The uniqueness of the Church, Or
Why are there so many denominations and churches?
(CONTINUATION)

II. Different churches and denominations assessed on the base of NT' teaching

The previous chapter dealt with the essential features of the Church which make one able to differentiate the right Church from the false ones, the right community from those in deviation, to know for certain, which the Church of God, "the pillar and foundation of the truth" is. These features can justify for everyone that only such community can have the right to be called: the Church. If it had no characteristics like that, how could we recognise the credibility of the revelations written about the Church of God and distinguish from those invented by people and from the deceit of the false-teachers.

After you have read the statements of the NT on the Church, it is important to test and assess - on the base of God's word - the situation of the churches and/or denominations that have developed up to nowadays, like "Catholic", "Orthodox", "Lutheran", "Calvinist", "Baptist", "Adventist", "Pentecostal" and so on, and what the Church is and what is not, and you become able to make a distinction between the right one and the false ones. The assessment out of a right attitude is not identical with the judgement out of bad motives. To assess the fruits is the task and responsibility of every Christian (Matthew 7:13-23), for Jesus said:

Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven {will enter.} (Matthew 7:21)

The measure of the assessment is the Bible and the leading of the Holy Spirit (1 John 2:20-21.26-27; 1 Corinthians 2:10-16):

... they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily {to see} whether these things were so. (Acts 17:11)

But examine everything {carefully;} hold fast to that which is good; abstain from every form of evil. (1 Thessalonians 5:21-22)

... so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ; (Philippians 1:10)

But he who is spiritual appraises all things... (1 Corinthians 2:15)

I speak as to wise men; you judge what I say. (1 Corinthians 10:15)

... trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. (Ephesians 5:10)

See our writing entitled "Love and assessment".

The babelic masses of religious organisations and communities claim to be the Church of Christ. One could say, that the Church means the religious community of those who claim Christ as their Saviour, in spite of the fact that these churches and denominations contradict each other in some or in many essential matters. That appears mostly in different items of teaching (such as the existence of hell, can one apostatise from God or cannot, is there predestination, are we sinners from our birth on etc.)

The absence of unity in the sound doctrine causes differences in external things too (rosary, host, icons, ceremonial mass or liturgy, obliged wear of kerchief and skirt, crossing oneself burning candles, speaking in tongues, keeping the Sabbath, immersion, church-order and - discipline etc.) which are very important for many. Every so called church and denomination has its own characteristics, which help one to decide if someone is a "Catholic", "Orthodox", "Lutheran", "Calvinist", "Baptist", "Adventist", "Pentecostal" etc. Nevertheless, they say in many occasions when they call each other "brothers and sisters": "these are not so important things, it is important, that we believe in Christ!" If only they had differences in external things and they would be in unity in the word of God!

Those who joined the ecumenical movement by trying to find common points want to show the world that they have one belief, avoiding and possibly not mentioning the points in which they are not in unity. But a pretended unity like that, neither does nor can give a solution.

See our writing entitled "The ecumenism".

"Officially", any of those claim to be the right one, or at least "the rightest". (Roman Catholics and to some extent also Orthodox do it even officially!) However, the conclusion would be that those being in the competition are regarded as misleaders, harmful and dangerous or as those not walking on the right way. But they want "to obscure" the essential contradictions and in spite of these they regard each other as "brother's communities".

But in the Church there cannot be contradictions and division in doctrinal matters. The Church, as Christ, is the same as it was in the time of NT regarding the essence and teaching:

Jesus Christ {is} the same yesterday and today and forever. (Hebrews 13:8)

Hence it follows that all those churches having different teachings cannot be called "the Church". These organisations and denominations are not communities but the "world" (even in their own terminology, as they accept evidently that their community is a mixture of believers and unbelievers). The religious world belongs to the "world" too, since they have numerous unbeliever-members. The fact that the "churches" differ from the first community in teaching and practice is not covered even by their own representations. Why should we call them Christian communities? We cannot call churches those, which are not according to the Bible. It does not mean that one cannot become Christian in a so-called church or denomination. But growing in faith one will be confronted with the lovelessness and the false teaching, which has to be rejected in order to maintain the relationship with God. One has to recognise, that he or she cannot belong to a church or a denomination which is not a Church actually, and not the Body of Christ.

You will not find in the Bible that the Church has anything to do with a religious organisation which accepts as members those who do not focus their life on God. The term "Christian" means a person who follows Jesus. The faith in Jesus Christ means: to obey Him (John 15:10.14; Matthew 7:21; Luke 14 25-27; 1 John 3:24), to keep His commandments, and to live according to His teaching:

He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him. (John 3:36)

So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, "If you continue in My word, {then} you are truly disciples of Mine..." (John 8:31)

If you love Me, you will keep My commandments... (John 14:15)

The one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked. (1 John 2:6)

Anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God; the one who abides in the teaching, he has both the Father and the Son. (2 John 9)

He who turns away his ear from listening to the law, Even his prayer is an abomination. (Proverbs 28:9)

See our writing entitled "Faith and works".

Regarding the belief and teaching one can also raise objections against the fact that there is no real unity not only among the different so-called churches and denominations but within the single groups, since often the members, or at least the majority do not know the teachings of their own church which they should believe in, or they do not agree with several things, as the case may be. Some of them accept and agree with certain teachings, and the others do not even know about it (e.g. a Catholic who believes in reincarnation).

For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but {wanting} to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths. (2 Timothy 4:3-4)

However, there are a lot of them, mainly older ones who, in conscience and life-style, identified themselves with their own church and denomination. We have to remark that the author addressed the admonition in Hebrews: "not forsaking our own assembling together" (Hebrews 10:25) - to Christians and not to a mixture of believers and unbelievers. As a matter of course, this passage cannot be a base for anyone not to leave the godless organisation, church or community about which he recognised that actually it is not the Church; in fact it only claims to be.

Being born to be a member of a church or denomination can be as important as the externals for many. Often only these things mean the "relationship" with God, and replace the internal devotion to God out of a pure heart.

Often we can find among the members - apostrophised even by their own -: "those of dead faith" and "so called Christians". Bit by bit, those who still did not repent are also called as members that mean brothers along with the "true believers". Although the Bible teaches the following:

But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler--not even to eat with such a one. For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Do you not judge those who are within {the church?} (1 Corinthians 5:11-12)

Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? (2 Corinthians 6:14-16)

The characteristic feature of different churches and denominations, that they mix up the "real" and "titular Christians" necessarily results in the mission within the church, which is one of the most habitual incorrect practices. You cannot find mission within the church anywhere in the NT. Preaching the gospel was directed towards outsiders in the apostolic time, even if it affected the whole community:

Therefore if the whole church assembles together and (...) all prophesy, and an unbeliever or an ungifted man enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all; the secrets of his heart are disclosed; and so he will fall on his face and worship God, declaring that God is certainly among you. (1 Corinthians 14:24)

It is true enough that in the time of NT there were some who caused division in the Church (Jude 17-19), apostates (2 Timothy 2:16-18; 1 Timothy 1:19-20; 4:1-2), infiltrated false brothers (Galatians 2:4), false prophets (Revelation 2:20-25; 2. Peter 2:1-3.12-19; Jude 4.10-13; 1 John 2:18-27) etc., but the principle was always clear: "Drive out the wicked person from among you!" (1 Corinthians 5:13). They quickly took firm steps against them, sometimes after preliminary warnings (Titus 3:10-11), sometimes without any admonishments they separated themselves from them, which meant the exclusion or being sent away from the community. In this way everyone could know from the beginning on that the company of those who believed were of one heart and soul (Acts 4:32). No one can stay in the Church who is not appropriate. In the Church, there is room only for those who want to obey God (Matthew 18:15-17), who have to show the people a mirror about what their relationship with God looks like (Matthew 18:18-20; Ephesians 5:11).

Although the Christians sin too, and there are sins in the Church - as it was in Corinth - (1 Corinthians 1:11; 5:1; 6:1; 11:17-22), the difference among believers and unbelievers is clear: those "who are born of God" do not want to live in sin, and do not cling to it (1 John 3:4-10 /9/). The Christian breaks with his sins, gives himself over to look for and to act in line with the good (Romans 12:1-2; 6:16-23; Ephesians 2:10 etc.). Hence our whole life is the process of sanctification, in the course of which God works out the image of His Son in us (2 Corinthians 3:18; Romans 8:29). It does not mean sinlessness, but a basic opposition to sin, which has always effects in Christians' life (John 15:1-10), because God gives power to strive for the holy life (2 Peter 1:3; 1 Corinthians 10:13; Romans 8:2-10; 6:12-14).

See our writing entitled "Who is a Christian?"

If the Church were divided, namely if it consisted of two or more churches and denominations which mutually exclude each other, how could it give witness about the presence of the Spirit who is called Love (2 Timothy 1:7; Romans 5:5; 1 John 4:8.16)?

Has Christ been divided? (1 Corinthians 1:13a)

Every kind of denominational designation opposes God's will who wants only one community. The fact when someone insists on the existence of different churches shows that he or she does not strive for unity, but is the destroyer of God's temple.

If any man destroys the temple of God, God will destroy him... (1 Corinthians 3:17)

The designations like "catholic", "evangelical", "orthodox" are correct if these refer to one church, since there can exist only one catholic (general, universal comprehensive), in accordance with the gospel, true believing community. However, if we use those terms as distinctive designations for different communities, they are no longer proper (a distinguished group is no more universal, evangelical, true believing), they are against the unity, i.e. they rebel against God.

Nowadays, the religious people often speak about how the "unity of Spirit" can be well combined with the different principles of belief. But those words and the like are nonsense in the light of the divine revelation. Christ came to earth to reveal the truth for the people. He founded His Church so that it would represent the truth. If we found any doctrinal difference in His Church, it would be only possible, because the truth he revealed had got lost in the morass of human obstinacy. It would mean that His work failed and His Church would be no longer "the pillar and foundation of the truth". It would contradict to the NT, which clearly speaks about a Church that realised the unity, love, holiness, visibility, apostolity, uniqueness, and universality. The NT gives witness that it existed till its last book was written.

What happened afterwards? Unfortunately, we have only a few extra biblical sources that give insight to that matter. But even the Bible writes that "abandoning the truth" would take place:

Let no one in any way deceive you, for {it will not come} unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God. (...) Then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming; {that is,} the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders, and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved. For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false. (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4.8-11)

The apostasy of the Church is not unknown in the NT, and even the prediction of Thessalonians happened, the Church always has to be the pillar and foundation of the truth.

If the Church exists nowadays somewhere, it has to be ONE, where the notes of
UNITY, HOLINESS, LOVE, VISIBILITY, APOSTOLITY, UNIQUENESS AND UNIVERSALITY
have to be found at once and all together!

We believe and confess that a Church like that exists nowadays too!

CONTINUATION - Disapproval of the idea of "many churches and denominations"