Why Are There So Many Different Denominations?
How come there are so many different denominations?
“Most people stumble over truth at least once in their life but then they pick themselves up and dust themselves off and go on as if nothing had happened.”
(Winston Churchill)
You say you have the truth, and that Jesus is the only way. Well, if you are so sure, then tell me which denomination to join. If this truth was so easy to get, tell me why there are so many in the Christian faith who disagree about just exactly what this truth is?
Let’s look at how the Scriptures give us instruction in this matter. In John 8:31-32, Jesus tells us that if we continue in His word then we will be his disciples, and that we will know the truth and the truth will set us free. So there is an indication here that we need to remember that we will never fully understand the truth. Why is that? Jesus, as truth, is infinite. We will never reach the end of our study and pursuit of Him. Since this is true, then we must say at the outset how important it is to remain open to being corrected by the Scriptures. What we know of God now will change as we grow in our understanding.
The Scriptures command us to believe in order to understand. The Bible assumes the existence of God without giving any explanation. It also says, “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. 2 This is what the ancients were commended for. 3 By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible. Heb 11:1-3 (NIV) So it is absolutely important that we begin from the foundation of faith in the God of the Bible. To start at any other point will never reach the right conclusion. “The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.”1 Cor. 2:14 (NIV)
Paul seems to indicate that there would be differences of opinion concerning what I like to call disputable matters. In Romans 14 Paul mentions some of these. “One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 He who regards one day as special, does so to the Lord. He who eats meat, eats to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; an d he who abstains, does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God.” Romans 14:5-6 (NIV) Paul responds to this challenge by saying let each of you be convinced in his own mind. This is a personal matter of faith.
As a result, there is room for different applications of Scripture. All of us approach the Bible with our own cultural backgrounds and as a result we will see things differently when we read the same passages. Because there are different matters of taste there will be different ways of worshipping the same God. Some will like loud music, others will like quiet, meditative music. Some want more traditional and ritual expressions, others could not worship in that way.
It is also noteworthy to see that our cultural differences will not disappear in heaven. John writes in Revelation 7:9, “after this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands.” We will not all look alike or worship alike and as a result there will be differences of worship expressed in different denominations.
The essence of what makes us Christian is that among the Christian denominations we all believe that Jesus is the only way to God, that the Scriptures are the Word of God without error, and that there is nothing we can do to be made right with God except to trust in His Only Son, Jesus Christ, so that our sins will be forgiven and we may receive the gift of eternal life. Each of us is responsible before God to share the truth as God has revealed it to us. When we stand before God on judgment day, we will be held accountable for how we have lived according to the truth we have received.
One of the great things about being part of the Christian church is that when you travel around the world you find a great variety of ways in which God’s people worship. When you look at other religions you will not find that. In Islam they all worship by facing the holy city of Islam, they all wear the same kind of clothes, they all read out of the same language. In the Buddhist faith you will find much the same thing, and in the Mormon faith also. You will not find uniformity in the Christian faith because God is a God of variety.
Now as to why there are differences in denominations, God has made us all unique. This means we will have different preferences for worship styles and rituals. We are also fallen and still in our sinful state, so we will not be able to see everything perfectly clear yet. While there is one interpretation of Scripture, there are many applications of Scripture according to different cultural contexts. As we embrace our differences and pray for continued understanding, with the Bible as our authority, we pursue the knowledge of God and seek to obey Him as He directs us from the Scriptures. The best definition I have discovered for a Church is “A body of baptized believers who have covenanted together to carry the message of Christ to every tribe, language nation and people. How does your church measure up to this definition?
Small Group Discussion Questions:
1. How did you select the church you attend during college?
2. Do you know what your church believes about the Bible, Jesus, and salvation?
3. What do you believe about the Bible, Jesus death, burial and resurrection, eternal judgment, forgiveness for sins?
4. Are you part of a church that believes as you do? If not, why not?
5. What other questions do you have concerning the church or denominations?