How many Christian Denominations are there?

[Arthur Durnan]

Truth to tell, there are precisely ZERO "denominations" in the Holy Bible. Why does everyone wish to be of Cephas, Apollos, Paul, etc. instead of Jesus Christ Whose Church it actually is? Don't they thereby attempt to square the circle?

Let names & sects & parties fall

And Jesus Christ be all in all.

AMEN!

http://arthurdurnan.freeyellow.com

[Guest SamInService]

[The

[Assisi]

Bastion,

The Great Schism happened in 1054 when the Orthodox broke away from the Catholic Church.

Bastion

[Assisi]

[The fact that the

[Guest SamInService]

SamInService

I'm curious as to which doctrines in particular you think would so nauseate Ignatius, Polycard, Clement, etc.?

How much time do you have?

You have posted the

[Pax]

horizoneast: We have gotten so far off track here it isn't even funny. The original topic was " how many Christian Denominations are there around the world." We all agreed that there are several thousand Christian Churchs around the world, all teaching similar, but in some cases different Theology. We also all can look up scripture, and I am even using a Protestant Bible (King James Version) that states there will be ONE Church, not 38,000, but ONE Church. I will copy this down again for everyone

Mathew 16: 18,19 "And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build MY Church (Not Churches), and the gates of hades shall not prevail against it.

And I will give you the keys of the kingdon of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."

Do you possibly think that God would not keep his word and leave ONE Church as he promised in scripture? That doesn't make any logical sense. The Catholic Church can trace it's roots back to the time of Christ. Every crediable theologian, Catholic or Protestant will agree on this. Protestant theologians then say the the Catholic Church went corrupt and wasn't fixed until Martin Luther came along. This is absolutely ridicious, and once agian makes no logical sense. Do you possibly think the Holy Spirit, who had promised that there would be ONE Church to give guidance, would leave us with no church for 1,500 years until Luther came along?

The biggest issue I have seen that you have trouble with, is this notion that the ONE true Church established by God and talked about in Mathew 16: 18,19 couldn't possibly be led by sinners. The Pope is a sinner, I am a sinner, Billy Graham is a sinner, you are a sinner we are all sinners. God gave us his word that he would leave us with "MY Church" (which means ONE Church) and the gates of hell will not prevail against it. His Church would be protected from error, but the leaders and members wouldn't be protected from error. Thus the Catholic Church has had a messy past. We have had some really good Popes, and we have had some very horrible Popes. Martin Luther was correct when he tacked up his 95 Theses challenging the Church to clean up their act. If he would of tried to influence the leadership Luther might very well of been a great Saint in the Catholic Church. As it is he has gone down in history as one of the biggest hertics. Where Luther went wrong was when he decided to change Church doctrine that had been in place for the past 1,500 years. He became arrogant, and prideful. And this has led to 38,000 different Christian denominations all teaching different things. But thourgh all the bad Popes who were corrupt and sinful the doctrine of the Catholic Church hasn't ever changed. This could only be accomplished by the guidance of the Holy Spirit as promised in Mathew 16: 18,19.

Edited June 3, 2005 by Pax

[ted]

Here's a question that I have always wondered about, yet never seem to be able to have the time to read about for myself. Maybe someone here can help.

What is the relation between the churches, or groups of believers joined by Paul in Asia Minor during his travels, and the RCC? How do they link up, or do they? The church in Atioch, for example. How did they link with the rise of the RCC and when, if ever? How about the church in, say, Ephesus, or Corinth, or Sardis?

Also, both Paul and Peter warn of false teachings and those that taught false doctrine. They seem to agree on the point and warn in letters about the false teachings of some. Who, exactally, are they warning us about? Who are these false teachers and what do where they teaching?

Were they warning about Some Jewish teachers that were adding unneeded traditions to the Word of God? Why did Paul feel the need to go to Rome so bad? Was there something being taught there very early on that he saw a problem with?

Thanks to any one that can help.

t.

[Assisi]

Assisi

[Pax]

Horizoneast: I have said it before and I will say it again. Some people who don't consider themselves Catholic will go to heaven. Your reference to the Catholic catechism is correct. There is only salvation through the ONE Church established by Christ. How a Baptist, Methodist, Evangelical and so on gets to heaven through the Catholic Church is obviously a mystery. I can tell you that there are elements of truth in each of the Churchs listed above, but they do not posses the fullness of the truth. But through these elements of truth, and graces they can obtain salvation.

You reference to Pope Boniface VIII is not an example of a Pope speaking infallible. Boniface VIII is sticking to the doctrine of only salvation through the Church. As I have pointed out, Church doctrine can evolve, but not change. So that is why a Catholic today will say there is only salvation throught the Catholic Church, but this doesn't mean only Catholics are going to heaven. How this actually happens is a mystery. Any good theologian will tell you at some point or another there are things that can't be completely explained. This is one of them. But to answer your question, we really can't say who is going to heaven and who isn't. This is for God to judge, not me, but I can follow Christ's Church and his teachings.

___________________________________________________________________

Horizoneast wrote:

The church is composed of autonomous congregations who are overseen by elders (bishops) in compliance with the authority given by Jesus the Christ who is Head of the church. He is the Founder and Foundation of the church. The church has existed since it

[Assisi]

Assisi,

There were absolutely no distinctions made between a priestly class and the