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then why do we have all these different denominations which seems to seperate us and divide us instead of unify us? aren't we all one in Christ?? am i the only one who has noticed this?

2007-08-26 12:42:40 · 19 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture Religion & Spirituality

19 answers

The many denominations should not exist. Notice what 1 Corinthians 1:10 says;

"Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment."

Why do we have so many? Men are not satisfied to all speak the same thing. Men are not satisfied to teach only the word of God. Men are not satisfied to only speak where the Bible speaks, and be silent where the Bible is silent. Men are not content to do Bible things in Bible ways and call Bible things by Bible names. Too many wish to add their own desires and teach their own doctrine.

Notice 2 Timothy 4:2-4.

"Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables."

We should return to the Bible as our only guide book. We should have a "thus saith the Lord" for everything we teach and do as a church.

The Bible teaches that the church is the body of Christ (Eph. 1:22-23) and that there is only "one body" (Eph 4:4).

When the church first began, there were no denominations. In Acts 2, we see that about 3000 all heard the same message, all understood it the same way, all believed it the same way and all obeyed it the same way. The result was they became Christians - nothing more, nothing less, nothing else. At this point, God added them to His church (Acts 2:47). There is no authorization for Christians to "join the church of your choice", but they were added to Christ's church! After they became Christians they continued in one accord in fellowship and together in the apostles doctrine. (Acts 2:42-47)

Today, if we read and understand what they understood, believe what they believed, and do only what they did, without adding any man-made doctrine, we will become only what they became - Christians!

This is the goal and plea of those who meet together under the name "church of Christ" today. We only want to be the church you can read about in the Bible. We want to speak where the Bible speaks, be silent where the Bible is silent, do Bible things in Bible ways and call Bible things by Bible names. When we accept the same standard of authority, then we can have the unity Paul pleaded for (1 Cor. 1:10-13) and that Christ prayed for (John 17:17, 20-21)!

Christ is the head of the church, therefore we have no "headquarters" on Earth that oversees the local congregation, but each congregation goes directly to the Bible to see what should be taught and practiced.

We only want to follow God's word in our name (Rom. 16:16), worship, organization, and teaching. The word of God is sufficient for doctrine, reproof, correction and instruction. Using it in this way, we can be completely furnished with everything we need, and there is no need to add any man-made doctrine. (2 Tim. 3:16-17)

Those who teach as doctrine the commandments of men have worship that is "vain", or useless in God's eyes. (Matt 15:9)

2007-08-30 07:23:27 · answer #1 · answered by JoeBama 7 · 0 0

When Jesus spoke of church, he always used the word "church" instead of churches. That is because Jesus only planned for there to be one church, His Church. He prayed that His followers would be one. Paul pleaded in I Corinthians that we all speak the same thing. Unfortunately that is not true today.

In the New Testament, there was one church and several locations. This church never had a name. But several descriptive terms were used to show it's owner. Terms such as church of God, church of Christ, church of the firstborn, the church, and the saints. Members of the church were called saved, saints, a royal priesthood, and Christians.

So what changed. The simple answer is that man changed it. He started to determine that he knew better than God what the church should teach and so different men had different followers and denominations were formed. The first group to start this process was Constantine and the Roman empire. Through the influence of Constantine, the Roman catholic church was formed. It's government structure was just like the Roman government. The head was the pope. The Bible never mentions a pope or cardinals and yet even some on this answer to the question claim that the Catholic church was the 1st church and the one that Jesus authorized.

Some men several years later saw many of the flaws of teh teachings of the catholic church and began to protest and lead a group of people away from the catholic church. One of the most renown of these people was Martin Luther. He pleaded with his followers to never name a church after him but when he died his followers ignored those instructions and the Lutheran church was formed. After that it seemed that the divisions increased at a rapid rate. Someone would have a new idea and would get followers and another church was formed.

Today there are over 500 different Christian denominations in the USA alone. So how do we stop this spiral of division and get back to unity? The answer is to discard all the creed books and teachings of men and look at the Bible. If we simply follow the Bible without trying to explain away something we don't agree with, we will have a church that is unified. Satan would have a hard time stopping us from winning the world to Jesus.

But that is not the case. I even saw some people write that we should accept all people's way to serve God. because we seek God in our own way. A study of the Old Testament examples quickly shows that God wants things His way and not our own. When people did not follow God's Way, they were punished sometimes even by death. Jesus tells us that only those who do His Father's will can get to heaven. So when it is time for us to be judged there will be many who cry out Lord, Lord, did we not do many things in your name. He will answer depart I never knew you.

So my prayer and my hope is that someday we will return to the Bible and only the Bible. That we will all be unified in the cause and teachings of Jesus. That will insure us the crown promised. Man-made substitutions will not please God. he is not interested in what we did our way. He is only interested in what we do His way.


Follow Him!!
saved2seek

2007-08-26 18:22:51 · answer #2 · answered by saved2seek 3 · 1 0

only those who truly have been saved or spiritually born again are one in Christ. And God said in His word that more would find the path of destruction than those who would find the narrow gate (the gate of salvation and redemption). Few find the narrow gate. And few in Hebrew measurements is like a handful. Compared to the trillions and trillions of people born since Adam, even though the number would be large to us, the amount of people who would see the Kingdom, is just a handful. I know that not everyone going to church is going to see the kingdom of God. The world system that we live in today, is trying to unify all religions into one through the ecumenical movement. It is a false unity. Satan tries to imitate everything God does and He is copying the spiritual unity that happens when we are born again. Only the Holy Spirit can make the true unity of believers. The Church or body of Christ is not a building or temple made of man made material. It is only done by Spirit and Truth. And the churches today do not teach the truth like it is meant to be taught. And sometimes altogether not the truth at all. Go to Perrystone.com and buy the DVD for the teaching on the "wheat and the tares". It is the farming example of how God separates the saved from the unsaved. He came to divide not unite. He came to unite us with Him not us with false believers or non believers or the world.

2007-08-26 13:35:22 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1 0

People are ignorant and do not know the word of God. They do not study or have a preconceived idea of what the Bible says and their hearts are hardened to any guidance by the Holy Spirit.

Acts 18:24 And a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man, and mighty in the Scriptures, came to Ephesus.
Acts 18:25 This man was instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in the spirit, he spake and taught diligently the things of the Lord, knowing only the baptism of John.
Acts 18:26 And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue: whom when Aquila and Priscilla had heard, they took him unto them, and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly.

2Thessalonians 2:15 Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle.

1John 4:1 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.


The Devil will try and confuse us:


2Co 2:11 Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.

Luk 22:31 And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat:

Eph 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.


Remember God has said that he does not change nor is he the author of confusion:


Mal 3:6 For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.

Num 23:19 God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?

1Co 14:33 For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.


But Jesus said:


Joh 13:34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
Joh 13:35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

Peace be with you

2007-08-26 13:25:06 · answer #4 · answered by laverew 2 · 1 0

Whilst reading an English translation of the Q'uran by an esteemed Islamic scholar, I noted that he had a footnote that showed how christianity was not the true faith because it has different sects.

He pointed out how Islam was free of such sinful schism. Of course, we now know better, thanks to Shia-Sunni and other Islamic sectarianism being on the front pages.

Maybe we are all one in "no god".

2007-08-26 13:37:08 · answer #5 · answered by BAL 5 · 0 0

No. You are not the only one. Jesus noticed it, too....long ahead of time. And I'm sure that He weeps still. As he cried and prayed "on the night in which He was betrayed" in the Garden of Gethsemane..."That we would all be one..."

Unfortunately, the Church has a human element as well as a Holy and Divine one.

And the human part usually wins out...

That's our sin nature...and - it is the sin of pride that keeps us apart.

As for me....I know and I teach my people that the Creeds of our faith know of only ONE Church...and all Baptized persons are the members.

The rest of the denominational differences are man-made nonsense.

2007-08-26 12:51:56 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 3 1

We're not really separated by the denominations, but by people who are intolerant of the way other people come to know God. Personally I don't care if someone is Catholic, Pentecostal, Baptist, etc. as long as the person tries to live as Christ would and promotes tolerance and "brotherhood".

2007-08-26 12:49:58 · answer #7 · answered by Purdey EP 7 · 3 1

Originally there was just one. That was how it was intended to be. But then came the Schisms and the Protestant Reformation, and things have snowballed since.

But if we'd celebrate our similarities instead of agonizing over our differences, it wouldn't be that big of a deal. We all believe Jesus is our Savior, and that's the most important point of any Christian religion.

2007-08-26 13:00:18 · answer #8 · answered by csbp029 4 · 0 1

Jesus founded only one church, so all the apparent "denominations" are really just false traditions of men.

The only true church is the Catholic church, in which all the authentic Christian denominations continue to subsist ... whether they choose to admit it ... or not.

2007-08-26 15:01:01 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0 1

SImple!!! Freedom of choice, freedom of religon, freedom of speech. In truth almost all believe in a higher power. That is all that should matter. Some people have different beliefs and that is their choice. I don't care if you worship a rock as long as you have something to believe in and to look up to answers and wisdom.

2007-08-26 12:53:38 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0 0

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