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Is it a sin to divide into denominations?
- Thread starter sunlover1
- Start date
How can you not see it?
The point of a denomination is a group of people coming together around what they believe to be the true interpretation of scripture. Each would wish the other denomination would share that interpretation in a unified church. The aim isn't itself to divide. The division comes when people differ on interpretation.
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I don't agree with Calvinism, yet I am able to worship Jesus with my Calvinist
friends.
Jesus prayed that we might be one, (same as a man and wife become) What would
happen if we just left our spouse each time we disagreed?
We don't follow CALVIN, or WESLEY, or PETER!
Our Savior deserves our obedience, not our excuses..
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I'm not sure what your point is here...
All that I am doing is explaining how denominations are an attempt to unify around the truth and the only problem is that people disagree on interpretations.
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Yes, it was a truly unusual situation. My own experience has been much on the lines of yours.
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IMO, no.
I'd agree there were no denominations until the Roman Empire created the Roman Church for itself, but that doesn't make them "bad" (much less "sin").
Christians are not commanded to do so, but often they gather/associate together in a certain place and time often for the purposes of mutual fellowship, support, cooperation, edification, ministry/service, accountability and worship. These are technically called "congregations" (although they may be called "churches" in a sense different than the one, holy, catholic Church - the communion of believers." There are now literally millions of these. While not commanded to do, in time congregations gathered/associated together often for the purposes of mutual fellowship, support, cooperation, education, ministry/service and accountability. These are technically called "denominations."
I don't regard congregations OR denominations to be required. On the other hand, I don't find them forbidden. Indeed, I think they can be very beneficial and a good thing. There are independent, autonomous, "stand alone" Christians who truely believe but aren't a part of any congregation.... and independent, autonomous, "stand alone" congregations that simply aren't a part of any denomination (or anything other than our beyond itself), these are known as "non-denominational" congregations.
MY perspective....
- Josiah
.
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My point is that we don't need to divide.I'm not sure what your point is here...
All that I am doing is explaining how denominations are an attempt to unify around the truth and the only problem is that people disagree on interpretations.
We can "unify" around GOD, rather than our interpretations.
He is, after all, still alive and able to keep us.
He speaks to us, He leads us, etc.
No reason for us to divide for "unification"
Sorry, but that's an oxymoron.
If you're married and you disagree on a thing,
do you divide? No, you work it out.
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No perfect denomination sadly. But I think there will always be room for learning with one another.
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Hi CJ, still hanging around !
I see you chose Lutheran.
Seems like last I knew you were not.
Thank you for your thoughts.
I believe denominations are literally of the devil.
Shrug
we disagree on that lol.
And neither of us used Scripture for our beliefs
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We would still be unifying around our interpretations of God...and we'd still disagree on that.
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ikr lol.*looks at human history*
I think my point wins
Seriously though, Jesus wants us to be 'as one'.
We're far from "oneness" regardless of the sweet
sounding posts on this thread.
God is jealous for us, He doesn't want us to follow
Peter or Luther or Wesley or Calvin etc.
Paul called it "heresy". We need to get it together here
Not sure if anyone else "sees" why I used bold font where
i did below, (especially the last one) but anyhow, Paul
appealed to them to "agree" so there would be "NO
DIVISIONS among them.
We can do this, all who are truly His and not just playing
church or fashion show. (Not to diss anyone, but not all
that glitters is gold.)
10I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree together, so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be united in mind and conviction. 11My brothers, some from Chloe’s household have informed me that there are quarrels among you.12What I mean is this: Individuals among you are saying, “I follow Paul,” “I follow Apollos,” “I follow Cephas,”a or “I follow Christ.”
13Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized into the name of Paul? 14I thank God that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius, 15so no one can say that you were baptized into my name. 16Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas; beyond that I do not remember baptizing anyone else. 17For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with eloquent words of wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.
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Hi CJ, still hanging around !
I see you chose Lutheran.
Seems like last I knew you were not.
Thank you for your thoughts.
I remember you, too....
Yeah, I'm cautiously TRYING yet another return. Wish me luck.
Blessings to you!
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Division came into the church due to false doctrine introduced.
Paul predicts that within the church - false doctrine would arise.
Acts 20
29 I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; 30 and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them. 31 Therefore be on the alert, remembering that night and day for a period of three years I did not cease to admonish each one with tears.
A great falling-away, a great apostasy would enter into the church.
2 Thess 2
brethren, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, 2 that you not be quickly shaken from your composure or be disturbed either by a spirit or a message or a letter as if from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. 3 Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction,
So then since the time of the protestant reformation ..."Reforms" made initially be "reforming Catholics" - were introduced to bring the church back to the pure foundation from which it started.
1 Tim 4
the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons
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I think you are being a little unfair on denominations there. They do not follow Luther or Calvin, they simply agree with them on interpretation.
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I am just sharing my perspective
If you're comfortable with denoms, that's
between you and God. I'm not and so for
me it would be wrong to do so.
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Since the plainly stated will of Jesus Christ was and still is "That they all may be ONE, even as your Father and I are ONE", obviously dividing into thousands of conflicting denominations is a major violation of His plainly stated will. And there is a serious reason why He insisted on unity. What is the point of belonging to a church unless what we are hearing through that church is the truth? However, truth cannot conflict with truth. Therefore, thousands of denominations (not to mention thousands more so-called "non-denominational" churches), the teaching of each one conflicting with the teaching of the others, has to mean widespread untruth being taught. Each of them claims to be teaching the truth because they got their material "right out of the Bible". But this simply demonstrates their inability to accurately interpret the Bible. The Word of God cannot contradict itself. In the midst of all this manmade doctrinal chaos, the ONE Church Jesus Christ founded remains ONE in belief, ONE in teaching, ONE in worship, ONE in biblical understanding throughout the world after 2,000 years, with NO conflicting denominations. You just can't beat God's plan.
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