Ever united

I think there are fine Christians in nearly every denomination of Christians because the essentials that define a person to be a Christian are not the same essentials that define a denomination of professed Christians.

The problem of division is not so much in regard to the essentials that are necessary to recognize people as Christians but the essentials that are necessary to recognize people as a New Testament church.

I start with the former and work toward the latter. Just as understanding of and observation of all scripture is not necessary and essential to be a Christian, nor is understanding and observation of all scripture necessary to be a true Church of Christ. However, there are necessary essentials to be recognized as a Christian and there are necessary essentials for Christians to be recognized as a true New Testament church.

It is defining these latter essentials that PRIMARILY divides Baptists from one another. I say "primarily" because even churches of like faith and order in regard to essential faith and practice still disfellowship one another due to PRACTICAL issues they cannot resolves and some times over doctrinal issues that are relatively not essential for fellowship but that have been made essential to fellowship by one or the other churches.

 

Doc, I suggest you start a thread up in the General Baptist Discussion, or maybe even down in the Other Christian Denominations, with the question, What are the Marks of a true New Testament Church?

Along with that, you could also list those things which are essential for fellowship, and what are the non-essentials that should not impede fellowship?

I, too, agree that there are true believers in every denomination, but some of them are Christians despite the teachings of their denomination.

 

I think that is a good suggestion but right now my hands are sort of full with the discussions at hand. I have known and debated with "adisciplelearner" for several years and he is just beginning to warm up.