Without the possibility of denominations we would be looking at either 1 a theocracy or 2 a state religion. Each are dangerous due to the human heart and corruption that usually follows after generations of Christians who get too comfortable and doesn't see the creeping darkness of corruption.
In history already beginning in Acts of the Bible we see the known threat of corruption already at work.
Acts 20:28-30 niv
28 Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood. 29 I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. 30 Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them.
Thankfully and evidently from studying the 1000s of manuscripts and early church's writings we see the truth of scripture was protected for atleast the first thousand years of Christianity, and there were no denominations within Christianity as there are today. Various offshoot groups certainly existed, but most were small and quickly snuffed out as "heresies."
Then came to rise of the theocratic governments like the Catholic Pope's and the Christian Crusades or like the State ran religion like in the 1500s England broke away from the Roman Catholic Church and formed its own church called the Church of England. The same Church of England that the Puritans and Pilgrims fled from.
The first major division within Christendom came in 1054, with the Great Schism between the Western Church and the Eastern Church. From that point forward, there were two large branches of Christianity, which came to be known as the Catholic Church (in the West) and the Orthodox Church (in the East).
The next major division was the Protestant Reformation, sparked in 1517 by Martin Luther's publication of 95 Theses against certain Catholic practices.
This began the reality of denominations. A new era that God was leading the Church and a reminder at how important basic human rights are like the right to conscience....
1 Timothy 1:19 niv
19 holding on to faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and so have suffered shipwreck with regard to the faith.
Or the right to choose what you believe as seen in
Joshua 24:15 niv
15 But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”
The importance of a system of checks and balances as each denomination can debate others, call out others, and have a system to freely break away once the denomination becomes too corrupt. The verse below shows us the importance of power balances.
Isaiah 33:22 states, “For the LORD is our judge, the LORD is our lawgiver, the LORD is our king; it is he who will save us.” Notice the implication of judicial, legislative, and executive powers of God. This verse is one of the inspirations behind America’s three branches of government—commonly known as a system of “checks and balances.”
In these denominations we began to practice these checks and balances in further detail.
Another way to disperse power is through a concept known as “republicanism.” Exodus 18:21 instructs us, “But select capable men from all the people—men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain—and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens.”
In which this example slowed and made difficult the way of corruption to infiltrate the Church. Today we have seen how the mainstream Christian denominations have come together throughout history to do great good within the Kingdom of God. But unfortunately over time even the best Biblical example of a system is still flawed with the fallen world of humanity. Our mainstream denominations have been debating over homosexual issues, gender identity, and many different political issues.
This freedom to correct, refine, or if need be to separate is very important. Religious freedom protects this response. Denominations was created from the oppression and tyranny of theocratic tyranny or Secular Governmental tyranny.
The Bible has a lot to say about tyranny which can be found in any great organization including the Church.
The same Bible that the Pilgrims brought with them on the Mayflower was the Geneva Bible.
A few warnings from those who was escaping tyranny and oppression.
James 2:6 1599 Geneva Bible
6 But ye have despised the poor. Do not the rich oppress you by tyranny, and do they not draw you before the judgment seats?
Psalm 12:5 GNV
5 Now for the oppression of the needy, and for the sighs of the poor, I will up, saith the Lord, and will set at liberty him, whom the wicked hath [snared].
Psalm 12:5 NIV
5 “Because the poor are plundered and the needy groan,
I will now arise,” says the Lord.
“I will protect them from those who malign them.”
Exodus 3:8-9 GNV
8 Therefore I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them out of that land into a good land and a large, into a land that floweth with milk and honey, even into the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites.
9 And now lo, the cry of the children of Israel is come unto me, and I have also seen the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppress them.
There in history always comes a time when separation is a must in order for the body of Christ to follow the will of God. John reminds us to not love anything of the world and the Apostles remind us we obey God and not the corruption of man.
1 John 2:15 niv
15 Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them.
Acts 5:28-29 niv
28 “We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name,” he said. “Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man’s blood.”
29 Peter and the other apostles replied: “We must obey God rather than human beings!
Conclusion:
Denominations are a product of religious freedom and religious freedom is the product of those who resist tyranny and choose to say we must obey God rather than human beings.
A recent example of this was during the 2019 special General Conference over the churches response to LGBTQ issues. Thank God people like this man below spoke up and largely affected the vote within America and resulted in the keeping of Biblical accuracy.
By. Jerry P. Kulah is the Dean of the Gbarnga School of Theology, United Methodist University, in Liberia.
"And then please hear me when I say as graciously as I can: we Africans are not children in need of western enlightenment when it comes to the church’s sexual ethics. We do not need to hear a progressive U.S. bishop lecture us about our need to “grow up.” No!"
"Unfortunately, some United Methodists in the U.S. have the very faulty assumption that all Africans are concerned about is U.S. financial support. Well, I am sure, being sinners like all of you, some Africans are fixated on money.
But with all due respect, a fixation on money seems more of an American problem than an African one. We get by on far less than most Americans do; we know how to do it. I’m not so sure you do. So, if anyone is so naïve or condescending as to think we would sell our birth right in Jesus Christ for American dollars, then they simply do not know us. Because, we know how to live on much, how to live on little, and how to live on nothing. Amen!"
If your interested in the whole speech I'll post it below.
https://goodnewsmag.org/2019/03/the-faith-found-in-africa
In history already beginning in Acts of the Bible we see the known threat of corruption already at work.
Acts 20:28-30 niv
28 Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood. 29 I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. 30 Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them.
Thankfully and evidently from studying the 1000s of manuscripts and early church's writings we see the truth of scripture was protected for atleast the first thousand years of Christianity, and there were no denominations within Christianity as there are today. Various offshoot groups certainly existed, but most were small and quickly snuffed out as "heresies."
Then came to rise of the theocratic governments like the Catholic Pope's and the Christian Crusades or like the State ran religion like in the 1500s England broke away from the Roman Catholic Church and formed its own church called the Church of England. The same Church of England that the Puritans and Pilgrims fled from.
The first major division within Christendom came in 1054, with the Great Schism between the Western Church and the Eastern Church. From that point forward, there were two large branches of Christianity, which came to be known as the Catholic Church (in the West) and the Orthodox Church (in the East).
The next major division was the Protestant Reformation, sparked in 1517 by Martin Luther's publication of 95 Theses against certain Catholic practices.
This began the reality of denominations. A new era that God was leading the Church and a reminder at how important basic human rights are like the right to conscience....
1 Timothy 1:19 niv
19 holding on to faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and so have suffered shipwreck with regard to the faith.
Or the right to choose what you believe as seen in
Joshua 24:15 niv
15 But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”
The importance of a system of checks and balances as each denomination can debate others, call out others, and have a system to freely break away once the denomination becomes too corrupt. The verse below shows us the importance of power balances.
Isaiah 33:22 states, “For the LORD is our judge, the LORD is our lawgiver, the LORD is our king; it is he who will save us.” Notice the implication of judicial, legislative, and executive powers of God. This verse is one of the inspirations behind America’s three branches of government—commonly known as a system of “checks and balances.”
In these denominations we began to practice these checks and balances in further detail.
Another way to disperse power is through a concept known as “republicanism.” Exodus 18:21 instructs us, “But select capable men from all the people—men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain—and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens.”
In which this example slowed and made difficult the way of corruption to infiltrate the Church. Today we have seen how the mainstream Christian denominations have come together throughout history to do great good within the Kingdom of God. But unfortunately over time even the best Biblical example of a system is still flawed with the fallen world of humanity. Our mainstream denominations have been debating over homosexual issues, gender identity, and many different political issues.
This freedom to correct, refine, or if need be to separate is very important. Religious freedom protects this response. Denominations was created from the oppression and tyranny of theocratic tyranny or Secular Governmental tyranny.
The Bible has a lot to say about tyranny which can be found in any great organization including the Church.
The same Bible that the Pilgrims brought with them on the Mayflower was the Geneva Bible.
A few warnings from those who was escaping tyranny and oppression.
James 2:6 1599 Geneva Bible
6 But ye have despised the poor. Do not the rich oppress you by tyranny, and do they not draw you before the judgment seats?
Psalm 12:5 GNV
5 Now for the oppression of the needy, and for the sighs of the poor, I will up, saith the Lord, and will set at liberty him, whom the wicked hath [snared].
Psalm 12:5 NIV
5 “Because the poor are plundered and the needy groan,
I will now arise,” says the Lord.
“I will protect them from those who malign them.”
Exodus 3:8-9 GNV
8 Therefore I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them out of that land into a good land and a large, into a land that floweth with milk and honey, even into the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites.
9 And now lo, the cry of the children of Israel is come unto me, and I have also seen the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppress them.
There in history always comes a time when separation is a must in order for the body of Christ to follow the will of God. John reminds us to not love anything of the world and the Apostles remind us we obey God and not the corruption of man.
1 John 2:15 niv
15 Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them.
Acts 5:28-29 niv
28 “We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name,” he said. “Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man’s blood.”
29 Peter and the other apostles replied: “We must obey God rather than human beings!
Conclusion:
Denominations are a product of religious freedom and religious freedom is the product of those who resist tyranny and choose to say we must obey God rather than human beings.
A recent example of this was during the 2019 special General Conference over the churches response to LGBTQ issues. Thank God people like this man below spoke up and largely affected the vote within America and resulted in the keeping of Biblical accuracy.
By. Jerry P. Kulah is the Dean of the Gbarnga School of Theology, United Methodist University, in Liberia.
"And then please hear me when I say as graciously as I can: we Africans are not children in need of western enlightenment when it comes to the church’s sexual ethics. We do not need to hear a progressive U.S. bishop lecture us about our need to “grow up.” No!"
"Unfortunately, some United Methodists in the U.S. have the very faulty assumption that all Africans are concerned about is U.S. financial support. Well, I am sure, being sinners like all of you, some Africans are fixated on money.
But with all due respect, a fixation on money seems more of an American problem than an African one. We get by on far less than most Americans do; we know how to do it. I’m not so sure you do. So, if anyone is so naïve or condescending as to think we would sell our birth right in Jesus Christ for American dollars, then they simply do not know us. Because, we know how to live on much, how to live on little, and how to live on nothing. Amen!"
If your interested in the whole speech I'll post it below.
https://goodnewsmag.org/2019/03/the-faith-found-in-africa
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