Which denomination is the right one?

[Joseph G]

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Be blessed!

 

[Malleeboy]

As per the Nicene Creed, "the one holy catholic and apostolic church."
As for me, I will not approach my Lord, saying "thank goodness I'm in the true church unlike those others", but "Lord have mercy on me a sinner."

 

[Ivan Hlavanda]

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There is one Church, one Bride, one Body of Christ. I would abolish denomominations as they cause too much division, and the Lord is not divided. It's not a denomination that makes us good Christians, but our relationship to Christ and obedience.

 

[Aaron112]

There is one Church, one Bride, one Body of Christ. I would abolish denomominations as they cause too much division, and the Lord is not divided. It's not a denomination that makes us good Christians, but our relationship to Christ and obedience.

If sinner does not repent, if sinner remains in a harmful church,
and asks for mercy, can God grant him mercy? or forgiveness? Maybe not. If sinner is not repenting in truth, not getting rid of sin, not turning away from sin, they have not forgiveness because they are not turning to God and not doing what God says to do.

i.e. to remain sinful, even after many warnings, they are not in the body of Christ, and receive no mercy.

 

[Aaron112]

Be blessed!

How?

 

[Ivan Hlavanda]

If sinner does not repent, if sinner remains in a harmful church,
and asks for mercy, can God grant him mercy? or forgiveness? Maybe not. If sinner is not repenting in truth, not getting rid of sin, not turning away from sin, they have not forgiveness because they are not turning to God and not doing what God says to do.

i.e. to remain sinful, even after many warnings, they are not in the body of Christ, and receive no mercy.

What does this reply has to do with what I wrote? A denomination is not going to save you. Doesn't matter which church you go to or how many times, Christ alone can save. Either He is your Saviour or not.

 

[Aaron112]

It's not a denomination that makes us good Christians, but our relationship to Christ and obedience.

I just noticed you stand with Israel also.

Anyway, it seems for now I agree with you. Not only that, but as you posted , being in a false (or any) church cannot make a person good. As Jesus Says: "If you(pl/crowd) do not all /each/ repent (some out of sin,turn to God) , then you (unrepentant ones) will all likewise PERISH (like those on whom the tower of Siloam fell, etc etc etc ) ....

 

[2PhiloVoid]

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That's difficult to tell, isn't it? Personally, I don't think we've been left in a position where anyone is able to construct the final, "last word" on the Word of God and then tell everyone else comprehensively, "Here, it is!"

 

[AV1611VET]

Which denomination is the right one?

Independent Fundamental Baptist

 

[ozso]

Independent Fundamental Baptist

Why?

 

[tampasteve]

A few jokes that reflect the idea of a "right" denomination. You could sub out any of the denominations in the jokes for any other denomination, they are not aimed at any one in particular, but I think they illustrate the ideas that some of us hold in regards to the "one" true denomination.

I don't think that any one denomination has it ALL right. I think some get some parts very wrong, I think some get other parts more right, but I also believe God is infinitely merciful to us that are trying to do what we believe is His will as to following the path of Christ in our lives.

#1 (allegedly from Emo Phillips)

Once I saw this guy on a bridge about to jump. I said, "Don't do it!" He said, "Nobody loves me." I said, "God loves you. Do you believe in God?"

He said, "Yes." I said, "Are you a Christian or a Jew?" He said, "A Christian." I said, "Me, too! Protestant or Catholic?" He said, "Protestant." I said, "Me, too! What franchise?" He said, "Baptist." I said, "Me, too! Northern Baptist or Southern Baptist?" He said, "Northern Baptist." I said, "Me, too! Northern Conservative Baptist or Northern Liberal Baptist?"

He said, "Northern Conservative Baptist." I said, "Me, too! Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region, or Northern Conservative Baptist Eastern Region?" He said, "Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region." I said, "Me, too!"

Northern Conservative†Baptist Great Lakes Region Council of 1879, or Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region Council of 1912?" He said, "Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region Council of 1912." I said, "Die, heretic!" And I pushed him over.

#2 (from Reddit)

He says to the first man, "Welcome to Heaven! Back on Earth, what denomination were you?"

The first man say, "I was a devout Presbyterian".

St. Peter says, "Excellent! Then go to door 10, but when you pass door number 2, be very quiet."

He then asks the second man, "When you were on Earth, what denomination were you?"

The second man replies, "I was the pastor of my Methodist church!"

St. Peter says, "Wonderful! Make your way to door 6, but when you pass door 2, be very quiet."

St. Peter asks the last man, "What denomination were you on Earth?"

The man says, "I was Lutheran. Part of the Missouri Synod."

St. Peter says, "You know the drill. Go to door 12, but be very quiet when you pass door 2."

The last man says, "Why is it we need to be so quiet when we go past door 2?"

St. Peter replies, "Because that's where the Catholics are and they think they're the only ones here."

#3 (Google)

A man dies and goes to the Pearly Gates and is let into heaven. It so
happens that on the day he enters Paradise it is also Saint Peter's day off.
Having nothing better to do, Saint Peter offers the man the Grand Tour and
so they spend the day looking at all the wondrous sights and sounds.
At the end of the tour, they reach the far side of heaven, and, lo and
behold, there is a massive wall reaching into eternity dividing one side of
heaven from the other. Confused, the man asks Saint Peter, "what is this
wall here for and what is its purpose in heaven and what is on the other
side"? Saint Peter sighs, throws his hands up and rolls his eyes and says,
"Oh, on the other side of this wall is where you will find all the Born
Again Christians." "Why is that," asks the man? "Why do you keep all the
Born Again Christians on the other side of the wall." Embarrassed, Saint
Peter replies, "Well...um...er... we let them think they're the only ones up
here"!! ;-)

 

[AV1611VET]

Why?

For one thing, their adherence to the fundamentals of the faith.

Namely:

1. Virgin Birth
2. Vicarious Sacrifice
3. Death, Burial, Resurrection
4. Authority of the Scriptures
5. Deity of Jesus Christ
6. The Godhead (Trinity)
7. His Second Coming

 

[AV1611VET]

A few jokes that reflect the idea of a "right" denomination.

Those jokes are funny.

But I like to counter them with the story of the Leprechaun who was caught by a man.

The man told the Leprechaun he wouldn't let him go until he promised to show him where he buried his pot of gold.

The Leprechaun led him to a tree in the middle of the forest and said it was buried at the base of that tree.

The man tied a red ribbon around the tree, told the Leprechaun not to touch it, then went to get a shovel.

When he returned, to his horror, the Leprechaun had tied red ribbons around every tree in the forest.

 

[2PhiloVoid]

For one thing, their adherence to the fundamentals of the faith.

Namely:

1. Virgin Birth
2. Vicarious Sacrifice
3. Death, Burial, Resurrection
4. Authority of the Scriptures
5. Deity of Jesus Christ
6. The Godhead (Trinity)
7. His Second Coming

.................. I believe in all of those things. Now what?

 

[AV1611VET]

.................. I believe in all of those things. Now what?

Become independent (assuming you aren't).

Have no centralized government with churches, even of your own denomination.

Have two ordinances: Believer's Baptism and the Lord's Table.

No sacraments.

The list could go on, but for the record, I'm just answering the title of this thread as I see it.

ETA: Albeit technically we aren't a denomination, we're a church.

 

[2PhiloVoid]

Become independent (assuming you aren't).

I think we may have different ideas about what being "independent" is or means in relation to being a Christian, and in that case, we could talk about it, but we'd very likely talk right past each other since we have utterly different beginning points in our respective Hermeneutical engagements with the Bible and its contents.

Have no centralized government with churches, even of your own denomination.

So, what happens if a legitimate prophet shows up in the future to tell all of us where to get in line? (I'm not a prophet by the way, and this question isn't being offered to somehow insinuate by slight that I am. Just to be clear. I'm just a philosopher Christian who is come, bearing questions. )

Have two ordinances: Believer's Baptism and the Lord's Table.

Other protestant denominations already have this, such as the two denominations I most affiliated with in the past.

No sacraments.

I'm not going to bash Catholics, Orthodox or Anglicans, or other Protestants who may have a more sacramental leaning. I don't think this issue is a hill to die on.

The list could go on, but for the record, I'm just answering the title of this thread as I see it.

Oh, I know. But I don't think even Paul or Peter would require what you Independent Baptists would require. And they didn't know English.

ETA: Albeit technically we aren't a denomination, we're a church.

Ok. By your definition of denomination, you're not a denomination. But by the denotation that is typically used to describe a "form of Christian thought and grouping," you're "another denomination."

 

[AV1611VET]

I think we may have different ideas about what being "independent" is or means in relation to being a Christian, and in that case, we could talk about it, but we'd very likely talk right past each other since we have utterly different beginning points in our respective Hermeneutical engagements with the Bible and its contents.

So, what happens if a legitimate prophet shows up in the future to tell all of us where to get in line? (I'm not a prophet by the way, and this question isn't being offered to somehow insinuate by slight that I am. Just to be clear. I'm just a philosopher Christian who is come, bearing questions. )

Other protestant denominations already have this, such as the two denominations I most affiliated with in the past.

I'm not going to bash Catholics, Orthodox or Anglicans, or other Protestants who may have a more sacramental leaning. I don't think this issue is a hill to die on.

Oh, I know. But I don't think even Paul or Peter would require what you Independent Baptists would require. And they didn't know English.


Ok. By your definition of denomination, you're not a denomination. But by the denotation that is typically used to describe a "form of Christian thought and grouping," you're "another denomination."

Are you insinuating that the title of this thread is not a legitimate question?

 

[2PhiloVoid]

Are you insinuating that the title of this thread is not a legitimate question?

No, not at all. It's a legitimate question, but it implies that one of the denominations (or churches) we have with us today has to be comprehensively correct at the expense of all of the others.

However, I disagree with that implication and my position is the one I've already partially expressed earlier in this thread: no one has enough theological leverage to "Lord it over" all of the others on each and every distinct doctrine, or nuance of doctrine, that is held to be dear.

 

[fhansen]

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The real question has to do with how we determine what the full-true Christian faith consists of. Going by the bible alone, individuals disagree. Going by the bible alone, denominations disagree. We all agree that we must come to know and have faith in Christ-He's the Way. But from the beginning there have been disagreements on just who He is and what He expects of us. Did God provide any means by which to keep these matters straight, to preserve the truths of the faith intact? Did He establish a church for this purpose? I believe He did, and that history, including councils and the ECFs, attests to this fact while helping us recognize His purposes and continuous hand in guiding us down through the centuries-despite our weaknesses, limitations, and sin.

 

[AV1611VET]

However, I disagree with that implication and my position is the one I've already partially expressed earlier in this thread: no one has enough theological leverage to "Lord it over" all of the others on each and every distinct doctrine, or nuance of doctrine, that is held to be dear.

In your opinion, whose fault is that?