Why so many denominations?

Albion said:

True. But some people will say that the minister/priest doesn't stand in the right place during worship, or that there should be more--or fewer--candles on the Communion table, or something else like that. To them, all this matters a lot.

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Agreed ...it does matter to some.. but it has no bearing on their salvation... just the "flesh " getting in the way "

another thing that seperates is the amount of personal responsibility of those attending.
some want a church that they can safely go and sit quiet and listen.
others want a church that requires some imput from those attending, and i dont just mean clapping.
there will always be a few who want a real deep walk of faith in there fellow worshipers, personal communication of sorts.

just some thoughts on what seperates us as christians. yours?

Crusader knight said:

Ok, then I ask, with all this confusion, how do I TRULY find God?+CK+

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Throughout the scriptures and among the congregations you hear words like Faith (without doubt), Righteousness, Love, Truth, Humility, Grace, Hope, Wisdom, Compassion, etc.;

If you know what these words mean, and have ever embodied any of these attributes, then you have already met Him, and perhaps did not have enough faith to realize it, or too much pride to think that you could be any of that without His very presence, and personal orchestration;

Fear can prevent anyone from loving the truth, and hand them over to a delusion and inadvertently have them believe a lie instead.

When you do a good thing, is it you who performs the work or the Spirit of our Father in Heaven performing it through you?

When all of a sudden eloquence falls out of your mouth articulating intelligible words before you can concieve them, is that you speaking, or the Spirit of our Heavenly Father speaking through you?

psalms 12 informs us that those who do not know Elohym, and those who do not rely on Him actually think their lips are their own, even though the scriptures inform us, that He creates the fruit of the lips, and that the reply of the tongue is from Him.

We are the many members of the body of one who neither does the actual speaking, nor performs any of the works, for it is the spirit of our Heavenly Father who performs these things through Him.

The beginning of Wisdom is the ירה fear of Ea'huah, nevertheless, fear prevents one from Loving Ea'huah, therfore one must eventually convert that fear into reverence.

Again, the beginning of Wisdom is the fear of Ea'huah, but what could Ea'huah possibly be afraid of?

According to the song of Moshe, He is afraid that the enemy would think that they actually had the ability to lift their own arms.

Again, the beginning of Wisdom is the ירה 'instruction' of Ea'huah, therefore we learn His word to know how to discern between that which is appropriate, and inappropriate.

The only way to avoid Him from handing us over to our fears, is to make Him our ירה fear, replacing the ירה fear with His ירה instruction, and exhibit אמן 'confidence' in His word, and comply with it as soon as we can comprehend it;

To avoid a delusion one must love His truth, and as we continue in His word, our word gradually begins to lose it's hold, the goal is to know his word, and let it come out of our mouth as we hold our peace.

Because He is יהוה Existence and there is nothing else beside Him, He is therefore omni present, and is thus found by realization of the Truth, the more Truth one realizes the more He is found of them.

Thus we continue in His word to increase our realization of Him, and those who have, are given more.

"Bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples.

And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their Elohey? unto the living not the dead?

To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them." [Isaiah 8:16, & 19-20]

The Law/Torah evolved unto the Tanak, (aka Old testament), and the Testimony of His Disciples pertains to the New Testament, both of which have now been bound in one book, and it is sealed among us who become His Disciples.

For we were told to....

Trust in Ea'huah with all your heart; and lean not unto your own understanding.

In all your ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct your paths." [Proverbs 3:5-6]

We were also told....

"It is better to trust in Ea'huah than to put confidence in man.

It is better to trust in Ea'huah than to put confidence in princes." [Psalms 118:8-9]

Therefore....

"Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help." [Psalms 146:3]

Why would anyone put their trust in a prince? Because back in the day, the Princes represented the Only Educated men on earth, and thus this verse still applies unto todays Educated men on earth.

"...nor in the son of man (human being), in whom there is no help (salvation)."

The human beings that do not have H'Meshiach (the Anointed One) in them, are definitively, those who are not Anointed, those who are not Anointed, are the Anti Anointed, aka anti-christ, it is these who do not recognize their own anointing, that we are told to not rely on.

Anointed beings Rely on the promise of Y'shua, that, as we continue in his word, the Spirit of Truth will guide, and teach us everything.

Those who take hold of the New Covenant are no longer taught by man, but receive Divine comunicae directly from Elohym.

Those who do not receive Divine comunicae directly are definitively anti anointed, even if they ignorantly, or hypocritically refer to themselves as Anointed beings/Christians.

Those who hear his voice and follow it are anointed, and those who hear his voice, but think it is their own, they are those who do not believe the truth, that it is not us who perform the speaking, and as promised, they are those who are handed over to believe their own delusion.

The Covenant is taken hold of, by faith, not doubt, or disbelief.

Norah63 said:

denominations are just a way to group folks togeather, a safe haven of fellowship.

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Did you get that from a biblical passage, or are you leaning upon your own understanding?

matt.18:20
denominations were unknown in the early church. cant find in the bible.

Norah63 said:

matt.18:20
denominations were unknown in the early church. cant find in the bible.

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Not entirely true. The Corinthian church was divided and we can easily identify significant aspects of those divisions with what we call denominations (I am of Paul, I am of Cephas, I am of Christ, etc.). Paul spent a great deal of effort in I Corinthians to denounce these divisions and to exhort the need for unity.

good on Paul, his words should still be our prayer of agreement.
people can mature at diffrent rates, just not build a camp there.imho.

"Therefore wait you upon me, says Ea'huah, until the day that I rise up to the prey: for my determination is to gather the nations, that I may assemble the kingdoms, to pour upon them mine indignation, even all my fierce anger: for all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of my jealousy.
For then will I turn to the people a pure language, that they may all call upon the name of the LORD, to serve him with one consent." [Zephaniah 3:8-9]
This passage readily reveals four things to those who read it, and a fifth unto those who understand the biblical implications of the Goiyem being gathered, and a pure language being (re)instituted.

• Ea'huah will turn a pure language over to the people of the earth, because He prefers the inhabitants of the earth to call on His name, and serve Him with one consent, instead of discord.

• The earth will not be able to call on the name of Ea'huah with one consent unless they have a pure language to do it with.

• As long as there are Denominations segregating the earth, We know a pure language to serve Ea'huah with One Consent is a scriptural passage who's fulfillment is yet to be recognized, and received by everyone who dwells upon the earth, and calls upon his name.

• The pure language will not be turned over to us until after there is a notable Gathering of the Nations, followed by a display of indignation being poured out upon them.

• Because the confounding of language, and scattering of nations coincides with the rise of Babylon, the (reverse order) gathering of nations, and reinstatement of a pure language is an event that pertains to the fall of Babylon.

When we all spoke the same language and dialect, there was nothing in our imagination that we were not capable of achieving;

Thus the importance of our denominational segregation is revealed, to weaken the combined strength of our immaturity, and prevent us from prospering in any premature joint venture, unfortunately this includes calling upon the name of Ea'huah with one consent.
In essence, it is our immaturity that justifies the confusion which separates us, therefore it is our maturity that would annul that justification, and prequalify us to be harmonically reconciled.

bbbbbbb said:

Not entirely true. The Corinthian church was divided and we can easily identify significant aspects of those divisions with what we call denominations (I am of Paul, I am of Cephas, I am of Christ, etc.). Paul spent a great deal of effort in I Corinthians to denounce these divisions and to exhort the need for unity.

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Exactly so, and there were also groupings of followers who were seen as deviants by the mainline
church(es) because they held some unusual beliefs, even though they acclaimed Jesus.

DarylFawcett said:

I don't know if this question was ever asked and if this is even the most appropriate place to ask it.

Why are there so many denominations that seem to believe something from the Bible that in some instances contradicts the beliefs of one or more denominations with the beliefs of one or more other denominations?

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The main reason for denominations is one denomination believes Paul meant this when he said this and another denomination believes he meant this when he said that. Therefore each denomination has split itself ( properly called divided) saying they are right and the other is wrong. This in itself is a sin and I believe many churches are in peril with the day of judgement coming. Do you believe in God? Do you believe in His Son? Do you believe He sent His Son as a man in the flesh to live a perfect life and die on the cross for the sins of all and defeat death and raise from the dead? Do you Believe that He left His Holy Spirit on this earth for each and everyone one of us who believes in His Son Jesus and the sacrifice that He made for us? If so why do we divide ourselves about what the Bible says or what theologies are right and wrong? The main basis of faith is accepting the Deity of Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 1:12-13 12"Now I say this, that each of you says,"I am of Paul", "I am of Apollos","I am of Cephas"or "I am of Christ." 13 is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?" This shows that each body of Christ was divided because each person believed what one person or the other said. Then how can we know what is true? How can we know what the Bible is trying to say to us? More important of all, how can we unify ourselves in Christ and lay down our denominations? These stumbling blocks that hinder the Holy Spirit from working in the church? We lay aside our will. We surrender our beliefs and our divisions to Christ.( Except that of believing in God our Father His Son and the Holy Spirit) We seek the Holy Spirit in prayer together as the body of Christ. It says in 1 Corinthians 2:9-10 But as it is written: Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him. 10 But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things,yes, the deep things of God.
God gives us wisdom through the Spirit. He will reveal His secrets that any man without God cannot understand. I pray that each denomination and each person that reads this the Holy Spirit (not I) convicts you to lay down your differences and divisions and come together as a body of Christ unified in the Spirit.

Laureate said:

Throughout the scriptures and among the congregations you hear words like Faith (without doubt), Righteousness, Love, Truth, Humility, Grace, Hope, Wisdom, Compassion, etc.;

If you know what these words mean, and have ever embodied any of these attributes, then you have already met Him, and perhaps did not have enough faith to realize it, or too much pride to think that you could be any of that without His very presence, and personal orchestration;

Fear can prevent anyone from loving the truth, and hand them over to a delusion and inadvertently have them believe a lie instead.

When you do a good thing, is it you who performs the work or the Spirit of our Father in Heaven performing it through you?

When all of a sudden eloquence falls out of your mouth articulating intelligible words before you can concieve them, is that you speaking, or the Spirit of our Heavenly Father speaking through you?

psalms 12 informs us that those who do not know Elohym, and those who do not rely on Him actually think their lips are their own, even though the scriptures inform us, that He creates the fruit of the lips, and that the reply of the tongue is from Him.

We are the many members of the body of one who neither does the actual speaking, nor performs any of the works, for it is the spirit of our Heavenly Father who performs these things through Him.

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I do not question that you have understanding of these things, but when someone asks a question like that it is in most cases safe to assume (not always) that they have not accepted Christ into their hearts and accepted Him as Ruler of their life. From my own personal experience when I was dead ( sin ruled my life; Christ not in my life) God was not there. Therefore I could not find Christ. When I became awakened and sanctified (Accepted Christ and His gift of salvation) Christ presented Himself through the Holy Spirit to me. Therefore God found me and I continue to find more of who He is each day because He sanctified me with the blood of Christ and gave me the choice to have a relationship with Him through the Holy Spirit. All to say when you accept Him as your Lord and Savior, God found you. You did not find Him. We can only find more of who He is through the reading of His bread and through prayer. When you have accepted Christ and call upon the Holy Spirit's power you will discover who God is and what His will for your life is. I pray Christ blesses your life and the Holy Spirit guides you in your knowledge and understanding of the Word. I pray that you will look to the power of the Holy Spirit and that the Holy Spirit will grant you wisdom (spiritual wisdom) above many, in His name. I pray that with that wisdom you reach many lost souls to further His everlasting kingdom. I pray that the Holy Spirit sets you apart, yea, even set apart from other brethren. That with His light, with His armor, with His sword of righteousness, through the Lord Jesus, you may guide those around you and those He has put in your life to hear His knock at the door of their hearts. Not only to accept Him as their savior, but to feel the Holy Spirit nudge them to a closer and more personal relationship with God. I pray for you in these times of evil. That with the Sword you are able to fight off temptation. With the power of the Holy Spirit you are able to continue to bear His name upon your neck and never deny Him in these coming days of trial and tribulation. Grace and Peace from the Father, our Abba Father, be with you. May you serve Him all the days of your life into eternity.

"But if from thence you shalt seek Ea'huah your Elohey you shall find him, if you seek him with all your heart and with all your soul.

When you are in tribulation, and all these things are come upon you, even in the latter days, if you turn to Ea'huah your Elohey, and shall be obedient unto his voice;

(For Ea'huah your Elohey is a merciful Elohym he will not forsake you, neither destroy you, nor forget the covenant of your fathers which he sware unto them." [Deuteronomy 4:29-31]

Andrew Abernathey said:

I do not question that you have understanding of these things, but when someone asks a question like that it is in most cases safe to assume (not always) that they have not accepted Christ into their hearts and accepted Him as Ruler of their life. From my own personal experience when I was dead ( sin ruled my life; Christ not in my life) God was not there. Therefore I could not find Christ. When I became awakened and sanctified (Accepted Christ and His gift of salvation) Christ presented Himself through the Holy Spirit to me. Therefore God found me and I continue to find more of who He is each day because He sanctified me with the blood of Christ and gave me the choice to have a relationship with Him through the Holy Spirit. All to say when you accept Him as your Lord and Savior, God found you. You did not find Him. We can only find more of who He is through the reading of His bread and through prayer. When you have accepted Christ and call upon the Holy Spirit's power you will discover who God is and what His will for your life is. I pray Christ blesses your life and the Holy Spirit guides you in your knowledge and understanding of the Word. I pray that you will look to the power of the Holy Spirit and that the Holy Spirit will grant you wisdom (spiritual wisdom) above many, in His name. I pray that with that wisdom you reach many lost souls to further His everlasting kingdom. I pray that the Holy Spirit sets you apart, yea, even set apart from other brethren. That with His light, with His armor, with His sword of righteousness, through the Lord Jesus, you may guide those around you and those He has put in your life to hear His knock at the door of their hearts. Not only to accept Him as their savior, but to feel the Holy Spirit nudge them to a closer and more personal relationship with God. I pray for you in these times of evil. That with the Sword you are able to fight off temptation. With the power of the Holy Spirit you are able to continue to bear His name upon your neck and never deny Him in these coming days of trial and tribulation. Grace and Peace from the Father, our Abba Father, be with you. May you serve Him all the days of your life into eternity.

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Thank you for that beautiful prayer, may the same shower upon you!

Those who are lost, are those who have lost their Way-Faith, they know not where they are in relationship to the Truth, nor do they have a light to see by.

Elohym does not find us in the context of, Oh there you are! For there is nothing hidden from him!

However scripture says, he is found by those who did not seek after him, and again he says, it was not for nothing, that I said seek you me! And finally, Deut 4:29 above.

It is extremely sad when someone in the Spirit and Word, is un able to discern another who is genuinely called by the spirit, sad indeed!

If your going to correct a disciple try quoting scripture, and save the sermon missing, and contradicting scripture at home.

Andrew Abernathey said:

I do not question that you have understanding of these things, but when someone asks a question like that it is in most cases safe to assume (not always) that they have not accepted Christ into their hearts and accepted Him as Ruler of their life. From my own personal experience when I was dead ( sin ruled my life; Christ not in my life) God was not there. Therefore I could not find Christ. When I became awakened and sanctified (Accepted Christ and His gift of salvation) Christ presented Himself through the Holy Spirit to me. Therefore God found me and I continue to find more of who He is each day because He sanctified me with the blood of Christ and gave me the choice to have a relationship with Him through the Holy Spirit. All to say when you accept Him as your Lord and Savior, God found you. You did not find Him. We can only find more of who He is through the reading of His bread and through prayer. When you have accepted Christ and call upon the Holy Spirit's power you will discover who God is and what His will for your life is. I pray Christ blesses your life and the Holy Spirit guides you in your knowledge and understanding of the Word. I pray that you will look to the power of the Holy Spirit and that the Holy Spirit will grant you wisdom (spiritual wisdom) above many, in His name. I pray that with that wisdom you reach many lost souls to further His everlasting kingdom. I pray that the Holy Spirit sets you apart, yea, even set apart from other brethren. That with His light, with His armor, with His sword of righteousness, through the Lord Jesus, you may guide those around you and those He has put in your life to hear His knock at the door of their hearts. Not only to accept Him as their savior, but to feel the Holy Spirit nudge them to a closer and more personal relationship with God. I pray for you in these times of evil. That with the Sword you are able to fight off temptation. With the power of the Holy Spirit you are able to continue to bear His name upon your neck and never deny Him in these coming days of trial and tribulation. Grace and Peace from the Father, our Abba Father, be with you. May you serve Him all the days of your life into eternity.

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The individual asked, because they had doubt that I actually knew! And I answered not for him, but for anyone reading that may not already know.

{ Why are there so many denominations that seem to believe something from the Bible that in some instances contradicts the beliefs of one or more denominations with the beliefs of one or more other denominations? }

I hold our Creator has & does know every being in Adam's loins , from before the world and all else was created . From conception to union with our Elohim YAH or complete destruction of the being , with The Spirit returning back to it's Source ! All is known by Elohim YAH and our reality is like a second viewing cut of a very long rerun .
9“Remember the former events of old, for I am Ěl, and there is no one else – Elohim, and there is no one like Me,

10declaring the end from the beginning, and from of old that which has not yet been done, saying, ‘My counsel does stand, and all My delight I do,’"

*

12“And see, I am coming speedily, and My reward is with Me, to give to each according to his work.a

13“I am the ‘Aleph’ and the ‘Taw’, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last.

14“Blessed are thosea doing His commands,b so that the authority shall be theirs unto the tree of life, and to enter through the gates into the city.

*

15Whoever confesses that יהושע is the Son of Elohim, Elohim stays in him, and he in Elohim.

16And we have known and believed the love that Elohim has for us. Elohim is love, and he who stays in love stays in Elohim, and Elohim in him.

17By this love has been perfected with us, in order that we might have boldness in the day of judgment, because as He is so are we in this world.

18There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear, because fear holds punishment, and he who fears has not been made perfect in love.

19We love Him because He first loved us.

20If someone says, “I love Elohim,” and hates his brother, he is a liar. For the one not loving his brother whom he has seen, how is he able to love Elohim whom he has not seen?

21And we have this command from Him, that the one loving Elohim should love his brother too.

*

Mark 9:40 “For he who is not against us is for us.

Luke 9:50 But יהושע said to him, “Do not forbid him, for he who is not against us is for us.”

Some folks estimate 33,000 denominations following the teachings of Christianity . I read several years ago , estimates of over 50,000 . The number is of no consequence .

Our Elohim YAH is using these denominations as a unique regulator . To measure the Faith , love and the judgement of others in each of the called . Somewhat like ; Gen. 22:1And it came to be after these events that Elohim tried Aḇraham, and said to him, “Aḇraham!” And he said, “Here I am.”

2And He said, “Take your son, now, your only son Yitsḥaq, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriyah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains which I command you.”

As you judge you will be judged the same . Condemned by your own mouth .

I believe The Messiah's WORDS are more binding in these last times then ever before . I believe those living his commands are the " FEW CHOSEN ".

Are there denominations identified in scripture? It seems to me that cleaving the body Christ into sections is a matter of ego, the worldly idea of property transposed onto the words of God. Each section claiming they know what the entirety of the Bible means to say in being their particular brand of Christian.
Jesus came to build a bridge between God and man. Not set up an interstate with innumerable exit ramps.

John 1:1 GodCZU said:

Jesus came to build a bridge between God and man. Not set up an interstate with innumerable exit ramps.

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Yes! He is that bridge between the common man and the Father, yet I see denominations as various traffic jams along that bridge impeding many from crossing over;

Because the Son is the express image of Elohym, so many mistaken the Bridge to be the end of the Destination to which it leads;

You'll find folks parked in the emergency lane, and setting up camp all along the pathway as if they had already crossed over the bridge, and arrived at their intended Destination.

So many impatiently tooting their horns, just dying to get a Cross, nobody singing 'Kumbiyah' or 'We shall overcome' (being sung by the Convictions of our Faith);

Out of the seven lanes provided only two do not lead to a dead end, once you get past the heap of confussion the second lane Narrowly merges into the six lane, and that's where I am now, following the tail lights of Elijah, He's driving a D9 clearing a path through the debris up a Head.