Which Is Better...Non-Denominational Or Denominational??......

[shturt678]

I have actually been visiting LCMS churches and agree with them on a lot of things especially the way they treat the Lord's Supper...something that has been downplayed in, not all, but many modern churches.
The only thing I disagree with the LCMS on is that they believe grace can
be resisted-not sure if they apply that to soteriology or just the Christian life...but...this subject is probably something for another forum

I'm more with the older Capital University, Columbus, Ohio Lutheran type school and do my best to get along with the LCMS today, agreeing to disagree.

Almost an oxymoron, Grace cannot be rejected (no free-will), but Grace does have it's limits. Sounds contradictory to me?

Sola gratia has its limits beginning with Matt.13:11, 14 (Jesus withdrew God's grace from the Jews then, and us today, by speaking the mysteries of the Kingdom of God in parables. Grace is an objective reality is the positive side, but unfortunately has the negative side, must subjectively be appropriated, be received in Truth in order to inherit life eternal. Grace cannot be received unless faith is genuine; "grace" can be withdrawn when the light of the Word is removed; then "grace" can be replaced ending in, unknowingly of course, world wide pretentious 'beast' worship (Rev.13). My end point: Went the mile with you just to see how your skills handle what most reject.

 

[Yahu]

Several ways to put this question.......

"Is Being Non-Denominational better than being Denominational?"

"Is being Denominational better than being Non-Denominational?"

"As far as our walk with God goes, is there any difference between being Non-Denominational and being Denominational?"

"Are there any drawbacks (or benefits) from being either?"

I was born into a denominational fellowship that my family attended. By the time I was about 8th grade we moved to a non-denominational church.

There are benefits and problems with both IMO. In the denominational camp, you tend to have commonality of belief because many things are dictated by the denomination. Of course the problem comes in when those beliefs are in error and you can't go against those denominational teachings. The reformation is an example of rejecting denominational teachings as being in error. In my case, my mother got involved with an inner city deliverance ministry and was expelled for teaching spiritual things she learned as a result.

A good example is many denominations teach that the spiritual gifts no longer operate. Many leave for non-denominational churches when they find out that is a blatant lie.

Now since many non-denominational churches have people from varying backgrounds they don't hold any commonality of core doctrines. So many of the independent charismatic non-denominational churches lack good solid foundational teachings but focus on teaching on the spiritual gifts.

Even within non-denominational charismatic circles you have differing camps like the Word of Faith verses non-WoF.

 

[Albion]

A good example is many denominations teach that the spiritual gifts no longer operate. Many leave for non-denominational churches when they find out that is a blatant lie.

But they could more logically move to a Pentecostal church belonging to one of the denominations that is known to be of that persuasion.

Now since many non-denominational churches have people from varying backgrounds they don't hold any commonality of core doctrines. So many of the independent charismatic non-denominational churches lack good solid foundational teachings but focus on teaching on the spiritual gifts.

Yep.

 

[Yahu]

But they could more logically move to a Pentecostal church belonging to one of the denominations that is known to be of that persuasion.

True but the Pentecostal denomination doesn't follow the scripture on how to use tongues for example. It is mass chaos with everyone speaking in tongues with no interpretation. Since they do acknowledge the spiritual gifts but misuse them according to scripture, those that have a solid scriptural foundation reject the misuses of those gifts when they look for a congregation that uses them.

A better example would be a Church of God, when moving to a spirit filled denomination. The problem comes in when entire churches learn about the spiritual gifts and are expelled from their parent denomination, many times they become independant fellowships instead of joining another denomination en-masse.

The church we joined after leaving the Plymouth Brethren was an independent church that had left as a group from a parent denomination due to the pastor getting the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Why join another denomination when you learn that core doctrine dictated by a denomination can be so blatantly in error? Just as the individual overcomer of Rev 2&3 gains the overcomers reward, so would a congregation that overcomes the error of a parent denomination. Overcoming the error of false doctrine is a key to spiritual growth to spiritual maturity.

Now I have been personally responsible for 2 churches from splitting off from their parent denominations by exposing false doctrines. One was a Presbyterian church and the other a Church of God. Both became independent, non-denominational congregations as a result.

 

[Albion]

True but the Pentecostal denomination doesn't follow the scripture on how to use tongues for example.

'
'What makes you say that? There are dozens of well-known and well-established Pentecostal denominations. Are you saying that none of them follows the scriptures?? I'd like to see an explanation of how that is.

It is mass chaos with everyone speaking in tongues with no interpretation. Since they do acknowledge the spiritual gifts but misuse them according to scripture, those that have a solid scriptural foundation reject the misuses of those gifts when they look for a congregation that uses them.

Are you thinking of one certain denomination there? If so, that doesn't make any non-denominational church the only alternative.

A better example would be a Church of God, when moving to a spirit filled denomination.

OK. So a denomination it is!

The church we joined after leaving the Plymouth Brethren was an independent church that had left as a group from a parent denomination due to the pastor getting the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Why join another denomination when you learn that core doctrine dictated by a denomination can be so blatantly in error?

Because, for one thing, you are doing just the same thing in either case. You didn't care for that denomination and found a non-denom congregation that seemed right, BUT that doesn't mean that another denominational church wouldn't have worked as well. And then you have all the benefits of denominations generally, which have already been referred to.