Mainstream churches believe in the gospel and the person of Christ (think of the words of the Nicene Creed). Non mainstream churches are cults or “like” cults, examples would be JWs, Mormons, Oneness Pentecostals, Christadelphians, etc.
Ok and I agree. You could add a lot more. But is this not an outgrowth of protestantism. The idea that there are different ways about how to interpret Gods word and Christs teachings. It sort of invites division by making the truth relative to human ideas and not Gods.
And yet the church is composed of the body of believers. The believers that belong to one denomination are no less a Christian than one that belongs to another. For example, I attend a Baptist church while you might attend a different mainstream denomination. Both of us are Christian and part of the body of Christ. Both of us have the hope of salvation and both of us will go to the same heaven.
I agree that Christians can come from different denominations. It would be political and against Christs church to say that Christians can belong to only one or certain denominations and churches.
But this is based on the assumption that these churches are of Christ. I am sure most people from most denominations will say they are true Christians going to heaven. The nature of belief in the world makes it easy for humans to believe lies as the truth. This is the nature of the wolves.
But I basically agree that the spirit will identify those of Christ no matter where they are. I could go to a far away place and meet a brother in Christ that came from a completely different and alien background to myself and be of one mind and spirit The identity is not by any denomination or creed but by the spirits fruits.
At the time of Clement, he was battling several heresies including gnostism and docetism. To him you either followed the early church or you follow a heretical group. In addition, there has been schisms throughout history including the schism of 451ad and 1054ad. The churches that broke with the CC did so because they believed that the CC fell in error and they had a different interpretation. These churches remained part of the body of Christ. I’m pretty sure you would not call them heretical.
I think originally this was a difference within the church that like the first counsel with Peter and Paul could have been settled properly. But it became a division which then led to other differences and divisions. Eventually to completely different denominations.
So the church needs to humility in Christ. But I am not sure everyone will want to become unified as one as human pride is a powerful force. Especially in an age of identity politics that have crept into the church.
But I do hear of reconciliations between some denominations and churches happening around the world. So Gods spirit is at work.
They were, for a time. As the RC began to usurp power (from positional to ecclesiastical) the disagreements were there and growing culminating in the subsequent schisms.
Yes I think this was the inevitable situation where the church gathered too much power due to its fast development. Though I think there was always the core of Christs church in the background.
Just like in ancient times when Gods people or a nation rejected God there was always a reminant of Godly people to keep Gods promise. The same with Christs church.
There are interpretation differences.
Is this not significant and the very thing Christ warned about that would come into the church and fool even the elect. Deceptive interpretations that many will be fooled by. Only the fruits of the spirit can decern this in the end. But it may be hard for many to know the truth if they are not fully invested in Christ.
I don’t disagree in principle. However, history paints a church that fell to its own power. The historical abuses led the reformation. The CC needed reforming.
I think this has been the pattern throughout biblical history. People rising to greatness in God only to fall away after time believing they know better. But each time Gods people come through.
The same with Christs church as hades will never defeat it. Therefore I think we should expect that after so many years of falling away that Gods people in Christ will rise again. This is the cycle of Gods promise in Christ until satan is defeated for all time.
I think the EO are more representative of the early church but I still disagree with some interpretations.
I think any church that follows the early church example is the true church.
In some ways the conditions are becoming the same as in the early church today. We have had a fairly long period where the church has been accepted and allowed to grow.
But in recent times God and Christians are being pushed to the fringes and even hated.
In some ways Christ church will naturally rise up as the world and Christ become more conflicted. Then peoples faith will be tested and then we will see a mighty spiritual church. In some places its already happening.
And if you notice, Christians in general are being demonized worldwide by those that consider our teachings to promote hate even by countries that used to be primarily Christian like Canada and England.
Yes I agree. For the first time in a long time the church of the west is being rejected as a result of a growing rejection of God. But also world wide. A reigniting of persecution specifically against Christians.
But perhaps not just Christians but also Jews. Which shows the hate is deep. Almost returning to the ancient tribes rising up again in their modern forms against God.
Today the largest charities are Christian charities and those are ran by different denominations not just one.
Yes and these charities began out of love in Christ. Putting their faith in practice. I was saved by one of them. But today we have to be weary as satan has got into the business of helping others to remain relevant.
Helping others has become a social credit in marketing for the world to virtue signal they are good and worthy.
So satan and the wolves are using every trick in the book to make themselve slook very much like Christs church.
I go back to Clements idea. If people are wanting something out of helping others then this is a sign of bad fruit. In fact the church should have nothing. Everyone willing to sacrifice this world for God and others.
