What does Psalm 133:1 mean?
This expresses the blessings of Israel's tribes living harmoniously together. Prior to the coronation of David over all Israel, the tribes pursued their own interests and some even opposed him. Finally, they came together as a unified kingdom (1 Chronicles 12:38–40).The same joy applies when Christian believers follow Christ's command to love one another (John 13:34–35) in unity (John 17:21). Christians ought to love one another and enjoy a common bond in Christ and a common goal of providing a clear witness to the world. Paul addressed the issue of factions in the Corinthian church by pointing out that all believers belong to Christ and not to men (1 Corinthians 3). He also acknowledged that believers are one in Christ. He wrote: "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus" (Galatians 3:28).
In his letter to the Philippians, Paul appealed for unity by calling upon two notable members to set aside some dispute and agree with one another (Philippians 4:2). It is not wrong for church members to disagree about nonbiblical matters, but they should agree to disagree—to disagree without being disagreeable. However, they should be of the same opinion about essential doctrinal matters. Churches do not have to become one large unification, where all people have the same tastes and preferences. They should be united in the fundamentals of the faith. Union and unity are not identical.
