CHURCHES, DOCTRINES & DOMINATIONS - IITB 07.21

 

Chapter 7. 21

Churches, Doctrines

& Dominations

Where did the Church come from? 

Why do we have doctrines that divide us?

Where did the denominations come from?

 

               

Where did the Church come from? 

     In the beginning, the Kingdom of God was; God, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.[1]  “Three”.  God sent His Son who taught the Government of God and the Gospel to the twelve Disciples.[2]  Then God sent out seventy evangelist,[3] then started the first church in A.D. 31 with about one hundred and twenty believers.[4]  Shortly after that, there were about three thousand believers,[5] now there are millions.

     Jesus was the first “Son of God” and now, we that believe are also “sons of God” and are part of the Family of God, the Church of God, and the kingdom of God.[6]

Matthew 28:19-20 – It was Jesus that commissioned the church

19 therefore GO AND MAKE DISCIPLES OF ALL NATIONS, baptizing them in the name of the

FATHER AND OF THE SON

AND OF THE HOLY SPIRIT,

20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.

NIV

Colossians 1:18 – “God the Son” is Head of the Church

18 and (Jesus) HE IS THE HEAD OF THE BODY, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.

NIV

Matthew 11:1 – Jesus teaches the first church pastors

1 after Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and preach in the towns of galilee. 

NIV

John 16:29-30 – Jesus makes His plan clear

29 then Jesus’ disciples said,

"Now you are speaking clearly and without figures of speech.

30 now we can see that you know all things and that you do not even need to have anyone ask you questions… you came from God." NIV

Denominations

     QUESTION: Why are there so many denominations?  God’s Church in the scriptures seems pretty straight forward, why aren’t we all just called GOD’S CHURCH?

     Divisions started immediately in the church based on their interpretation of doctrine and the MIXING of doctrine with tradition like circumcision, & ceremonial washing. (Read that twice)  Gradually the early church became layered with extra hierarchy of church officials.

     The Catholic Church evolved with the Pope at the top then cardinals, archbishops, bishops and finally priests and is laden with false doctrine mixed with tradition.  They produced their own modified version of the Bible.

     At some point the Government got involved and began to control the church.  Then a breaking away or rebellion started with leaders such as Martin Luther, John Wesley, and John Calvin concerning doctrine; let’s take a look at a few of the differences in dominations.

     Assembly of God:  Belief that the Gifts of the Holy Spirit are still active.  The Pentecostal distinction is of the baptism in the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues.  If you are saved, you should speak in tongues.

     Baptist were known as Anabaptist (re-baptizers) because of their rejection of Infant Salvation baptism.  They follow John’s the Baptist’s method of baptism (Full Emersion) and salvation through faith alone. 

     Christian Science was founded by Mary Baker Eddy; they embrace seven synonyms, life, truth, love, spirit, soul principal & mind, claiming man & the universe are spiritual & not physical and practice the belief in the “awaking of moral thought” for healing; there are no appeals to a personal god.

     Church of God in Christ was founded by a few Baptist and was heavily influenced by William J. Seymour’s, Azusa Street Revival in Los Angeles with speaking in tongues and the Pentecostal movement.   There are many variations of the name and practice of the “Church of God”.

     Congregational Church: Government by the local congregation, their government fulfills what the early church did without the layers of administration as in the Catholic Church.

     Jehovah Witness Church point to the panel of men of the “Watchtower Society” that, re-write their changing doctrine as “new light” is made available to them; they have their own NWT bible.

     Lutheran Church founded by Martin Luther who led the break away from the Catholic Church over church doctrine.  He nailed his Ninety-Five Theses on the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences to the door of the Castle Church, in Wittenberg.

     Methodist Church founded by John Wesley; promoted the “method” of orderly life and Holy Living and the Reformed doctrine of “Justification by Faith.”

     Mormon Church founded by their prophet Joseph Smith and his book of Mormon that “corrects” the errors in the Bible.  Practice baptism for the dead; Salvation is achieved by obedience to the Mormon laws and ordinances through works; they will become gods.

     Presbyterian Church follow John Calvin and the doctrine of predestination and the absolute sovereignty of God in salvation of the human soul from death and eternal damnation.  They are governed by the presbytery of ministers in control.  They get their name from Acts 14:23; “Presbyteros” which means “Elder”.  Elders take part in pastoral care and decision making at all levels; Deacons care for the members and community.  The church has split up over doctrine interpretation; there are two major dominations, PCA (Conservative) and PCUSA (Liberal)

     Seventh Day Adventist founded by their prophet Ellen G. White, her writings are considered “a continuing and authoritative source of truth”.  Distinguished by their strict observance of the Saturday Sabbath.  Belief that they are the end time remnant as announced by “the three angels” of Revelation 14:6-12.

     Unification Church founded by their prophet the Rev. Sun Myung Moon in 1954 in Korea - Claims he is the savior of the world and embodies the second coming of Christ.  They believe in a “Universal God” with a literal kingdom on earth and embrace a holistic concern for the person, society and nature. A belief system with no boundaries or limits.

Doctrines that drive you crazy

     Study this Book of Instruction continually so that you can rightly divide the word of Truth.  Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it, then you will prosper and succeed in all you do.[7]   It’s in the Book.

     Do you really want to get closer to God?  Would you really like to know Jesus better?  Are you willing to TITHE SOME TIME to study the deep mysteries of the Bible for yourself?  If so, you will suddenly see the self-inflicted fog lift that you have been walking around in without even realizing it.   

     There was a group of OPEN MINDED Berean Jews that were commended for checking the scriptures to see if what they believed was really in the Book.

 

Acts 17:11 – Those with open minds searched the scriptures
¹¹ And the people of Berea were more OPEN-MINDED than those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul’s message. They SEARCHED THE SCRIPTURES DAY AFTER DAY to see if Paul and Silas were TEACHING THE TRUTH.

(NLT)

 

     There are many just like you that have a passion for the Word and have read controversial and sometimes conflicting commentaries on the internet.   Everyone has BS, a Belief System, and when you study, sometimes your BS gets a course correction.  

     Pick just one of the following CONTROVERSIAL TOPICS, study it and discuss it with a friend; the book say Iron sharpens Iron.[8]  Once you do this, you will get hooked on the controversial and as the fog lifts, you will study another and another.  I did this and have now posted over 400 on the internet; what I write is not infallible, but it’s a good start for your own personal Word studies.  Let the controversial be FUN, don’t let is become DIVISIVE and grieve the Holy Spirit.  We only know in part now, but when Christ returns we will see clearly.

 

Advent of Christ – The second coming; once, twice or not at all; Spiritual or just Symbolic?

Angels – Are Angels involved in our everyday life today; do we become Angels when we die?

Anti-Christ & False Prophet – Real or symbolic; are they already here or come and gone?

Baptism for infants – Can you baptize babies into salvation?

Baptism for the dead – Can you obtain salvation after death for the lost?

Battle of Armageddon – Real, Spiritual or symbolic or may have already happened?

Bible inerrancy – Does the Bible contain errors; if so what are they?

Chanting, Speaking in tongues, breath prayers – Is this Biblical?

Christ Killers – Who killed Christ?

Christmas and Easter – Do these observances actually have their roots deep in pagan rituals?

Communication with the dead – Can we communicate with dead relatives?

Communion – Does Communion wine actually become blood and the bread the body of Christ?

Conditional election – Has God set conditions for election to salvation?

Confessions – Can confessing sin to another man or Priest get “forgiveness” of sin?

Covenant – Are we under the old covenant, the new covenant or both?

Crowns – How many crowns are to be given to the saints; how can you wear more than one?

Demons - Are Demons relevant today; are they just symbolic or Mythology?

Diversity in Religion – Is cross pollination, homogenization of ways to worship God a good thing?

Divine election - Did God create some men to go to hell and others to go to heaven?

Forgiveness of sin - Can someone other than Christ forgive sin?

Free Will – Does man actually have free will to accept or reject Christ?

Healing – Can we receive supernatural healing today?

Hell, Hades, Purgatory, Sheol, Gehenna; is the Abyss, Paradise, Abraham’s Bosom real ?

Images of Saints – Are Prayers to images of the saints for intercession in one’s life Biblical?

Intercession – Do you need a priest or Mary the mother of Jesus, to intercede for you?

Irresistible grace – Is salvation in God’s timing; can man resist the call of the Holy Spirit?

Israel – What is the Christians responsibility toward the Jews and Israel?

Judgment – Is there more than one Judgment?

Kingdom of God – Is the Kingdom of God here now on earth or in the future sometime?

Limited Atonement – Were the sins of the “Elect” the only sins atoned for on the cross?

Man can be God – Was God a man before He achieved the God head?

Masonic Order – Can a man be a Mason and a Christian too?

Millennium Reign – Does Christ come back before or after “the thousand years” of peace?

Nirvana – Is “endless rest” taught or implied in the scriptures?

Once saved, always saved – You cannot lose your salvation; or can you?

One world religion – Is this a thing of the Past or is it Future or only symbolic?

Operation of the Gifts of the Spirit today – Did the gifts cease with the Apostles?

Paying penances – Can you pay for prayer to get someone out of purgatory?

Payments or promises to tithe – Can you pay for a pardon to receive salvation?

Perseverance of the Saints – Will those “called” continue communion with Christ till the end?

Predestination – Are some, from eternity, called or rejected by God and it can’t be changed?

Prophets – Can we have modern day prophets?

Punishment – Are there degrees of punishment for the lost?

Purgatory – Is the doctrine of an existence of “purgatory” in the Bible?

Rapture of the saints – Is the term Rapture in the Bible?  Is it actual or the imagination of man?

Reincarnation – Is reincarnation Biblical, of having many lives on many levels till you get life right?

Replacement Theology – Has the Gentiles replaced the Jews as the Chosen People?

Resistances to Sin – Does man have the ability to overcome sin in his life?

Resurrection – How many are there?

Rewards – Are there levels of position and rewards for the believers at the resurrection?

Sabbath Day – Is it Saturday or Sunday or just pick one day a week or is it no longer required?

Salvation – Is it by letters of pardon, by penance of money, by Works or only by God’s grace?

Satan – Is Satan real or just symbolic of evil?

Ten Commandments – Do we now operate only under New Testament commandments?

The Holy Spirit – Is He a real person or just spiritual?

Tithe – Is the tithe a New Testament doctrine? Is it Gross or net?  Is it Time, money or both?

Total Atonement – Did Christ die on the cross for everyone in the world, or just some?

Total depravity – Is man unable morally to choose to follow God because of his own sin?

Tribulation for 7 years – Is the tribulation period primarily for the Jews?

Trinity – Are there three different Gods?  Where is the word Trinity in the Bible?

Unconditional election – Did God by His grace chooses who He will draw to Himself?

Unpardonable sin – Is there really a sin which cannot be forgiven?

Virgin Mary’s Mother – Was Mary’s Mother a virgin also?

Will of God – Can we know the “will” of God on certain issues?

144,000 witnesses – Who are they; are they all just Jews?

200 million man army – Who are they’ real or just symbolic?

AND MORE AND MORE.

Pick just one topic

Study some commentaries

Write it down, Share it and Lift the fog.

Which is the True Church?

     Question:  Which Church is the right Church? 

     Answer: The Church that governs and leads the congregation according to Bible scripture, verse upon verse, precept upon precept.  What that means is that you have to study for yourself to find out what the Bible says. 

     Problem: Most Christians can’t tell you anything about their domination’s doctrines and furthermore don’t care one way or the other. Most folks do not want to study for themselves but want you to just tell them what the true doctrines are.   I dare say they will finally wind up as a member of a church where they find themselves comfortable and embracing doctrines that are not taught in the Word and rejecting others that are.

     Sad Note; without realizing it, man is willingly ignorant of God and will just join the church that is closest or the one their friends go to.  Once I was excitingly sharing with a friend about a new church that all our friends were going to.  He said, “Paul, It only matters to me where I go to church”, I have never forgotten it.

     Rarely do folk select a Church for spiritual reasons, they usually go where their children go or where their parents went or where some people have extended themselves to them and have make them feel included.  Just for fun, think about it, what doctrine caused you to join a church?  What doctrine caused you to leave a church?  Probably never crossed your mind.

 

Bible Versions

     Question:  Which version of the Bible is best? 

     Answer; the one you will read. 

     In my youth, the King James Bible was difficult for me to follow and I struggled to keep my mind from wandering off, but it surely brought me to salivation; I must note that there are PURIST out there who are KJV BIBLE ONLY advocates.  When you hear the words; the Bible is without Error, they are referring to the original manuscripts, not the cornucopia of translations.    

     It should be noted that as new manuscripts are found, new enlighten comes to the top of what the people were thinking when the writings occurred.  In an effort to bring these findings forward, it requires a complete new version of the Bible, but the new version must have significant changes to be accepted and accredited.  Sadly this is accomplished by leaving some verses completely out or writing a verse in the negative instead of the positive and many other methods just to meet the “significant change” criteria.

     Forty years ago I traded in my KJV Bible for a version called the Living Bible; although paraphrased it was so easy to read in today’s modern English, that it radically changed my Christian walk.  Since then I have read numerous other versions, cover to cover, some paraphrased and some actual translations.  

     In 2015 I found the New Living Translation, which is an update to the Living Bible and is an actual translation of the Bible, not just paraphrased.  It added even more growth to my Christian walk; however, I must confess that I do miss the flavor that the KJV Bible presented, but I will trade that any day for gaining new understanding, knowledge and wisdom.   

     Don’t be confused with the New World Translation Bible which was first published in 1961 by the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society; the NWT is chloroform in print.

 

 

If you don’t have a Bible yet, I encourage you to start with the NLT.

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the multitude of counselors,

there is wisdom.

Proverbs 11:14

 

 

I am grateful to those that went before me providing concepts, ideas, historical

information, and scripture verses.  Because of them I can stand on their shoulders

                                     and see further that I otherwise ever could have.                       

                                                                                                                                                           

 

*Christianity and Islam – Bill Maher

*Christianity and Islam – TheReligionofPeace.com

*Islam – Barron’s

*Islam and the Bible - David Goldmann

*Islam to Christianity - Dr. Nabeel Qureshi

*Jesus or Muhammad - David Wood

*Muslim’s Paradise - Spiritofislam.com

*Qur’an - Mario Joseph

*Quran Verses - Answeringmuslims.com                                                    

100 Bible topics – Marvin Hunt

101 Q&A on Demon Powers – Dr. Lester Sumrall

90 Minutes in Heaven – Don Piper

A Commentary, Critical, Experimental and Practical – Erdman’s

A Grief Observed – C.S. Lewis

A Planned Deception; Staging of a New Age Messiah – Constance Cumbey

A Survey of Israel’s History - Wood

All the Miracles of the Bible – Herbert Lockyer

All the Women of the Bible – Edith Deen

An expository Dictionary of Biblical Words – W. E. Vine

Angels A-Z – Lewis Oliver

Angels: Gods Secret Agents – Billy Graham

Antiquity of the Jews – Flavius Josephus Matthias

Apocrypha – Goodspeed

Arithmetic of God; The – Don Iistler

Armageddon-Appointment with Destiny – Grant R. Jeffrey

Baptism Commentary – John Harvey

Behind the Lost Symbol – Tim Collins

Bible almanac, The – Packer-Tenny-White

Bible Code, the – Michael Drosnin

Bible on the life Hereafter, The – William Hendriksen

Bible Study Tools – Crosswalk

Book of Bible List – Meredith’s

Can America Survive? – John Hagee

Christian Apologetics & Research Ministry – CARM - www.carm.org

Commentary on Matthew - David Gorman

Commentary on Matthew – John Harvey

Commentary on Matthew – Michael Gorman

Complete Book of Bible Knowledge; The – Mark D. Taylor

Countdown to Armageddon, the 1980’s – Hal Lyndsay

Customs and Folkways of Jewish Life – Theodor H. Gaster

Dead Sea Scrolls Translated; The – Florentino Garcia Martinez

Doctrine of Last Things – Dr. John Harvey

Encounters with Angels – L. W. Northrup

Escape from Armageddon – Thomas Reed

Exposition of Genesis – H.C. Leupold

Exposition of the Parables – Benjamin Kench

Expositor’s Bible Commentary; The – Frank E. Gaebelein

Fascinating Bible Facts – Howard & Burger
Girls of the Bible – Harvey Albert Snyder

Final Dawn over Jerusalem – John Hagee

Five Points of Calvinism; The – WJ Seaton

Forgotten Books of Eden, the - World

From Daniel to Doomsday – John Hagee

Gambling and the Lottery – Tony Evans

Gospel in the Stars; The – Joseph A. Seiss

Great Doctrines of the Bible – Soteriology – W.A. Criswell

Great Pyramid Decoded; The – Peter Lemesurier

Great Pyramid Prophecy in Stone; The – N. W. Hutchings

Great Pyramid, Proof of God – George R. Riffert

Guide to Survival – Salem Kirban

Haven’t you Heard? There’s A War going on! – Eldred Echols

Hidden Dangers of the Rainbow; The – Constance Cumbey

Hiram Key, The (Masonic) – Christopher Knight/Robert Lomas

Illustrated Bible Dictionary – Nelson’s

Illustrated Bible Dictionary; The - Tyndale

Illustrated Encyclopedia of Bible Facts – Packer-Tenney-White Illustrated Manners and Customs of the Bible – Packer-Tenney

In the beginning was the End – Wim Malgo

International Dictionary of the Bible; The New – Douglas-Tenney

Invisible War; The – Donald Grey Barnhouse

Jerusalem Countdown – John Hagee

Josephus – Jewish Historian

King James Version Bible - KJV

Koinonia House – Chuck Missler

Last Days collection, The – Pretty Good Publishing

Late Great Planet Earth, The – Hal Lindsey

Lost Books of the Bible, The – World

Lost Books of the Bible; The – Bell

Matthew Henry’s Commentary - Zondervan

Message Bible; The – MES

Missing Books of the Bible; The – Halo Press

Mormon Mirage; The – Latayne Colvett Scott

Mysteries of the Bible – Readers Digest

Mystery Mark of the New Age – Texe Mars

Nag Hammadi Library; The – James M. Robinson

New International Version Bible – NIV

New King James Bible – NKJV

New Millennium; The – Pat Robertson

NIV Harmony of the Gospels; The – Thomas; Gundry

Nostradamvs & the Millennivm – John Hogue

One Minute after you Die – Erwin W. Lutzer

Parables of Jesus; The – J. Dwight Pentecost

Parables of the Kingdom; The – John MacArthur

Paradise Commentary – Dr. Karl McCallister

Person and work of the Holy Spirit; The – R.A. Torrey

Real meaning of the Zodiac; The – D. James Kennedy

Revelation of Jesus Christ, The – Walvoord

Revelation Seminar; The – 1975 - Hilton Sutton

Revelation Study; The - 1973 – Dr. Warren Wiersbe

Revelation, verse by verse; The – Oliver B. Green

Satan’s Underground – Lauren Stratford

Satanism – Ted Schwarz & Duane Empey

Secret Kingdom; The – Pat Robertson

Secrets of the Dead Sea Scrolls – Hugh J. Schonfield

Systematic Theology – Stanley M. Horton

Temple Institute; The

Theomatics – Jerry Lucas-Del Washburn

There’s a war going on – Eldred Echols

Thru the Bible commentary – J. Vernon McGee

Today’s Dictionary of the Bible – Guideposts

Today’s Dictionary of the Bible – T. A. Gryant

Victor Journey through the Bible; The - Beers

Vincent’s Word Studies of the New Testament - MacDonald

What is Reformed Theology? – RC Sproul

Where To Find It In The Bible – Ken Anderson

Who’s Who and Where’s Where – Stephen M. Miller

Who’s Who in the Bible – Paul D. Gardner

Whose Bible is it? – Jaroslav Pelikan

Why do Catholics do that? – Kevin Orlin Johnson

Wikipedia Encyclopedia

Witchcraft, puppets and Voodoo – Irene A. Park

Within Heaven’s Gates – Rebecca Springer

---

[1] John 1:1 – Beginning – The kingdom was God and Jesus  -- Genesis 1:2 – Plus the Holy Spirit; the Kingdom of God

[2] Luke 6:13 – God chose the first pastors -- Matthew 10:1 – He gives authority to the twelve -- Mark 16:20 – Sends out the TWELVE

[3] Luke 10:1 – Jesus sends out SEVENTY evangelist

[4] Acts 1:15 – He starts a church with ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY people

[5] Acts 6:7 – The Word of God spreads rapidly  -- Acts 2:41 – THREE THOUSAND accept Christ  -- Acts 2:46-47 – God adds to their number daily -- Romans 8:14-16 – Believers become part of the Kingdom of God

[6] Acts 2:42-45 – Believers devote themselves to God and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

[7] 2 Timothy 2:15 – STUDY to show yourself approved unto God, a workman that is not ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth --

Joshua 1:8 - STUDY this Book of Instruction continually. MEDITATE on it day and night so you will be sure to OBEY everything written in it, then you will prosper and succeed in all you do.

[8] Proverbs 27:17 - As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend.