How many Christian Denominations are there?

[Assisi]

According to the Dictionary of Christianity in America [Protestant] (Downers Grove, IL: Intervarsity Press, 1990): "As of 1980 David B. Barrett identified 20,800 Christian denominations worldwide . . ." ("Denominationalism," page 351).

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[Pax]

Bastion I think you may be on to something here......all these different denominations, each with a different pastor interupreting the Bible how does a Christian know who to believe.

Next question: How many Christian Bibles are there on the market?

[Gerioke]

Apparently this is the latest translation

The Gospels Of "Judith" Christ

A new edition of the Gospels of the Bible for the first time shows Christ as a woman, named Judith Christ of Nazareth, and God as female. In all other respects, the classic texts of the Gospels remain unchanged.

The publisher, LBI Institute, has released this new Bible entitled: "Judith Christ of Nazareth, The Gospels of the Bible, Corrected to Reflect that Christ Was a Woman, Extracted from Matthew, Mark, Luke and John."

"This long-awaited revised text of the Gospels makes the moral message of Christ more accessible to many, and more illuminating to all," says Billie Shakespeare, V.P. for the publisher. "It is empowering. We published this

new Bible to acknowledge the rise of women in society."

This new Bible includes: The Parable of the Prodigal Daughter, The Lady's Prayer, and other revised favorite passages, such as:

* Her birth -- Luke 2:4 And Joseph went to Bethlehem. 5 To be enrolled with Mary, his wife, who was then pregnant. 7 And she brought forth her firstborn child. 21 And her name was chosen to be Judith.

* Her crucifixion -- John 19:17 And She bearing her cross went forth. 18 There they crucified Judith.

* Her resurrection -- Matthew 28:1 Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb. 5 But the angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Judith who was crucified." 6 "She is not here; for She is risen."

[Pax]

Gerioke: so with each translation of the Bible we can change history? This must be another example of things getting messed up.

Bastion: Ealier you posted that we should look to the originals for direction???? Good idea. Who are the originals???

[Assisi]

Gerioke: so with each translation of the Bible we can change history?  This must be another example of things getting messed up. 

Bastion:  Ealier you posted that we should look to the originals for direction????  Good idea.  Who are the originals???

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Philip Schaff, a major Protestant church historian respected by most Protestant Bible scholars writes in his History of the Christian Church -

- The church view respecting the sources of Christian theology and the rule of faith and practice remains as it was in the previous period, except that it is further developed in particulars. The divine Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, as opposed to human writings; AND the ORAL TRADITION or LIVING FAITH of the catholic church from the apostles down, as opposed to the varying opinions of heretical sects -- TOGETHER FORM THE ONE INFALLIBLE SOURCE AND RULE OF FAITH. BOTH are vehicles of the same substance: the saving revelation of God in Christ; with this difference in form and office, that the church tradition determines the canon, furnishes the KEY TO THE TRUE INTERPRETATION of the Scriptures, and guards them against heretical abuse." (volume 3, page 606)

J.N.D. Kelly, a major Protestant church historian from this century writes in his Early Christian Doctrines -- (after many examples)

"It should be unnecessary to accumulate further evidence. Throughout the whole period Scripture AND tradition ranked as complementary authorities, media different in form but coincident in content. To inquire which counted as superior or more ultimate is to pose the question in misleading and anachronistic terms. If Scripture was abundantly sufficient in principle, tradition was recognized as the SUREST CLUE TO ITS INTERPRETATION, for in TRADITION the Church retained, as a legacy from the apostles which was embedded in all the organs of her institutional life, an UNERRING GRASP of the real purport and MEANING of the revelation to which Scripture AND tradition alike bore witness." (page 47-4

Thus in the end the Christian must, like Timothy [cf. 1 Tim 6:20] 'guard the deposit', i.e. the revelation enshrined in its completeness in Holy Scripture and CORRECTLY interpreted in the Church's UNERRING tradition." (page 51)

[Pax]

Assisi: You might be on to something here, can you be more clear with your answer? I will state the question in more direct terms. What Church is at the root of Christianity? Is there one?

[Pax]

Pax

So we can all agree here that there are several thousand denominations around the world that claim to be of Christian origin. So now lets say I am a non-believer and I am looking to find out what this Christianity thing is all about. Which one of these 38,000 so called Christian churches do I turn to for the truth?

I would certainly advise our seeker to avoid any group of people, which claiming to be Christian, embraces a particular doctrinal system taught by an individual leader, group of leaders, or organization, whose teachings, practices, and liturgy are commiserate with cultism and whose system of laws denies either explicitly or implicitly one or more of the central doctrines of the Christian faith as taught in Holy Scripture. And I would warn our friend to be very wary of any ecclesiastical system, which claims to be the

Edited June 1, 2005 by Pax

[Trinity]

Well Im Christian Missionary Alliance Im Going to be a pastor under that denomination someday

[Assisi]

Assisi:  You might be on to something here, can you be more clear with your answer?  I will state the question in more direct terms.  What Church is at the root of Christianity?  Is there one?

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IRENAEUS can answer for me. IRENAEUS was the second bishop of Lyons suceeding St. Pothinus. He was a student of St. Polycarp who was tutered by St John the Apostle. He was born in 140AD and died AD 202.

The TRADITION of the Apostles, manifested 'on the contrary' in the whole world, is open in every Church to all who see the truth...And, since it is a long matter in a work like this to enumerate these successions, we will confute them by pointing to the TRADITION of that GREATEST and MOST ANCIENT and UNIVERSALLY KNOWN Church, founded and constituted AT ROME by the two most glorious Apostles, Peter and Paul, a TRADITION which she has had and a faith which she proclaims to all men from those Apostles" ibid 3,1 and 3,3

For Irenaeus "tradition" included three things:

1) the Christian faith that was handed on -- oral or in writing

"For how should it be if the Apostles themselves had NOT left us their writings? Would it not be necessary to follow the course of the TRADITION which they handed down to those whom they did commit the Churches?" ibid 3,4,1

2) a living authority

"Wherefore it is incumbent to OBEY the presbyters who are in the Church...those who, together with the succession of the episcopate, have received the certain gift of TRUTH..." ibid 4,26,2

3) transmission and preservation by succession

"In this order, and by this SUCCESSION, the ecclesiastical tradition from the Apostles, and the preaching of the truth, have come down to us. And this is MOST abundant proof that there is one and the same vivifying faith, which has been preserved in the Church from the Apostles until now, and handed down in truth" ibid 3,3,3

"Those, therefore, who desert the preaching of the Church, call in question the knowledge of the holy presbyters....It behooves us, therefore, to avoid their doctrines, and take careful heed lest we suffer any injury from them; but to flee to the Church, and be brought up in her bosom. ibid 5,20,2

[Christ's Free Servant]

Wouldn't it be great if all the churches in North America and Europe tore down the denominational signs and put up a sign that said "Come in and worship God". I think that we as a body could accomplish a lot more with a common vision

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Gerioke,

I believe that a day is coming like that, but it will not be man who initiates it. I have seen too much protecting of denominational and local church "territories." I believe God is going to say "enough is enough" sometime soon and he is going to judge the church for their actions and that when that day comes it will no longer matter if you follow Paul or Appolos, because we will all be one church under Christ again and there will be no more division and it will be like the church in Acts all over again.

My husband and I have chosen to remain non-denominational because we just want to be "Christ's free servants." We don't want a denomination dictating what we should believe or follow. We want our only allegiance to be to Christ, our Savior and Lord. We believe in the local church body and the necessity of leadership and line of authority, but we also believe that denominationalism has done much to harm the church and to keep people from being free to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit with their lives.