I have a more important question JSM17, tell me how I can come into Christian unity with you. What must I do? Is there something you must do? Is there something we must do together?
Sorry, that's more than one question.. But I want to please God, and I desire unity among brothers and sisters.
Denominational division
Discussion in 'Other Christian Denominations' started by JSM17, Aug 11, 2009.
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Whether Christians can consume any alcohol.
There are some believers who won't wash a car or ride a bike on the Sabbath.
I find car washing and bike riding relaxing, and have no moral compunction against either. But I will refrain so as not to offend the weaker brother.
Baptism is a sign of dying to the world and rising to Christ. Some Christians claim they can support their view that Adult Baptism must occur in order for one to be truly regenerate. Others disagree and can provide scriptual evidence to the contrary.
Quiblling over jots and tittles often supercedes the "weightier matters of the law" -- "For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures..." -
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"Halfway covenant" sound familiar?
Still, cessesionists and charasmatics have some pretty good evidence to support either side, yet can both be "right?" -
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> . . . tell me how I can come into Christian unity with you. What must I do? . . . .
For approx 1000 years, maybe until Darby invented dispensationalism, the answer would have been for you to accept the ecumenical creeds as teaching the truth.
If you accept the creeds and have been baptized with a Christian baptism you are welcome to join my congregation in communion. -
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2 And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.
NKJV
They all do, is there a denomination or group out there that does not lay claim to be of the one true church teaching the truth about Christ and salvation?
The point from the OP: Can we all be of the one true church, yet teach opposing doctrines. Denominations and churches and even Christ's followers divide and are divided over issues that seperated them from one another. -
Listen, can we keep the tape and CD players? The CDs aren't really instruments--just recordings of instruments. Will that fly?
And can we keep the microphones, even though the New Testament doesn't mention them?
Oh, by the way, you and I both have confessed Christ as Lord, and we've both been baptized by immersion. Is that worth anything toward unity with JSM17? -
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Revmitchell Well-Known MemberSite Supporter
Being anti-denominational is setting yourself up as another denomination.
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You want Christian unity with me?
You are a Christian I assume? In other words, you serve Jesus Christ?
Wow! I do too.
Then we have got Christian unity.
That was easy. -
Well, I work in a mathematics department and we do not all agree on every single thing, I assume.
So we do not all work for the same boss?
Yes we do.
Same for Christians.
"Doctrine" in Scripture was about overall living and proper esteem of Jesus Christ and His work.
The New Testament was written before the speculations and arguments of the ensuing centuries.
We are largely in consensus about what is "doctrine" in Scripture.
It is hard to like people who hold views we strongly disagree with. We tend to want to divide against such people and rival against them.
Disagreement is not an approved reason to divide in Scripture. The temptation is to be resisted.
We are to serve the Lord Jesus Christ united in our common task despite our disagreements. We are to put Him above our desires to be agreed-with. -
Romans 16:17 Now I urge you, brethren, keep your eye on those who cause dissensions and hindrances contrary to the teaching which you learned, and turn away from them.
Galatians 1:7 ...only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed!
2 John 1:9-11 Anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God; the one who abides in the teaching, he has both the Father and the Son. 10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house, and do not give him a greeting; 11 for the one who gives him a greeting participates in his evil deeds.
Titus 1:10-11 For there are many rebellious men, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision, 11 who must be silenced because they are upsetting whole families, teaching things they should not teach for the sake of sordid gain.
It sounds an awful lot like the Bible is saying that if people disagree we are to separate from them. -
“Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them that are causing the divisions and occasions of stumbling, contrary to the doctrine which ye learned: and turn away from them” (ASV).Put together: “keep an eye on those who cause divisions and temptations, |contrary to| what you have been taught, and to keep away from them” (NBV|ESV|NBV).
“I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them” (ESV).
“But I warn you, brothers, to keep an eye on those who cause divisions and temptations, quite out of harmony with what you have been taught, and to keep away from them” (NBV).
Greek translated "divisions" has a literal meaning "standing apart,"* as in acts of dissociating.
Christians had been taught not to cause acts of "standing apart." The act of dividing is prohibited; getting Christians to divide is prohibited.
No.
Romans 16:17 and other passages warn Christians against dividing against each other. Disagreement is never shown to be an approved exemption.
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*Vine, et al, Expository Dictionary, page 179 NT; in Mounce, Complete Expository Dictionary, page 1126. -
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Which doctrines are required in Scripture and which are secondary?
As someone mentioned earlier, the historic creeds have provided well-thought synopses of Bible doctrine.
But creeds are not scripture, and God will not be squeezed into a systematic box. -
Take, for instance, baptism. If someone believes that we should baptize babies (for whatever reason ... covenant, regeneration, etc), then they will not be able to be a part of a church that teaches believer's baptism. That division is necessitated by false doctrine. No matter how sincere it is, it is still false.
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DARRON STEELE:
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