Sung Park Father to 4 Boys & "Assiduous Contemplater" of the Word

Hi Tito. That's a question I used to ask for a long time. I'm guessing that you lament the fact that if there is only one God, one Christ, one Holy Spirit, then why are there so many denominations? 

You notice that these denominations exist only in the protestant churches? It's probably due to the precedent set by Reformation in breaking from the Catholic Church over doctrinal differences. While I can't imagine that God is pleased with all the divisions that occurred throughout the church history, I also think that it is God's way of multiplying the means of grace in bringing many yet different souls to Christ. Each denomination has its own doctrinal convictions and its style and culture that draw people with similar disposition. I learned my doctrines through the Presbyterians, passion for worship, prayer and missions through the Pentacostals, Bible study from the Baptists, etc. 

While men can divide churches and create denominations but Christ's Church is not divided as long as these denominations hold onto the pillars of faith: inerrancy of the Bible, the trinity, the Gospel of Christ, etc.

So hopefully, you will see that God is using these denominations as a wider net to bring in lost souls and their journey will lead them to a greater love and likeness of Christ. Blessings!

February 23 2014 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Jeremiah Kaaya Pastor at Springs of Power Church, Teacher by professional

It is not possible that at one time all Christian denominations will come together, not even for a micro second. This is because the emergence of these denominations is not as a result of personal wishes and beliefs; it is as a result of difference in doctrine and principle. 

A case in view of this is the fact that each of these denominations have a certain way they have come to believe and interpret the content of the Bible. Based on this, I believe it would be prudent to identify those doctrinal areas where there is controversy and which have led to the emergence of all these denominations.

Prayer
Baptism
How to be saved and when does one get saved?
Denominational heads

Prayer
On this one, the Catholics practice two major things; prayer through intermediaries such as; Mary and other “Saints” like Peter, Kizito (in Uganda) and many others. They also pray using written scripts. The way it is done seems also more ritualistic and at a particular time compared to how the Pentecostals do it. The Pentecostals on the other hand do not pray through intermediaries, they only pray through the name of Jesus and as led by the Holy Spirit. Jesus instructed us to pray in no other name than Himself. Pentecostals only pray as and when they are led to do so. And it is out of building a stronger relationship with God other than as a ritual, there are no written scripts. The Protestants have written scripts of prayers also, though they don’t pray through intermediaries.

Baptism
Catholics, Protestants, and Orthodox believe that babies can equally be baptized and they go on to do just that. On the other hand though, Pentecostals and Seventh days do not believe in baptism of babies, they only follow the Bible trend; Jesus was baptized when He was an adult. There is no scripture to back up baptism of babies. The second controversy here is; whether baptism is immersion or sprinkling. The Catholics, Protestants, and the Orthodox sprinkle, on the other hand though, the Pentecostals and the Seventh days believe baptism is only by immersion, and this is the one supported by scripture.

How to be saved and when does one get saved?
Catholics and Protestants do believe that one is Born Again when they are sprinkled with water while they are babies. Then when they have grown up, they are led into confirmation, but this is not backed up anywhere in scripture. On the other hand though, the Pentecostals and the Seventh days do believe that a baby can’t confess to be saved. Babies do not understand anything and can’t decide anything for themselves. For that reason, the Pentecostals and the Seventh days do believe that only when someone does understand what they are doing, so can they confess and thereby baptized. Many children of Pentecostals aren’t Born Again. To Pentecostals, you can only lead someone somewhere; you can’t make final decisions for them. God is a personal experience and God deals with us personally, not as our denominations.

Denominational heads
Catholics have a denominational head in the Pope. The Protestants have a head in the Queen. The Pentecostals on the other hand do not believe in an earthly denominational head. They do believe that the headquarters of the Church is in Heaven and that the head of the Church is Jesus the CHRIST Himself. As that, we aren’t answerable to anybody other than God Himself with the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Jesus guides the Church Himself by the Holy Spirit who directly guides the Church by the testimony of Jesus the CHRIST.

On that note therefore, there is no time when all the Christian denominations will come together as one. This is because the differences are doctrinal which touch critical areas rather than simple personal beliefs and wishes. That is; it is all about what the word of God says or what God has instructed us to do rather than what we choose to believe and wish to do. However above all, the true word of God will always eventually emerge just as it has always done.

April 14 2014 • 17 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Lalia Morro Follower of Jesus Christ

I believe that all Christian denominations, as well as most other faiths, will come together as the one world religion during the 70th week.
Ecumenism, for me, is the method being used now to eventually accomplish this.

February 24 2014 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Vincent Mercado Supporter Skeptic turned believer, Catholic, father of 3

It is possible and I hope it will happen in my lifetime. The Catholic Church has been promoting interfaith dialogues with Christian denominations since 1965. 

One significant milestone is the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification, a document created and agreed to by Catholics and Lutherans in 1999. It states that the churches now share "a common understanding of our justification by God's grace through faith in Christ." To the parties involved, this essentially resolves the conflict over the nature of justification which was at the root of the Protestant Reformation. 

Methodists agreed to the same document in 2006.

February 25 2014 • 7 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report