I AM PUZZLED AS TO THE BIBLE BEING THE SOLE AUTHORITY OF GOD'S WORD

If you knock off the last three zeros, that would be a reasonable estimate.

I’m sorry that everything is such a conspiracy to you. All the scientists are evil. All the liberal Christians are evil. All the biblical scholars are evil and ect… I am sorry that you live in a world where you’re scared of everyone out to be some kind of satanic cabal.

All I did was answer their question. They literally exist and see these issues and I explained one of the core problems of it and suggested finding a wide range of teachers to learn from and test what they say. I would make a terrible satanist you know since I worship Yahweh and place my faith in his son Jesus Christ who died and rose again to save us from the wages of sin and give us eternal life.

Agreed. 30k is a conservative number of denominations.

https://www.livescience.com/christianity-denominations.html

We are given several sources to know about the Lord. In Psalms it says: 19:1 For the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands. 2Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge.

We are also given the holy spirit to help us understand the written word.

We are also given instructions about evangelism. We are to tell the good news of Christ, but the people we tell are free to choose to believe or not. If they reject it, we are to walk away for we are not to cast pearls before swine. Matthew 7:6
“Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.”

Nehemiah, if I drop the last three zeros, that would put the number at 30. With all due respect, either you are ignorant of the facts or just blowing smoke and fog. Here is a site that includes many more than 30 and it's certainly not all inclusive. It doesn't include all the private and non-denominational churches that teach separate beliefs. I'm just scratching the surface here here is a link to the site: List of Christian denominations by number of members - Wikipedia

You'll probably have to page down about 10 times in order to see those listed. And you say 30, LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!11

Blik, you say, "We are also given the Holy Spirit to help us understand the written word." That raises a question. When you have differing opinions with other Christians, how do you know which of you truly has the Spirit. I'd bet all Christians claim to be guided by the Spirit, but if there are different Scriptural interpretations it's obvious that some aren't. How do you know who is and who isn't of the Spirit?

I’ve noticed there is a lot of blatant disregard for easily understandable facts.

May the Holy Spirit fill you and lead you to truth.

God says love your enemies,God also said that you should treat others as you want them to treat you.

The United States always likes to flaunt itself as a Christian country, but it always has to set up enemies and regard other countries as enemies( How many times you heard the word China in one day?),And will use all kinds of excuses to establish enemies. For example, these countries have no faith. Naturally, others will also regard you as enemies.

Some things are obvious whether led by the Holy Spirit.

Gee... I see 25 on that "Contents" list. I guess 30 was an exaggeration.

Well, it's obvious that you didn't page down, things you didn't want to see? So many different denoms listed, obviously you have a blind eye.

Well, it's pretty obvious that the members of this board don't have any real answers to the puzzlement that I posed in the first message on this thread. Instead, just a lot of smoke and mirrors and it seems a lot of animosity for asking a question and questioning the answers I received. So, I'll let the thread drop at this time, fully convinced that none of the responders had any real answers. God Bless All!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Obviously, you already have your own answer, so can you tell me what your answer is.

Well, it's obvious that you make unwarranted assumptions and don't read carefully.

Hi arthur,

yes it can seem like that however have you ever considered what Jesus said -

`However, when He, the Spirit of truth has come, He will guide you into all truth;...` (John 16: 13)

And that is a process.

The Apostle Paul warned his disciples -

`For I (Paul) have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God.` (Acts 20: 27)


For over 2000 years the Body of Christ has been battling against Satan and his demons, who have tried to stop the believers coming to maturity in Christ. Although the Apostle Paul taught the whole counsel of God, he warned the believers that false teachers would arise.

`Therefore take heed to yourselves.....For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Also, from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves. `Therefore watch...` Acts 20: 28 - 31)

Here is a summary of the main truths, then the errors that came in and finally the restoring of those truths through the centuries.

Ministry gifts (Eph. 4: 11) - Bishops were substituted. (AD 110)

Holy Spirit infilling and gifts - Formalisation of worship. (3rd C)

Holiness - Amalgamation of Church and State. (AD 323)

Baptism for believers - Infant Sprinkling. (6th C)

Justification by Faith - Penance Indulgence. (AD 1063 / Dark Ages)


Reformation, Lutheran - Justification by Faith. (1517)

Baptist - Full Immersion. (1608)

Methodist - Holiness. (1738)

Pentecostal - Indwelling of the Holy Spirit. (1906)

Apostolic - Christ`s ministries (Eph. 4: 11) (1916) & the Eternal Purposes.


Christ`s ministries, (apostle, prophet, teacher, pastor, evangelist) develop the believers and the whole Body into spiritual maturity and understanding. They stimulate the perfecting of the `Christ life` and promote the function and ministry of each member in the Body.


When Christ ascended `He gave some (people) to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the Body of Christ,

Till we all come to the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ......may grow up in all things into Him who is the head - Christ.` (Eph. 4: 11 - 15)

We need to remember that religious public meetings are NOT an indication of the Body of Christ but of man organizing people in a public meeting.

The Body of Christ is a growing organism by the Holy Spirit, and we can really only see those we are connected to. The Lord knows who are His and He is quite able to build His Body and mature it till he catches it away to go to its eternal setting in glory with Him.

Differences in understanding scripture wasn't taken so seriously for the first 300 years of the church that was called The Way. There was more emphasis on being a peace maker, and showing love for each other. They allowed differences in doctrine, but agreed about how they lived their life in Christ.

Also, to check your understanding of scripture, it is a good rules to know that God always agrees with God. A principle of the Lord is seldom given in just one scripture, the same principle can almost always be found in other passages.

Another key to correctly dividing scripture is to accept that God is eternal and never changes. Because the law in stone was improved by the law by Christ, it is sometimes counted as a change although God changed his way of communicating with us, God did not change his principles. He communicated with us through fleshly commands to symbolize the spiritual, and in stone instead of in the heart under the old covenant. We must look for the eternal principles of the Lord that are everlasting. and not be blinded by the changes.

We should also pay attention not to judge other people's understanding of the Bible because the wolf among and mixed in the sheep. It's like a wolf holding this sentence to tend the sheep to deviate from the right direction.This is a dead circle and a dead end.


Matthew 15:14
Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.

The way I see it is that if you identify a species you do not start listing all the sub-species. The same with denominations. Catholics are Catholics, and Baptists are Baptists. On that basis 20 would be about right. So what do we have?

1. Catholics (all Catholic groups included)
2. Eastern Orthodox (all Orthodox churches included)
3. Lutherans
4. Presbyterians
5. Reformed
6. Anglican (include Episcopalians)
7. Methodists
8. Baptists (all Baptist groups)
9. Pentecostals (include all Charismatics)
10. Church of God
11. Church of Christ
12. Non-Denominational Evangelicals (include all)
13. Adventists
14. Anabaptists
15. Brethren
16. Apostolic
17. Holiness
18. Quakers
19. Messianics
20. Salvation Army

All cults and heterodox groups excluded

If you put the denominations aside you will see the truth that the Holy Spirit has revealed. It is man that tried to put a wall around the truth however as we well know from history God`s truth cannot be contained in man`s denominations. I have been doing a blog on this very topic - `The Final Battle: becoming Overcomers.

The Whole Counsel of God.

Looking back over the last 2000 years we see the amazing work, the Lord Jesus, the Head of the Body has been doing amid the great battle. Satan and his demons have sought to overpower the believers with errors and false teachings. The battle has been fierce with many people having to die for their belief in Christ.

The Apostle Paul taught the whole counsel of God to the disciples; however those truths were challenged and seemingly done away with when a church system was made which sought power and control over the believer.

Yet the Holy Spirit has continually guided the believers over the centuries, - truths of,

• Salvation, (Lutherians),
• Believer`s baptism, (Baptists),
• Holy living, (Methodists),
• Infilling of the Holy Spirit, (Pentecostals) and
• The five ministry gifts of Christ, (Apostolic).

• The Eternal Purposes.

Still there is one last great truth which the Holy Spirit is bringing to the believers. This truth, by the Holy Spirit, will bring the believers to full maturity in Christ. This truth is the great revelation of the Eternal Purposes in Christ for three groups.

• For the Body of Christ, for Israel and for the Nations.

Receiving the truth of the Eternal Purposes in Christ brings the Body full circle to the whole counsel of God that the Apostle Paul taught.

The Apostle Paul said - `I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God.` (Acts 20: 27)


Thus with all the restored truths, (salvation, baptism, holy living, infilling of the Holy Spirit, the 5 ministries of Christ) we come to the final truth - the Eternal Purposes of Christ, to bring the whole Body of Christ to maturity in Him.

`Christ....gave Himself some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers for the equipping of the saints for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the Body of Christ,

till we all come to the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the fullness of Christ.` (Eph. 4: 11 - 13)

I agree that believers are at different understanding of Christ and His purposes. If they stand for the truth they know then that is what will help bring the Body to maturity in Christ. (Eph. 4: 11 - 16)