Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers. – Gal.6:10
There are some disagreements that are significant and simply cannot be avoided. I think of Martin Luther and the Reformation, of which today’s Protestant churches have much to be thankful for.
Then there are some which aren’t necessarily theologically related, and Scripture even records a few of them. There was the disagreement between the great missionary duo of Paul and Barnabas, which caused a temporary separation from their missionary work together. Paul also had a disagreement with Peter about his unwillingness to continue eating and fellowshipping with the Gentile Christians when his fellow Jews from Jerusalem came to town. Then there were the two women, Euodia and Syntyche, who Paul considered “dear friends” who had their differences about something or other. Paul pleaded for the church leadership in Philippi to mediate and restore unity between them.
So obviously disagreements among Christians are nothing new. Sometimes the issues are important enough that we need to take a stand. Other times, we may not even remember what the disagreement was about. But regardless of the issue, there is always the question of what we do with the disagreement—and what we do with the relationship afterward.
Since today marks the 256th anniversary of George Whitefield’s passing, I think we might find the story of his relationship with John Wesley to be a fascinating example. Here were two great men of faith who found themselves on opposite sides of an important theological issue, and yet eventually they found their way back to friendship and mutual respect.
Church history reminds us that Whitefield and Wesley were two of the most important preachers of the 18th-century evangelical revival. John Wesley was an Anglican minister who, along with his brother Charles, would eventually become one of the leaders of the Methodist movement. George Whitefield was also an Anglican minister, and he was an incredibly gifted preacher. He became famous for preaching to huge crowds, often outdoors, both in England and in America.
The two men met when they were young. They were both connected with a group of serious Christian students at Oxford called the Holy Club. They were serious about their faith, serious about serving God, and serious about reaching other people with the gospel. As a result, Whitefield became a close friend of both John Wesley and his brother, Charles.
As the revival began to spread, Whitefield and Wesley worked together. Whitefield went to America and preached to enormous crowds. In fact, he eventually asked John to come to Georgia and take over the work there. And for a while, these two men were very much on the same team.
But then they began to disagree over theology—and not just about some minor point.
Whitefield became convinced of the Calvinist understanding of salvation, particularly when it came to God’s sovereignty and election. Wesley disagreed with him and held to what is generally called an Arminian understanding of salvation. Their disagreement became public, and for a time it put a real strain on their friendship.
But here’s what I find so interesting.
They didn’t just decide that one of them had to give in before they could be friends again. Whitefield remained a Calvinist, while Wesley remained an Arminian. Their strong disagreement continued.
But somewhere along the way, they learned that they could disagree with each other without becoming enemies. And over time, their friendship was restored. They continued to respect one another, and they continued to recognize that they were brothers in Christ and fellow workers in the gospel.
Then, on September 30th, 1770, George Whitefield died in Newburyport, Massachusetts, from an acute asthma attack. He was only 55.
But this is the part of their story that really stands out to me.
Whitefield had asked John Wesley to preach his funeral sermon.
And Wesley did.
Think about that for a minute. These two men had disagreed publicly and pretty strongly over theology. Their disagreement had caused real tension between them. And yet, when Whitefield died, it was John Wesley who stood before the congregation and honored the life of his old friend.
There’s just something very encouraging about that to me. They didn’t have to settle every theological disagreement or pretend they saw everything the same way. They just learned how to disagree and still love each other.
And when Whitefield died, Wesley showed up to honor him.
The two of them had spent years preaching, arguing, disagreeing, and eventually finding their way back to one another. And in the end, Wesley was the one standing there, saying goodbye to his old friend.
I think that’s a pretty good way for their story to end (and today’s blog post too).
Yours in Christ,
Scott
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