what does ‘one accord’ look like?
“So here’s what I want you to do. When you gather for worship, each one of you be prepared with something that will be useful for all: Sing a hymn, teach a lesson, tell a story, lead a prayer, provide an insight. If prayers are offered in tongues, two or three’s the limit, and then only if someone is present who can interpret what you’re saying. Otherwise, keep it between God and yourself. And no more than two or three speakers at a meeting, with the rest of you listening and taking it to heart. Take your turn, no one person taking over. Then each speaker gets a chance to say something special from God, and you all learn from each other. If you choose to speak, you’re also responsible for how and when you speak. When we worship the right way, God doesn’t stir us up into confusion; he brings us into harmony. This goes for all the churches—no exceptions.”
(1 Corinthians 14:26-33, MSG)
Does this give you sufficient understanding of what one accord looks like in action? It doesn’t mean abandoning or denying what you believe in order to be in one accord. Just like we all have a measure of faith – we need to share this to see where there are divergences with our brothers and sisters and what common understandings exist. Iron will sharpen iron (Proverbs 27:17)
“For by the grace [of God] given to me I say to everyone of you not to think more highly of himself [and of his importance and ability] than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has apportioned to each a degree of faith [and a purpose designed for service].
(Romans 12:3, AMP)
Finally, we grow, it’s not static, in understanding of one accord and it is importance. It is coming together to find the Lord’s will, to know what we need to be and do. It never is a denial of what you believe and who you are – it should always support and strengthen you as you discover and act on your understandings.
“The early church, being in one accord, had “no schisms, no divided interests, no discordant purposes” (from Notes on the Bible by Albert Barnes, 1834).
“This kind of oneness of heart and soul in the body of Christ is only possible though the Holy Spirit’s enabling (Ephesians 4:1–6). It is a gift of God’s grace (Romans 12:3–13). The Greek term translated “in one accord,” according to the Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon, “helps us understand the uniqueness of the Christian community. … The image is almost musical; a number of notes are sounded which, while different, harmonize in pitch and tone. As the instruments of a great concert under the direction of a concert master, so the Holy Spirit blends together the lives of members of Christ’s church.” (gotquestions.org)
