Why so many Christian denominations???
- Thread starter angelwings37
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One needs to be careful to not "scramble" the Word of God to try and prove a point. We need to be "rightly dividing the Word of Truth", as God enjoins us. If saints look at each subject of Scripture prayerfully together (without wandering after what others think, or one prefers), and brings to bear the clear verses in the New Testament (the only source for the Church), one will find God's mind. This is difficult on a forum, for many ideas and misunderstandings prevail. If one would like to discuss each matter of Church truth separately ---and not broadly about the whole Bible at once, the truth will be shown by God.
I agree that God does not like "diversity" as some say, and expects us to bow to Him only by His immutable Word. Also, some statements about essential truth versus non-essential was mentioned herein, and that is very true ---providing we know the real difference. A reader may write me personally to look at the issues, but I prefer to not debate personal choices.
I agree that God does not like "diversity" as some say, and expects us to bow to Him only by His immutable Word. Also, some statements about essential truth versus non-essential was mentioned herein, and that is very true ---providing we know the real difference. A reader may write me personally to look at the issues, but I prefer to not debate personal choices.
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Because Satan loves to cause division among God's people. Man has therefore developed many traditions or twistings or Scripture, and thus we have all these denominations that believe different things about God. Of course they can't all be true, so most of them are probably wrong. The world really won't know until Jesus comes. Thank God we don't have to believe everything correctly to be saved, just faithe in Jesus, but division and deception are two huge obstacles the Church faces today.
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Too many people conform God's word to their agenda instead of conforming their agenda to God's word.
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Because ......, everybody wants to be right, but yet, the scriptures say " Let God be true and every man a liar "
Guess we'll see exactly what that means, eventually
Guess we'll see exactly what that means, eventually
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oi_antz
Opposed to Untruth.
This might slightly encourage a dangerous complacency though:
Psalm 119:9-16
Matthew 7:21
Hebrews 4:12
1 John 1:6
.. So if The Word is telling us that our beliefs are wrong, and we do not repent to have fellowship with Him, then it seems we are deceiving ourselves and not living out the truth. Remember what Jesus said about that: "the winds blew and the waves beat his house and it collapsed with a mighty crash."
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This is true, my response was somewhat cynical given everyone thinks their answer on everything is correct. Paul did say in the end times people would no longer endure sound doctrine, but hear what they want to hear.
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seashale76
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Because many love to follow doctrines of man and the God they make in their own image instead of the fullness of the truth.
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Truly1999
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There are 42 different versions of the Bible in English and each denomination has its favourite which is used by the pastor at the pulpit and usually in the small group too. The one each selects reflects their own particular theology. And more versions appear every two or three years as the number of denominations increases, as the Church becomes more divided.
It's a horse race and each denomination is jockeying to be the "lead church" in its town or city, since the one with the largest congregation has the most influence with the local authorities and increased presence in the local community.
If a church can prove its value amongst the local authorities by working on the council estates or the housing projects, reducing crime and sweeping the streets, it can climb up the ladder and begin to dictate terms to the other denominations.
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seashale76
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No. The Church was up and running before the New Testament existed. The New Testament came out of the life of the Church. The Holy Tradition of the Church has been guided in all things by the Holy Spirit.
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Masihi
love based faith is truer than fear based faith
Find a church that carefully and diligently studies the scriptures and applies them. This necessity forces on the church another dilemma, that there is usually room for improvement. On an individual level, one can never study the scriptures enough.
Add to this problem the small size of many churches and their sole pastors going at things independently. Large traditional churches have already gone thru these issues and have come out ahead of the game. Im referring to some Methodist, Church of England, and others. Although they have not abandoned the traditions that can present as stumbling blocks in a Christian's growth, they do have very good organization, administration, and have institutions of bible study worth pursuing. The latter answers your question and goes back to the point I made of needing to find a Church that diligently studies the scriptures and applies them.
Add to this problem the small size of many churches and their sole pastors going at things independently. Large traditional churches have already gone thru these issues and have come out ahead of the game. Im referring to some Methodist, Church of England, and others. Although they have not abandoned the traditions that can present as stumbling blocks in a Christian's growth, they do have very good organization, administration, and have institutions of bible study worth pursuing. The latter answers your question and goes back to the point I made of needing to find a Church that diligently studies the scriptures and applies them.
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The Church is depicted in the book of Acts. If your church does not resemble that first church, it's not the church. FYI.
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I just signed up and I couldnt believe all of the Christian denominations to choose from! I am as lost as you are. P.S why are there diff religions on this forum if its called 'christianforums'? .. confusing lol
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oi_antz
Opposed to Untruth.
Wishing you well on your journey. It is not a website exclusively for Christians, but for anyone to discuss the truth of God in the name of Jesus Christ. Many people who like to do that are not actually Christian. It is interesting too, to see their perspectives.
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seashale76
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I'm more than aware. There isn't anything in the New Testament that doesn't resemble the Church. Orthodoxy isn't a denomination.
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ViaCrucis
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If that is the criteria then we can safely say that there is no church at all.
No church has looked identical to the church of the first century since, because there were specific historical, cultural, linguistic, and social forces and contexts that were in effect then that have not existed since.
Here are some examples:
1. The Church as depicted in the book of Acts was a minority religious sect within the cosmopolitan landscape of ancient imperial Rome. The Roman Empire, as ruled by the Julio-Claudian Dynasty ceased to exist with the death of Nero. Following Nero's death the Empire was taken through the period of the Roman Civil War and the year of the four emperors, with finally Vespasian taking the reigns.
2. The Church in the first century was within the lifetime and ministry of Jesus' Twelve Apostles, there were living apostles who had actually followed and known Jesus during His earthly ministry. That has never been the case since their death. Instead the apostles appointed bishops and presbyters who took on the work and ministry of pastoring the churches which they planted.
3. The Church in the first century was a Church that existed while the Jewish Temple still stood in Jerusalem, and Jewish Christians still participated in the rites of the Temple--as we see St. Paul who with some brothers from Jerusalem taking a vow and, at the end of the vow, offering a sacrifice in the Temple. The distinction between Judaism and Christianity was still very fuzzy here.
4. The Church faced discrimination from Jewish leadership as Christians were a very tiny sect, and later persecution under Roman imperial power starting with Nero blaming the fire in Rome on Christians--beginning the era of Roman persecution that lasted until Constantine signed the edict of toleration.
5. The Church in the first century did not have a New Testament, not even an Old Testament. There was instead a not well defined concept of Scripture which was inherited from Judaism of the time (both Jewish and Christian Canons of Scripture evolved and took shape in the centuries following the first century).
Today Christians number over 2 billion, nearly a third of the entire global population. It is the most widespread and populous religion on the planet. There is no Roman Empire--in any form. Christianity is no longer primarily made of Jewish converts, but non-Jewish converts. Christians are no longer suffering widespread persecution, there are still pockets of persecution in various places, but it is no longer a small persecuted minority within the world stage. There have not been any living apostles since St. John died. Christianity today has a well-defined Canon of Scripture, we call it the Bible.
This is one of the chief problems with the idea of Christian Primitivism. The other chief problem being that those who believe in Primitivism will, inevitably, make up their own way of doing church based on their private opinions about what the New Testament says and conclude that their new way of doing church must be how it was originally done--this is the great error that many have done in the past. It always leads to the creation of new denominations and usually new denominations that look almost nothing like what Christianity has looked like historically. Such restoration attempts have produced all manner of new churches and movements: for example Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses, Christadelphians, the Stone-Campbell Churches, the Worldwide Church of God, and many others.
-CryptoLutheran
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