Why so many denominations?

[Follower of Christ too]

Seems like lately different churches are claiming to be the only church. I don't want to name any names but how do one group of christians determine that another group is wrong. One christian group is going to heaven and the n another christian group goes to hell I am not talking cults here. All these churches teach the virgin birth, salvation and being filled with the Holy Ghost. So what is important here? Why so many differences? If there was a post on this in the past I have missed it.

 

[Andrew]

FOCT,

There certainlly are a quite a number of denoms. I believe God is not against that because we are all created unique, each with our own likes and dislikes. There isnt another person on earth that is exactly like you or me.

Therefore, He allows there to be different denoms so that everyone can find a church that he can fit in. eg a young punk rocker may get bored stiff in a traditional church but perhaps he will love it and get saved in a charismatic one, where there are drums and electric guitars. So I see 'variety' as a good thing.

While we may differ in certain doctrines, the majority of churches (protestants) do agree in the basics eg salvation by faith thru grace, not works. Jesus is Lord, a triune God etc. While there is much we may disagree on, there is also a lot we agree on. But the human tendency is to focus on the negatives/differences.

However, I do not see (as you have said) that there are a lot of churches claiming to be the one true church and that the rest are wrong and going to hell. I've only heard of one or at most 2 churches (not cults) in my life so far who might perhaps think like that and I cant even rem who they are.

Even the RC church, which claims to be the one true church, still believes that one can get saved in other churches.

God bless.

 

[drdeancrosby]

It sure looks like something is wrong in the world doesn't it? One thing to keep in mind is that Jesus consistently showed contempt toward clergymen so it's a big mistake to take them too seriously.Obviously anyone who condemns others to hell is getting close to committing an act of blasphemy,taking on for themselves a responsibility that is given to Jesus alone. it gets very serious when humans try to take on the role of Christ.No human fully understands God so obviously all of us,even the most educated of ministers,are guilty of harboring some false beliefs.In fact,contrary to church teachings,the bible teaches that it's not even necessary to be a Christian before death in order to receive salvation.The Book of Revelation describes the judgement of non-Christians.It will occur near the end of Jesus' 1000 year kingdom on earth.(Since Jesus doesn't believe in democracy,he won't have to worry about losing a election)At this time,the dead will be raised and personally appear before Jesus.Those who have led basically moral lives and are willing to accept Jesus as their savior during their trial,will be given eternal life even if they never have even heard of the name of Jesus while they were living.Almost no ministers mention this portion of the bible and accordingly many non-Christians believe that God is cruel and irrational,sending to hell those who never even had a chance to become a Christian during their lifetime.The Book of Revelation shows this will not be the case but unfortunately,most denominations just ignore the teaching.

 

[oneshot012]

Well i was reading this book called "All things are possible" which talks about the healing and charasmatic revivals of the 1900's. Anyways to get to my point and answer your question David Edwin Harrell states of the time of the Azsua St Revival the first 20-30 years after that your church was either a spilt or a splinter because no one could agree on doctrine. So everytime there was a disagreement the church would split and the Pentecostal movement was so young that i wasn't really that noticed. So especially for charismatics and pentecostals it all started back in the early 1900's. I hope this helps you out.

 

[Follower of Christ too]

Well i was reading this book called "All things are possible" which talks about the healing and charasmatic revivals of the 1900's. Anyways to get to my point and answer your question David Edwin Harrell states of the time of the Azsua St Revival the first 20-30 years after that your church was either a spilt or a splinter because no one could agree on doctrine. So everytime there was a disagreement the church would split and the Pentecostal movement was so young that i wasn't really that noticed. So especially for charismatics and pentecostals it all started back in the early 1900's. I hope this helps you out.

Actually this is my problem, I don't understand why christians are splitting in any denomination. This is an attempt to divide the precious body of Christ that we were born into. I guess I just feel we should all be more tolerant of those who haven't recieved in the same manner as we. If I fall out in the spirit and another sees, gets stumped and announces "this can't be of God" then procedes to find another church or start a new one. So there we have a church of the slain in the spirit and the church of the not slain in the spirit. It is out of control. This is just one example because there are many others to go with this. So, if someone has recieved something from God and another hasn't recieved it yet then they assume it is not so

 

[SpiritPsalmist]

Actually this is my problem, I don't understand why christians are splitting in any denomination. This is an attempt to divide the precious body of Christ that we were born into. I guess I just feel we should all be more tolerant of those who haven't recieved in the same manner as we. If I fall out in the spirit and another sees, gets stumped and announces "this can't be of God" then procedes to find another church or start a new one. So there we have a church of the slain in the spirit and the church of the not slain in the spirit. It is out of control. This is just one example because there are many others to go with this. So, if someone has recieved something from God and another hasn't recieved it yet then they assume it is not so

I agree Follower of Christ. It has become very disheartening with all the hullabaloo over stuff that is not even important. Brothers and sisters dividing and trying to conquer each other instead of the devil.

Personally, I don't think that the body was intented to be split into differing denominations. . .but. . .that is what man has done. But oneday. . .we will all be together

 

[TheScottsMen]

As for back in the 1900's and the Azusa Street Revival. Two big groups came out of it between 1907 and 1911. Both very different but both claiming Pentecostalism. UPCI was one (Jesus Only, Non Trinity, Baptize in Jesus Name, Tongues proves your saved) and the AOG (Assembly of God). Two sets of Pentecostal's broke away because of two sets of theological views. One is the largest Pentecostal Org in the world (50 million I think), the other, umm.. well, different, don't wanna use the C word. Point is, two people see the same scripture and interpret it different. No common standard on biblical hermeneutics. Just imagine if we all used the same rules to interpret?

 

[enoch son]

Frist let make sure we get the history right. The outpouring began in Topeka KS. ( book; they speak in other tongues). And for the same reason of this thead is the reason it moved to Cal.. Men looked at the flesh and their ego's got in the way of the move of God. A new outpouring has began in Topeka Ks. this week. So let us pray that man's ego's will be the frist to die. So that the work of God will not be spoken without season salt this time. And that His kingdom is frist and last on all man's mind. His grace is greater then all we may come to know.

 

[HiddenManna]

Unfortunately "demon"inations are not of God. They are man-made...There is one body of Christ. And man comes into play, creates "religion"...wrongly divides the Word for their own purpose...they receive a measure of revelation, then stay put creating "a church" instead of moving further on unto perfection...lack of understanding of revelation...which divides the Body.

Yes, the Lord allows these "demon"inations for the leaders who follow after their own ways, and leading the sheep astray...they will reap what they sow...many have become corporations which force the pastors, teachers, to only preach on certain topics and to avoid others like hell, homosexuality is wrong, etc, etc...because they are tax exempt business...they are in covenant with the IRS, the gov't...they are part of a world wide United Religions...scary stuff...they must become tolerant of all things...become more and more politically correct...in a way they have become cultic...and it is breaking the Lord's heart. He will call His remnant out of them.

I cannot wait for the day when the Lord starts shaking this world...and that many may repent and come out of the Babylonian system of denominations. And that the Body of Christ is finally free of man's religious program.

 

[Follower of Christ too]

I agree Follower of Christ. It has become very disheartening with all the hullabaloo over stuff that is not even important. Brothers and sisters dividing and trying to conquer each other instead of the devil.

Personally, I don't think that the body was intented to be split into differing denominations. . .but. . .that is what man has done. But oneday. . .we will all be together

Right! In my own family we have a half dozen different ideas. The thing is we are able to talk over things and pray. As yet we haven't walked away mad A lot of times we have been able to come to agreement! I wish our great big christian families would do the same. I also think it is scarey to say that something is not of God, like tongues, dancing in the spirit and slain in the spirit. I always think about how Saul hated David so much he wanted to kill him, but yet David loved Saul and just hid from him. To me that seems to be such a beautiful spirit in David.

 

[Svt4Him]

Seems like lately different churches are claiming to be the only church. I don't want to name any names but how do one group of christians determine that another group is wrong. One christian group is going to heaven and the n another christian group goes to hell I am not talking cults here. All these churches teach the virgin birth, salvation and being filled with the Holy Ghost. So what is important here? Why so many differences? If there was a post on this in the past I have missed it.

I've posted this before, but I'll do it again. A different denomination doesn't make them the only church, nor have I ever heard of any specific denomination, apart from some that are cultic or lean in that direction, say they were the only church.

 

[oneshot012]

Frist let make sure we get the history right. The outpouring began in Topeka KS. ( book; they speak in other tongues). And for the same reason of this thead is the reason it moved to Cal.. Men looked at the flesh and their ego's got in the way of the move of God. A new outpouring has began in Topeka Ks. this week. So let us pray that man's ego's will be the frist to die. So that the work of God will not be spoken without season salt this time. And that His kingdom is frist and last on all man's mind. His grace is greater then all we may come to know.

As for it starting in Topeka that i am not sure of but i will take your word for it. I know this for a fact that it started with Charles Parham and that he sent William J Seymour out west to expand the revival and from there not to bore people with history details they then bought a barn held there meetings there and thus it became the Azusa St Revival. For purposes served in this discussion i didn;t feel it necessary to get into that because the splits happened form Azusa St not from the school that Charles Parham was running. As to there being a new out pouring in Topeka i pray that it will flourish and that the fire of the Holy Spirit will fill the lands.

 

[Trish1947]

This is my opinion of why so many denominations. Mind you its just my opinion. Alot of churches today are denying the Holy Spirit into their lives, they wont be filled, for alot of reasons, which I could make a list. The Holy Spirit has come to bring unity into the believers lives, but have decided to make up their own interpretations, with no illumination from the Spirit at all, but made up interpretations which divide and split and fracture the Body of Christ. But thank God I'm looking forward to when "we all come to the unity of the faith," And the Holy Spirit is poured out on ALL flesh.

 

[melanie1]

I've posted this before, but I'll do it again. A different denomination doesn't make them the only church, nor have I ever heard of any specific denomination, apart from some that are cultic or lean in that direction, say they were the only church.

Well For myself I haven't been a christian long and I have heard a lot of different ways of saying those people over there are a crazy bunch stay away from them. Probably every church I have been to with the exception of the ones who didn't talk to me at all. Some of them actually laugh at me like I am stupid or something. I have visited looking for somewhere to go and the only people that came over to visit were JW, and they told me Jesus was an arch angel or something like that. So I told them if that was how they thought about the savior I just didn't want to go to there church. They still want to come back

 

[Svt4Him]

In the early 1500s, a German monk named Martin Luther was so conscious of his sins that he spent up to six hours in the confessional. Through study of the Scriptures he found that salvation didn’t come through anything he did, but simply through trusting in the finished work of the cross of Jesus Christ. He listed the contradictions between what the Scriptures said and what his church taught, and nailed his "95 Theses" to the church door in Wittenberg, Germany. Martin Luther became the first to "protest" against the Roman church, and thus he became the father of the Protestant church. Since that split, there have been many disagreements about how much water one should baptize with, how to sing what and why, who should govern who, etc., causing thousands of splinter groups. Many of these groups are convinced that they alone are right. These have become known as Protestant "denominations." Despite the confusion, these churches subscribe to certain foundational beliefs such as the deity, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Bible says, "The foundation of God stands sure, having this seal, The Lord knows them that are his" (2 Timothy 2:19). Thomas Jefferson once wrote of a preacher, Richard Mote, who "exclaimed aloud to his congregation that he did not believe there was a Quaker, Presbyterian, Methodist, or Baptist in heaven, having paused to give his hearers time to stare and to wonder. He added that, in heaven, God knew no distinctions.

 

[Trish1947]

When you read the letters to the seven churches, you can certainly see the differences in what they believed, some zealous, some lazy, some practiceing sin, some in pretty good standing with the Lord, some worked hard for the Lord, but they all had faults. But the main thing was, they all belonged to the Lord, and He's the one that will deal with each one personally. But no where have I read how they all felt about each other, and their beliefs. Are we more intolerant with other denominations that dont believe exactly like we do, or should we be? I dont mean doctrine that absolutley goes against Chirst, thats to be exposed for sure. But like this forum, do we like each other as far as we know each other, because we all have Jesus, or do we like to argue and debate what our doctrinal beliefs are until we are hurting one another by calling them "lost", wrong, hell bound, etc, etc,( just some names I picked out that I have been said to me.. LOL.) The only time there is a debate is when we switch from the topic of Jesus to doctrinal views.

 

[MorphRC]

There are so many denominations because of greed, satan, money, and power. There is one Church that can trace its linkage back to the Apostles, the Catholic Church. No other Church can do that. The Orthodox have Apostolic succession, but only up to 1054, when they split, thats why they are schismatic.

 

[look]

There are so many denominations because of greed, satan, money, and power. There is one Church that can trace its linkage back to the Apostles, the Catholic Church. No other Church can do that. The Orthodox have Apostolic succession, but only up to 1054, when they split, thats why they are schismatic.

Not true!!! There is absolutely no resemblance to the original Jerusalem church...

 

[MorphRC]

Not true!!! There is absolutely no resemblance to the original Jerusalem church...

Jerusalem church was apart of the other churches mentioned in the bible. The Catholic one is THE CHURCH. The one founded upon Saint Peter in Matthew 16:18, the same man that Christ intrusted His religion, the redefined Judaism, the true religion of God. Mind want to learn some history look.

 

[Svt4Him]

There are so many denominations because of greed, satan, money, and power. There is one Church that can trace its linkage back to the Apostles, the Catholic Church. No other Church can do that. The Orthodox have Apostolic succession, but only up to 1054, when they split, thats why they are schismatic.

Oh not this again. Peter was a pebble. The pebble is the catholic church. Therefore Peter is the catholic church. Don't believe it, read the Bible, Peter is called a pebble. See, it all proves that Jesus said He'd build His church on the Catholic church.