THE SECOND PART: A BIRD’S-EYE VIEW OF THE NEW TESTAMENT
The Acts of Apostles
Message Two—One Accord
Scripture Reading: Acts 1:14; 2:46; 4:24, 32; 5:12; 15:25; Rom. 15:5-6; 1 Cor. 1:10
I. In John 17 the Lord Jesus prayed for oneness, in Ephesians 2 He died to produce oneness, in John 20 He breathed the Spirit into us as the essence of oneness, and in Acts 1 we have the application of oneness. (2008 WT, msg. 2)
II. The genuine one accord in the church is the practice of the oneness of the Body, which is the oneness of the Spirit—Eph. 4:3-6: (2008 WT, msg. 2)
A. The practice of the genuine one accord in the church is the application of the oneness; when oneness is practiced, it becomes one accord—Acts 1:14; 2:46. (2008 WT, msg. 2)
B. The landmark that divides the Gospels and the Acts is the one accord among the one hundred twenty—Acts 1:14: (2008 WT, msg. 2)
1. They had become one in the Body, and in that oneness they continued steadfastly with one accord in prayer—Eph. 4:3-6; Acts 1:14. (2008 WT, msg. 2)
2. When the apostles and the believers practiced the church life, they practiced it in one accord—2:46; 4:24, 32; 5:12; 15:25. (2008 WT, msg. 2)
C. If we practice the principle of the Body, we will have the one accord, for the one accord is the Body—Rom. 12:4-5; 15:5-6; 1 Cor. 12:12-13, 20, 27; 1:10. (2008 WT, msg. 2)
D. One accord is the master key to every blessing in the New Testament—Eph. 1:3; Psa. 133: (2008 WT, msg. 2)
1. In order to receive God’s blessing we must practice the oneness by the one accord—v. 1. (2008 WT, msg. 2)
2. The blessing of God can come only upon a situation of one accord, the practice of the oneness. (2008 WT, msg. 2)
III. One accord refers to the harmony in our inner being, in our mind and will—Acts 1:14: (2008 WT, msg. 2)
A. In Acts 1:14 the Greek word homothumadon, used for “one accord,” is strong and all-inclusive: (2008 WT, msg. 2)
1. This word comes from homo, “same,” and thumos, “mind, will, purpose (soul, heart)” and denotes a harmony of feeling in one’s entire being. (2008 WT, msg. 2)
2. We should be in the same mind and the same will with the same purpose around and within our soul and heart; this means that our entire being is involved. (2008 WT, msg. 2)
3. For the one hundred twenty to be in one accord meant that their entire beings were one—v. 14. (2008 WT, msg. 2)
B. In Matthew 18:19 the Greek word sumphoneo is used to signify the one accord: (2008 WT, msg. 2)
1. This word means “to be in harmony, or accord” and refers to the harmonious sound of musical instruments or voices; the harmony of inward feeling among the believers is like a harmonious melody. (2008 WT, msg. 2)
2. When we have one accord, we become a pleasing melody to God. (2008 WT, msg. 2)
IV. The practice of the oneness—the one accord—is according to the apostles’ teaching—Acts 2:42, 46: (2008 WT, msg. 2)
A. There was one accord among the believers, and those who were in one accord continued steadfastly in the apostles’ teaching—v. 42. (2008 WT, msg. 2)
B. The apostles taught the same thing to all the saints in all the places and in all the churches; today we also must teach the same thing in all the churches in every country throughout the earth—1 Cor. 4:17; 7:17; 11:16; 14:34; Matt. 28:19-20. (2008 WT, msg. 2)
C. The prohibition against sowing two kinds of seed in one’s vineyard may typify the prohibition against teaching differently in the church—Deut. 22:9; 1 Tim. 1:3-4; 6:3; cf. Luke 8:11. (2008 WT, msg. 2)
V. In practicing the one accord, we need to be in one spirit with one soul—Phil. 1:27; 2:2, 5; 4:2: (2008 WT, msg. 2)
A. We should be attuned in the same mind and in the same opinion; this is to be one in our soul—1 Cor. 1:10; Phil. 1:27; 2:2, 5; 4:2. (2008 WT, msg. 2)
B. To be in one accord is to be one in our whole being; this results in our being one in our outward speaking—Rom. 15:5-6: (2008 WT, msg. 2)
1. To have one mind and one mouth means that we have only one Head—Christ; we should think with the mind of Christ and speak with the mouth of the Head—Col. 1:18a; Phil. 2:2, 5; 4:2. (2008 WT, msg. 2)
2. Whenever we are in one accord, we speak with one mouth— Rom. 15:6. (2008 WT, msg. 2)
3. With one accord and with one mouth mean that even though we are many and all are speaking, we all “speak the same thing”—1 Cor. 1:10. (2008 WT, msg. 2)
VI. In order to be in one accord we need to have one heart and one way—Jer. 32:39; Acts 1:14; 2:46; 4:24: (2008 WT, msg. 2)
A. The believers should have one heart—to love God, to seek God, to live God, and to be constituted with God so that we may be His expression—and one way—the Triune God Himself as the inner law of life with its divine capacity—Mark 12:30; 2 Cor. 13:14; Eph. 3:16-17; Jer. 31:33-34; John 14:6a. (2008 WT, msg. 2)
B. Divisions result from having a heart for something other than Christ and taking a way other than Christ—1 Cor. 1:13a; 2:2; Col. 2:8; Acts 15:35-40. (2008 WT, msg. 2)
VII. For the Lord’s up-to-date move, all the churches need to be in one accord; we should all voice the same thing, trumpet the same thing, teach the same thing, and be the same in practice—Josh. 1:16-18; 6:1-16; Acts 2:42; 4:24, 32; 1 Cor. 4:17; 7:17; 11:16; 14:33b-34; 1 Tim. 1:3-4; 6:3. (2008 WT, msg. 2)