Is Jesus pleased by the existence of so many different denominations? Is it true, as we often hear, that all the denominations are following Jesus, so just "join the church of your choice"?
Denominational Division or Unity in Christ? |
Is Jesus pleased by the existence of so many different denominations? Is it true, as we often hear, that all the denominations are following Jesus, so just "join the church of your choice"?If all the churches are following Jesus, why are they going in different directions? Is Jesus leading them in different directions? And why do denominations so often contradict one another? Is Jesus teaching them contradictory things? What kind of teacher would He be if He did that? If a preacher knowingly teaches contradictory things, we call him a hypocrite! Is Jesus a hypocrite?
In Mark 3:24, Jesus said: "If a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand." And in John 17:21 Jesus prayed for all those who believe in Him to be one. No, don't blame Jesus for the contradictory teachings of men. Jesus knew that division would hinder His work. But if denominational division is contrary to the will of Jesus and did not come from Him, then isn't it obvious where it did come from?
Again, Ephesians 4:3 says we should endeavor "to keep the unity of the Spirit." Then verses 4-6 tell us how to have unity, "There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all..."
Here are seven things of which there is only one each in God's true plan. Can a person please God if he believes there are many different gods and you can take your choice which you want to follow? No, because the passage says there is one God. But the same passage also says there is only one faith, and only one body — and Ephesians 1:22,23 says the body is the church. How then can it be true that there are many different bodies teaching contradictory faiths, yet all are pleasing to God?
(c) Copyright David E. Pratte, 2015; gospelway.com
To study more articles like this (syndicated for reproduction) visit our Bible study topics web site. This article is freely available to be reproduced in print or on a web site under the following conditions: (1) The article must be reproduced verbatim in total without any change in content, (2) the name of the author and web site addresses must be included (as in this trailer), (3) the use must be entirely non-commercial with no fee or financial charge of any kind to the readers. Click here for more information about our copyright guidelines.
View
our menu of brief Bible Study Topics and articles
Please bookmark our site in your favorites.
We welcome links to us from other sites :
gospelway.com
- The Gospel Way: Free Bible Study Materials & Guides
Scripture quotations are generally from the New King James Version (NKJV), copyright 1982, 1988 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. used by permission. All rights reserved.