So, why doesn't Scripture uniquely endorse a specific denomination ?

[vulcanlogician]

"Superstition, like all other instances of hallucination and frenzy, is bound to assume many varied and unstable forms."
                                                                                                                                        --"Baruch Spinoza

[possibletarian]

Scripture was never meant to endorse any particular church.
Aside from the fact i think it's mainly myth haven't the churches styled themselves (however loosely) on scripture, not the other way around.

The question perhaps should be, 'why don't we see a denomination that conforms to what we believe a church should like from scripture'
The problem being that no one it seems has ever been able to present a consistent theme of scripture to follow, that's what doctrine is for to fill the gaps, that's what humans do so well, the problem being is that no matter how much they fill in they proclaim it as scripture.

[Godscreated]

  First let's get this out of the way God never screws up. Second the denominations are man made, mainly through personal interpretation. The only real church is but one, those who believe in Jesus Christ as who He is, we are His bride and He is the groom who has brought us salvation because of who He is. Christianity is simple, God intended it this way for the reason that no one could misunderstand what God's desire for us is. Man want's to complicate things because of their own self righteousness, the original sin.

GC

Although you are talking absolute shit I feel compelled to reply.
Jesus was a second rate preacher, JTB was the man. The booble could have been such a better collection of books if JTB hadn't lost his head.
Jesus just spied his chance and muscled in, the groundwork had been done already.
I can't stand the fact that Jesus gets a special place in history, when he really didn't deserve it.

 I am telling the truth, it's you who haven't a clue and thus determine the truth as something else, did you know the Bible addresses your problem.
 Where did you get your information on John the Baptist, I'm curious, the Bible doesn't reflect your opinion?
 Again where do you get your information, the Bible doesn't reflect your opinion?
 since you have no idea who Jesus is and have never studied to find out your opinion is worthless and means nothing to Christians.

GC

[Drich]

I note Martin Luther was able to cite Scripture copiously to support his contentions the Roman Catholic Church wasn't, as I like saying, "doing it right" and to use those same Scriptures to base his schismatic church upon.

-however-

as the centuries have passed since Luther's time, even his Lutheran Church has seen fit to 'adjust' Luther's take on things, even repudiating some of his contentions (yet while still maintaining the Lutheran trade mark!) and the Lutheran church itself has spawned numerous schisms of its own.

Is the fault with the people trying to implement Lutheranism, or is it something deeper, a fault, pernicious and saturating in Holy Scripture itself ??

A given person examining Luther's 93 thesis and the history of the church, and then studying the Bible would say, "Well, obviously! The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is the One True Faith!"  and yet another person, reviewing all the above information would say, "How about that!, Lutheran Church, Missouri Synod has NAILED IT !!! Praise Jesus!!"

Where does this come from?  Are my 2 hypothetical individuals screwing up?  Or did Luther screw up?


Or is it God ?

It's all really simple. Jesus explains this to us when He said that the whole law, and everything the prophets have to say can be summed up in two greatest commands. upon these two commands the whole of the bible is balanced. The first being Love your lord God with all of your Being, and love your neighbor as yourself.

Now how you might ask does this reconcile a million different denominations?

That can be found in the Love your lord God bit with all of your being IE: Heart, Mind Spirit and strength. Meaning when you worship God you must employ all 4 of these primary attributes into your worship service in accordance to how you've been blessed in these areas.

For example. My worship service may need to be Mind and Spirit heavy as I need to study and commune with God in order to feel as if I have given it my all. but to say someone who is not interested in church history or academics but wants to serve at or in a pantry or maybe another who have been given the ability to write song and sing, to each of us we MUST worship in accordance to the gifts we've been given. we must use what we have in the way of gifts and talents use what we have to our fullest abilities. For the song writer his time and talents are wasted in a faith only worship. to the servant, his church service could amount to nothing because his time is thrown away singing endlessless songs, while the singer could be worshiping God at his fullest.

Paul further's this principle when he speaks of one body where Jesus Christ is the head and each of us represents a different body part. One domination could represent a hand while another an eye. Now just because the hand does not function the same way the eye does not mean the hand ceases to serve the body. In essence we have each bee huned by God to serve a role in the church. Our denomination are designed to allow hands to worship one way, while eyes worship a different way. And so on and so fourth. Each body part has it own way of worshiping and serving God.

In short there is no one right way to worship God as we ALL have it wrong in one degree or another, but the awesome thing is we don't have to be worsiping 'the right way.' as that is not the measure being used to justify our righteousness before God.

We all are under grace. Meaning the same grace/atonement extended to us when we willfully sin is that much more avaible to us when we worship with all of our minds hearts sprit and stength and fail to 'get it right.'

What you people do not understand that the "bar" of God's righteousness is not set in stone. That is why Jesus died so we do not have to meet some arbutary or impossible standard of morality. Jesus died so our best became all that is required.

[Edwardo Piet]

The Bible isn't even written coherently and non-contradictory enough to endorse any specific message, let alone any specific denomination.

[Drich]

The Bible isn't even written coherently and non-contradictory enough to endorse any specific message, let alone any specific denomination.

What a dummy.. why do you speak with condemnation as if you knew as if how the bible was written, yet clearly you have very little understanding.

What if the bible was not ever written to follow a specific denomination? Ever think that maybe by design rather than have everyone (like god did in the OT) follow one set of rule, that he has set up several different churches (like to the church of Rome/Romans, to the church at Corinth, Corinthians, to the church at galicia/Galatians. EACH ONE OF THESE CHURCH IS A DIFFERENT EXPRESSION OF THE CHRISTIAN FAITH) Each one is a Different Denomination! Otherwise Why wouldn't God/Paul simply have written one set of rules and made everyone follow that one set like what happened in the OT???

Rather Paul line by line problem by major problem Paul address the specific problems each church was having rather that again draft a single list of commands that God already knew would never work?!? Why? because again each church was operating on a 'different' rule set dependent on their strength weaknesses and spiritual gifts.

So why wasn't the bible written in such a way as to support one denomination like what happened in the OT? Because the NT was a complete departure to the single (ultimate power given to priests which according to Jesus corrupted them beyond redemption) The NT Church was a different design. After Acts 2:38 the Holy Spirit was poured out on everyone not just the priest and prophets. meaning now everyone had the same access to God that before only the most holy did!

[Catholic_Lady]

Catholics believe Jesus appointed Peter as the first pope when He said "You are Peter, the rock, and upon this rock I will build my church."

Protestantism split from there starting with Luther.

[vorlon13]

. . . Eastern Orthodox ?


Coptics ?

[vulcanlogician]

Catholics believe Jesus appointed Peter as the first pope when He said "You are Peter, the rock, and upon this rock I will build my church."

Protestantism split from there starting with Luther.

Yes, and quite a bit of interpolation had to occur to get from "you are the rock..." to "You will be first in a long line of theocrats who will be elected by a college of bishops and whose word concerning doctrine will be taken as infallible."

[Whateverist]

I note Martin Luther was able to cite Scripture copiously to support his contentions the Roman Catholic Church wasn't, as I like saying, "doing it right" and to use those same Scriptures to base his schismatic church upon.

-however-

as the centuries have passed since Luther's time, even his Lutheran Church has seen fit to 'adjust' Luther's take on things, even repudiating some of his contentions (yet while still maintaining the Lutheran trade mark!) and the Lutheran church itself has spawned numerous schisms of its own.

Is the fault with the people trying to implement Lutheranism, or is it something deeper, a fault, pernicious and saturating in Holy Scripture itself ??

A given person examining Luther's 93 thesis and the history of the church, and then studying the Bible would say, "Well, obviously! The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is the One True Faith!"  and yet another person, reviewing all the above information would say, "How about that!, Lutheran Church, Missouri Synod has NAILED IT !!! Praise Jesus!!"

Where does this come from?  Are my 2 hypothetical individuals screwing up?  Or did Luther screw up?


Or is it God ?

Luther admitted to manipulating Scripture to teach his theology. He was also very anti-Semitic and his rhetoric of "burn the synagogues" and "kick the Jews out of Germany" was borrowed by the Nazis.

The entire church manipulates Scripture to support their theologic nonsense. The only ones who have it right are the authors of Scripture.

Having read the NT in it's original autographed language I see the unity of one body. However, the clergy divides us infinitely with their theology. Theology, which should be the science of God, has become the showcase of mans goofy ideas! As my brother said:

"Soon after the end of the first-century, so-called theologians of every stripe went to work busily adding their own little twists and spins to the Word of God. In time, these little nuances became unquestionable dogma backed up by absolute power. Many have paid the ultimate price for not following the religious line of the day in lockstep conformity."

To be fair, even if theologians had chosen perfect translations of what the original authors of the bible had written, we might still have those men's goofy ideas.