What do you say to someone who is put off Christianity because of Christians having differences?

[rebornfree]

I spoke to a close relative about the gospel and he asked me if I could understand that some people are put off it because of Christians having different views on various matters. What would you say to explain why we differ sometimes?

My thoughts are that not everyone, or every church, claiming to be Christian is one. I would use the Nicene Creed as the basic requirement for Christian belief which means that certain sects such as Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses and Unitarian Churches are not truly Christian.

Second point would be that within those who hold to the Nicene Creed there are those of us who are born-again. Jesus stated the necessity of this in John Chapter 3. However within the Body of Christ (i.e. born again believers) there is great unity and a broad consensus of belief. It is just the peripheral issues on which we may disagree and that is okay.

I also said that we are in a spiritual war and Satan will try and disrupt things.

Do any of you have further ideas to help me answer this question please? Many thanks.

 

[chevyontheriver]

I spoke to a close relative about the gospel and he asked me if I could understand that some people are put off it because of Christians having different views on various matters. What would you say to explain why we differ sometimes?

First, I would say that your relative is being more or less rational. It is a scandal that we are divided and that scandal harms people. Woe be to those who caused the scandal and on those who perpetuate the scandal.

My thoughts are that not everyone, or every church, claiming to be Christian is one. I would use the Nicene Creed as the basic requirement for Christian belief which means that certain sects such as Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses and Unitarian Churches are not truly Christian.

Indeed, the groups that you mention are not Christian based on what they do and do not believe.

Second point would be that within those who hold to the Nicene Creed there are those of us who are born-again. Jesus stated the necessity of this in John Chapter 3. However within the Body of Christ (i.e. born again believers) there is great unity and a broad consensus of belief. It is just the peripheral issues on which we may disagree and that is okay.

I'd say not everything is peripheral. It is solvable, but only if we really want to solve it.

I also said that we are in a spiritual war and Satan will try and disrupt things.

Ain't that the truth.

Do any of you have further ideas to help me answer this question please? Many thanks.

The real 'answer' is to begin to undo the division. There really is no other proper answer.

 

[jacks]

What would you say to explain why we differ sometimes?

Because we are flawed. We have an imperfect understanding of scripture and interpret it to fit what we want to believe. We are human. The differences within the denominations are one of the many sins, we need Christ to forgive us for. Follow Christ, not His followers.

 

[rebornfree]

First, I would say that your relative is being more or less rational. It is a scandal that we are divided and that scandal harms people. Woe be to those who caused the scandal and on those who perpetuate the scandal.

Indeed, the groups that you mention are not Christian based on what they do and do not believe.

I'd say not everything is peripheral. It is solvable, but only if we really want to solve it.

Ain't that the truth.

The real 'answer' is to begin to undo the division. There really is no other proper answer.

On some issues, yes. Others I think we can differ, but then I'm thinking about things like traditional or modern music, informal or formal service. However I think my relative is thinking more of the issues such as gay marriage, women priests etc. When I said that we need to be Biblical he pointed out that Christians can interpret it differently. Which is a fair point.

Because we are flawed. We have an imperfect understanding of scripture and interpret it to fit what we want to believe. We are human. The differences within the denominations are one of the many sins, we need Christ to forgive us for. Follow Christ, not His followers.

Yes, that's true. I need to explain that we are flawed and only Christ is perfect. Look to Him.

Thank you both very much for your really helpful replies.

 

[1Tonne]

I spoke to a close relative about the gospel and he asked me if I could understand that some people are put off it because of Christians having different views on various matters.

If this were a stranger that I was simply trying to share the Gospel with, I would think that he is trying to create a rabbit trail so that I do not get around to saying the Gospel. In evangelism, it is best to try and avoid rabbit trails. But this may be different, it could be a genuine question. Though I do not see why a person would not believe simply because there are different denominations or some different secondary beliefs.

 

[rebornfree]

If this were a stranger that I was simply trying to share the Gospel with, I would think that he is trying to create a rabbit trail so that I do not get around to saying the Gospel. In evangelism, it is best to try and avoid rabbit trails. But this may be different, it could be a genuine question. Though I do not see why a person would not believe simply because there are different denominations or some different secondary beliefs.

I appreciate what you say about rabbit trails but He has heard the gospel, so it is a genuine question. He is the only one of his family to have shown interest in spiritual things, which is encouraging. He has also been happy for me to pray for him over the phone. He says he's not ready to become a Christian yet, so I pray protection over him. Thankfully he has Christin friends where he lives as I am in a different part of the country to him.

I'm not sure that it is denominational differences so much as a genuine query about why some Christians say certain things are okay and others don't. I have told him that born again believers are united, but unless he has seen an ecumenical event this may not be obvious.

The question threw me a bit because I'm so used to the unity between the Evangelical. Churches. However the differences he's probably referring to are ones where some churches have gone away from scripture. I'll have to ask him for more specific examples of what he means.

Thanks for your reply 1 Tonne.

 

[timothyu]

Christianity is in a state of flux simply because man always interferes with the Will of God. We've seen the changes over the centuries and yet Christianity itself was not a beginning, but simply yet another religion born out of the Jesus movement which was born out of the Essenne movement which was born out of the Hebrew movement and so on. Even if at some point it was for a moment the true movement exemplifying the Will of God, man soon corrupts everything and changes it to suit our own wills. We like to control situations and become authourities.

If someone is interested in Christianity but sees the hypocrisy, tell them to dig deeper and seek out the truth that came before the religion itself. There they will find the simple command from God and the perfect way to live among fellow man, whatever their influence.

 

[2PhiloVoid]

I spoke to a close relative about the gospel and he asked me if I could understand that some people are put off it because of Christians having different views on various matters. What would you say to explain why we differ sometimes?

My thoughts are that not everyone, or every church, claiming to be Christian is one. I would use the Nicene Creed as the basic requirement for Christian belief which means that certain sects such as Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses and Unitarian Churches are not truly Christian.

Second point would be that within those who hold to the Nicene Creed there are those of us who are born-again. Jesus stated the necessity of this in John Chapter 3. However within the Body of Christ (i.e. born again believers) there is great unity and a broad consensus of belief. It is just the peripheral issues on which we may disagree and that is okay.

I also said that we are in a spiritual war and Satan will try and disrupt things.

Do any of you have further ideas to help me answer this question please? Many thanks.

I would suggest to your relative that people 'differ' simply because we're all human and we each have limits in our time, means and ability to study about the Bible. It's not really realistic to expect Christians to somehow magically agree on every jot and tittle of all we think we read in the Bible or find preached in each denomination.

 

[ralliann]

I would suggest to your relative that people 'differ' simply because we're all human and we each have limits in our time, means and ability to study about the Bible. It's not really realistic to expect Christians to somehow magically agree on every jot and tittle of all we think we read in the Bible or find preached in each denomination.

I agree with @chevyontheriver
You speak of our humanity, the bible speaks of the spirit leading to all truth....Either that is true or it is not. We should seek unity..

 

[Lukaris]

On a personal level & in a level headed way, I try to conform my conscience to the Gospel. By way of thought, meditation & prayer I try to do this. I am an everyday warehouse worker not a monk or anything. I am also single & have less burdens people with family do though. A few minutes a day I try to properly pray for myself & others for our salvation and daily well being, I will pray the Lord’s commandments ( Matthew 7:12, Matthew 22:36-40), evangelism ( Matthew 9:36-38), the Lord’s Prayer ( Matthew 6:9-13) etc.

This helps me see our faith in less sectarian ways with more humility and avoid Pharisee tendencies.

 

[2PhiloVoid]

I agree with @chevyontheriver
You speak of our humanity, the bible speaks of the spirit leading to all truth....Either that is true or it is not. We should seek unity..

I think you've misunderstood the gist of what I was telling the OP. But thanks for your comments.

The truth is, the Holy Spirit isn't in the business of imparting 'perfect' understanding of what God is doing in the world through Christ's Church. Our understanding of it requires diligence, prayer and at times patience. The sooner we realize this, the better.

 

[timothyu]

From the Encylopaedia Judaica
Holy - (qadosh) to be set apart for a special purpose (not meaning, to be righteous)
Spirit - (ru'ach) wind (to follow a recommended path)

A guiding wind to keep the original Jesus followers before what became Christianity on the path of the Kingdom. The same would apply to those of the Kingdom today.

 

[linux.poet]

I think Christians have differences because human beings have differences. Other differences like language and culture could very easily contribute to the differences in a worship service between a Russian Orthodox church and my church, for example. It's what makes people of different cultures and languages more comfortable.

Likewise, another culture could look at the Scripture and interpret it differently, and that interpretation could make more sense to them in the situations that they frequently find themselves. The path to finding unity involves accepting diversity - diversity of culture and language and situation - and allowing the information, debate, and pain to flow as we all groan in anticipation of Christ's return to Earth.

In our differences and isolation we may have some "useful, not true" stuff going on which we will have to correct in terms of theology errors as the debate flows and continues.

 

[timothyu]

Likewise, another culture could look at the Scripture and interpret it differently

Simply because many seekers wish to fit God and Jesus into their way of life instead of giving it up in order to suit God's will. Hence it varies with culture and lifestyle. There would be unity if all followed God's will instead of their own, changed themselves instead of trying to make Him fit in.

 

[linux.poet]

Simply because many seekers wish to fit God and Jesus into their way of life instead of giving it up in order to suit God's will. Hence it varies with culture and lifestyle. There would be unity if all followed God's will instead of their own, changed themselves instead of trying to make Him fit in.

Objectively, obedience to Romans 13 looks different for someone in China or Russia than it does for someone in the United States. I didn't change what Romans 13 said just because I happen to live in the United States, the laws of the U.S. are different.

Likewise, what "meeting together" in response to Hebrews 10:25 looks like will be different in China than it is in California. No amount of "changing themselves instead of making Christ fit in" is going to change that. Sorry.

When Christ said to be "in the world and not of it" He didn't mean that we had to be all 100% identical robot clones with one culture and language and that we stopped being human. American Christians had this problem where people thought that infant baptism saved them, so they changed their practices so they only baptize believers in Christ. The Catholic and Orthodox never had this problem, so they kept baptizing infants. It's not about churches taking on men's practices, it's the church adapting to solve different problems that Satan is throwing at us in different locations. The Truth is the same, but the lies are different, and we're at war.

This blames the Church for the tactics of the enemy. Sometimes it's better to take the tanks to the battlefield, and sometimes it's better to send the planes in response. It depends on the lay of the land you're fighting on.

 

[timothyu]

He didn't mean that we had to be all 100% identical robot clones with one culture and language and that we stopped being human

Agreed. That was Babel. The unity was not among the ways of man but by following His will, not our own.

 

[linux.poet]

Agreed. That was Babel. The unity was not among the ways of man but by following His will, not our own.

What language would one force all Christians to learn then? Hebrew? Greek? Latin?

We cannot go back in time and change the past. We need to best deal with the present and preach the Gospel.

 

[timothyu]

What language would one force all Christians to learn then? Hebrew? Greek? Latin?

The language of love

We need to best deal with the present and preach the Gospel.

Yes, the Kingdom will come and His Will be done

 

[linux.poet]

The language of love

We still have to communicate. Without communication, love is pretty hard.

 

[timothyu]

We still have to communicate. Without communication, love is pretty hard.

That was the idea. Both secular and religious worlds are splintered to lessen the threat of a unified adversarial front against the Kingdom