Why are there so many denominations?

[Starise]

One thing many denominations, in addition to single churches, tend to do is to hyper focus on only one or two key doctrines often times at the expense of others. I say churches because sometimes it's a single pastor who will hammer away at select doctrines either denomination motivated or personally selected doctrines. Meanwhile the members are starving for something more relevant to them or their situation as taught from the scriptures.

The danger of this is to think we are doing everything right ( in following denominational confines) when in reality the Lord may be leading into more needful areas for that congregation. We put together recipes for worship that make us feel like we are doing something. This is one of the biggest dangers in making up things to follow to make us all feel good about ourselves. We did "church" today. Let's unpack that some. Exactly WHAT did you do and WHY does it make you feel good?

If we lit a few candles or read a few lines in a handout orsang a few songs while only going through the motions of religion we might as well have stayed home.

 

[Bawb]

1 Corinthians 1:10-17 explains denominations in a nutshell.

I appeal to you, brothers and sisters,[a] in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought. 11 My brothers and sisters, some from Chloe’s household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. 12 What I mean is this: One of you says, “I follow Paul”; another, “I follow Apollos”; another, “I follow Cephas”; still another, “I follow Christ.”

13 Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized in the name of Paul? 14 I thank God that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius, 15 so no one can say that you were baptized in my name. 16 (Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I don’t remember if I baptized anyone else.) 17 For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel—not with wisdom and eloquence, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.

Bottom line: Follow Yeshua (Jesus the Christ) NOT doctrines of man!

Edited November 9, 2021 by Bawb

[Waggles]

3 hours ago, Bawb said:

Bottom line: Follow Yeshua (Jesus the Christ) NOT doctrines of man!

So then you would of course be Pentecostal same as the first church?

1Cor 1:2  To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours: 
3  Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 

[Bawb]

4 hours ago, Waggles said:

So then you would of course be Pentecostal same as the first church?

 

Not even close, I would be Messianic. Following Yeshua and not man. And let's not even use the word "church". By studying the Greek words found in the New Testament, that the pattern which God intends His people to follow and live by is the ECCLESIA system, and is RADICALLY different than that which calls itself "church" in our day. The truth is that "Christians" today have been fed a LIE, and that they have been enslaved by the religious systems of men.

On the other hand, an ECCLESIA better describes a body of Messianic believers called out of the Roman and Judean system to come together into a separate civil community. It meant a politically autonomous body of Yeshua believers under no king but Yeshua; under no other jurisdiction but that of Yeshua. No man ruled them! Only Yeshua. And that was the reason these same Messianic believers ran into trouble with kings and rulers; were arrested, crucified and martyred. They dropped Caesar as their King and took up Yeshua.

Edited November 9, 2021 by Bawb

[Waggles]

14 minutes ago, Bawb said:

Not even close, I would be Messianic. Following Yeshua and not man. And let's not even use the word "church". By studying the Greek words found in the New Testament, that the pattern which God intends His people to follow and live by is the ECCLESIA system, and is RADICALLY different than that which calls itself "church" in our day. The truth is that "Christians" today have been fed a LIE, and that they have been enslaved by the religious systems of men.

Ok so tell us how you are better than the first church that we can read of in our New Testament. 

1Cor 12:28  And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then powers, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, kinds of tongues.

church = G1577  ἐκκλησία  ekklēsia

Edited November 10, 2021 by Waggles

[Bawb]

5 minutes ago, Waggles said:

Ok so tell us how you are better than the first church that we can read of in our New Testament. 

1Cor 12:28  And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then powers, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, kinds of tongues.

church = G1577  ἐκκλησία  ekklēsia

Now, let's look at the word, "ecclesia". This Greek word appears in the New Testament approximately 115 times. That's just in this one grammatical form. It appears also in other forms. And in every instance, except three, it is wrongly translated as "church" in the King James Version. Those three exceptions are found in Acts 19:32, 39, 41. In these instances the translators rendered it "assembly" instead of "church." But, the Greek word is exactly the same as the other 112 entries where it was changed to "church" wrongly.

In Acts 19, "ecclesia" is a town council: a civil body in Ephesus. Thus, the translators were forced to abandon their fake translation in these three instances. Nonetheless, 112 times they changed it to "church." This fact has been covered-up under centuries of misuse and ignorance. The Greek word "ecclesia" is correctly defined as: "The called-out (ones)" [ECC = out; KALEO = call]. Thus, you can see how this word was used to indicate a civil body of select (called, elected) people.

According to the Encyclopedia Britannica:

In the New Testament, "ecclesia" (signifying convocation) is the only single word used for church. It (ecclesia) was the name given to the governmental assembly of the city of Athens, duly convoked (called out) by proper officers and possessing all political power including even juridical functions.

Obviously, in Greece an ecclesia had no resemblance to a church. An "ecclesia" was a civil assembly in Athens even before the writing of the New Testament. In the Oxford Universal English Dictionary (considered the standard for the English language) the word "ecclesia" is listed in its English form as used by our English forefathers. (Nowadays, only forms of the word appear - like, "ecclesiastical").

Quoting from the Oxford Universal English Dictionary on the word "ecclesia":

[Bawb]

Quoting from the Oxford Universal English Dictionary on the word "ecclesia": Ecclesia [mediaeval Latin, and Greek - from : SUMMONED] -A regularly convoked assembly, especially the general assembly of Athenians.

Let's continue by defining the word. "Church" comes from the Old English and German word pronounced "kirche." In Scotland, it was "kirk."

The following entries are from the Oxford Universal English Dictionary:

Church [Old English cirice, circe; Middle English chereche, chiriche, chirche; whence churche, cherche, etc.: -Greek Kuriakon...]

Kirk The Northern English and Scottish form of CHURCH, in all its senses.

In the earlier Greek It was pronounced "ku-ri-a-kos" or "ku-ri-a-kon." As you can see, this word doesn't even resemble the Greek word "ecclesia" whose place it has usurped. The meaning of "Ku-ri-a-kos" is understood by its root: "Ku- ri-os," which means "lord." Thus, "kuriakos" (i.e., "church") means "pertaining to the lord." It refers to something that pertains to, or belongs to, a lord. The Greek "kuriakos" eventually came to be used in Old English form as "cirice" (Kee-ree-ke), then "churche" (kerke), and eventually "church" in its traditional pronunciation. A church, then, is correctly something that "pertains to, or belongs to, a lord."

[Waggles]

That is all very nice and interesting to read over eating of cornflakes but it is a complete red herring to the topic of discussion -

28 minutes ago, Bawb said:

Not even close, I would be Messianic. Following Yeshua and not man.

How is your claim of following Yeshua (a.k.a. Jesus) better than the first ekklēsia of the NT??

For if I believe and do exactly the same as the ekklēsia of the apostles and disciples in scripture then surely I would be the same as them? 

[Waggles]

1Cor 1:1  Paul, called by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and our brother Sosthenes, 
2  To the ekklēsia of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours: 
3  Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 

saints = G40  ἅγιος  hagios
From ἅγος hagos (an awful thing) compare G53, [H2282]; sacred (physically pure, morally blameless or religious, ceremonially consecrated): - (most) holy (one, thing), saint.
Total KJV occurrences: 229

The Spirit-filled Christian is not only justified but also sanctified - made holy by the indwelling Holy Spirit - consecrated, set aside from worldly purpose.

[Bawb]

1 hour ago, Waggles said:

That is all very nice and interesting to read over eating of cornflakes but it is a complete red herring to the topic of discussion -

How is your claim of following Yeshua (a.k.a. Jesus) better than the first ekklēsia of the NT??

For if I believe and do exactly the same as the ekklēsia of the apostles and disciples in scripture then surely I would be the same as them? 

It's not the same word... It does not mean the same thing.

Also, You really should know your Savior's real name, if you truly love him.

It's not the same name...

What does the name Jesus mean in Greek? In Greek, "Iesous" literally translated means "Hail Zeus". Straight from ancient Greek Mythology. PAGAN! Not my Messiah!

The name "Jesus" with a "J" didn't even exist until the 4th Century and was a later derivative of the late Latin Isus.

The etymology of the word Jesus comes from the Latin and so Jesus means means Earth Pig. Je = Ge= Earth and Sus = Pig therefore Jesus = Earth-Pig. Abomination!

The name Yeshua has real meaning "Yeshua that can be found in Hebrew and Aramaic biblical text, taken from the Hebrew verb, yasha, that means "to deliver, save, or rescue," and also stated as "Yehoshua." Pronunciation of "Yeshua," in Hebrew".

Edited November 10, 2021 by Bawb
spacing error