34,000 differing denominations or Unity Within Diversity UNITY IN ESSENTIALS by

Damon Whitsell

This question was asked of me,,,,,, “there are 34,000+ different Christian
denominations today. Who is to say which churches constitute the congregations of
'true Christians'?” What follows is my response
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I seen someone else make a similar statement about two weeks ago and have not had
time to comment but would like to do so. The post I am commenting on used 19,000+
as the number of Christian denoms.

I would like to postulate a question that I believe statements like this beg to
ask! I believe this is what people mean when they make such comments,,,

"With between 19 and 34 thousand different Christian denominations,,,is it not

ludicrous to think there is anything but confusion among christians as to what
christianity is? Why should I consider joining such a confused bunch? Is there
really any logical reason to consider Jesus Christ?"

It is my belief that people who make such claims, as there being 19 - 34 thousand
denominations of Christianity, in a sense that there are that many different
versions are really saying "you guys are fools and can't even figure out ya'lls
own religion". Some may actually believe that there are many different versions of
Christianity but I believe that most prop up such bogus ideas in there head to
justify their denial of Jesus Christ.

FALSE TEACHERS, PROPHETS, GOSPELS AND A DIFFERENT JESUS

Every New Testament book except Philemon contains warnings against false
teachings, false prophets and false gospels that teach a different Jesus and
Spirit. Paul said there where false teachers among the Corinthians and Jesus said
beware for many come false teachers have come to lead you astray. We are told that
there are men who secretly introduce destructive heresies and that Satan and his
ministers masquerade as servants of righteousness. We are even told that there are
doctrines of demons.

To the church at Galatia Paul said "you are being thrown into confusion by people
trying to pervert the gospel of Jesus Christ, I am astonished that you so quickly
turn from the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a
different gospel". We are told to not accept any other gospels than the one
preached by the apostles, even if they come from angels or the apostles
themselves.
Satan is rightfully decrypted as adversary. Christianity is not dualistic ( there
is not a bad god and a good god battling it out) and because God is sovereign
,Satan cannot be rightfully viewed as an adversary to God. He is just a created
fallen angel. Satan opposes Gods plan of redemption. He does this by perverting
the simple gospel of Grace and certain truths about the nature of God, Man, Angels
and salvation.

ORTHODOXY VERSES HETERODOXY

The new testament and church history shows that Christianity has always made a
valiant effort to keep the gospel from being perverted in the midst of constant
attempts to redefine the essence of Christianity from both terrestrial and
celestial sources. The book of Galatians notes that some where trying to lure the
Christians in Galatia back into the legalistic systems of Judaism and the epistles
of john tell us that Gnostic teachings where already on the rise.
Detractors always like to claim that Christianity was not a codified belief system
until the creed producing church councils,, which they wrongfully say was the
beginning of what we call the Church. Dan Brown claims that it was at these
councils that Christianity was invented. But anyone who knows church history will
tell you that these councils where required because false teachings came to
attention and had to be dealt with. The church councils where not held to
establish real or essential Christian doctrine but to refute false heretical
teachings that had risen up in the church. Establishing essential doctrine was a
by product of some of these councils and as Gnostic writings continued to appear
on the scene these councils also established what is the (cannon) measure of or
for inspired scripture. Christians have always struggled to keep out the heterodox
beliefs and to the keeping in of the orthodox.

SOLA SCRIPTURA

History shows that Christianity was institutionalized as the state religion of the
roman empire by Constantine. The Christians had been persecuted, even to death,
for their beliefs about Jesus for many years and the reprieve was welcomed but
wrought it's own problems. The major problem was that religious belief cannot be
mandated by a state since religious belief is soulish in nature and law cannot
dictate personal belief. You can make a pagan say he believes in Jesus but you
can't make him actually believe in Jesus through force. In the generations after
Constantine people where said to be Christian by virtue of the place of their
birth (i.e. in Rome) not by virtue of their beliefs. All roman citizens where
decreed to be Christians because of their birthplace but that did not make all
Romans non pagans or actual Christians. Christianity was temporarily redefined by
some.

I am not at home so I don't have the specifics handy, but at one point a Pope made
a decree that church tradition would be given as much emphasis as scripture
regarding Christian beliefs. By elevating church tradition to the level of
scripture as the authority for defining and living the Christian faith, the
catholic church perverted the gospel as it had never been perverted before. The
deification and worship of Mary, salvation by penance and works and many other
heretical beliefs arose which required the protesting of the protestant movement.
Once perverted the catholic church remained apostate and Christians required a
separation and reformation. It was a return to the essential doctrines of Jesus
and the apostles themselves.

UNITY WITHIN DIVERSITY

A few months ago I was engaged in debates at factnet ( a cult watch ministry )
with followers of Arnold Murray and the Shepard’s Chapel. They can be called a
Christian cult because they do not hold to essential doctrine. They cannot be
called a denomination or a true church. They have nothing in common with others
that call themselves Christian except for the name Christian. They hold an
unorthodox view concerning the nature of God, man, sin and salvation. From non
essentials such as the heresy of pre-existence to the heresy of anglo-isrealism,
to the essentials of God, man and salvation by grace not works or genetics, they
are unorthodox to the core. They are not unified within diversity as real
Christians are. They are isolated and don't have unity with those who hold to
essential doctrines. Let me explain what I mean by unity with in diversity.

My phone book list about 20 different local Christian churches. Among them are
denominations and non denoms and Christian cults. I can go to most of those
churches and have much unity in beliefs with them, especially concerning Jesus. In
essentials unity, in non essentials liberty and in all things love. Some I could
not attend at all because they are diametrically opposed to essential orthodox
Christian beliefs, but we must remember that they are cults by virtue of their
unorthodox teachings.

Christians churches and denominations enjoy a shared unity within diversity about
beliefs concerning God, man, sin and salvation amongst all non cult denominations
and non denominational churches. But a follower of Arnold Murray and the Shepard’s
chapel cannot enjoy that same unity with other local churches. To fellowship they
have to travel to Arkansas or do their fellowshipping online with other Shepard
chapelers. They are isolated, exclusive and authoritarianistic because of their
beliefs.

There are beliefs that are essential to orthodox Christianity. There are beliefs
that are important but not essential. And there are beliefs that have no relevance
at all concerning orthodoxy such as eschatology. Because most of these churches
hold to essential doctrines they could be called essentially Christian but some
would have to be called Christian cults because they are not Christian by virtue
of the essence of their beliefs about Jesus Christ yet still apply the term
Christian to themselves.

THE VISABLE AND INVISABLE CHURCH

Who is to say which churches constitute the congregations of 'true Christians'?

I think it is fair and right to say that there are two real churches of Jesus
Christ. The visible and the invisible. The cooperate and the spiritual. We must
realize that the church is personal and spiritual and it is not an institution.
There is not one denomination that is totally doctrinally correct. Denominations
arise out of non essential matters such as which day is the Sabbath (SDA) and
should we be baptized by immersion (Baptist) or sprinkling. If a denomination
arises out of a misconstrued essential doctrine, it is not a denomination but a
Christian cult.

It is safe to say that no church organization has the corner on True Christianity.
There are true Christians within all Christian denoms and non denoms. There are
false Christians within all denoms and non denoms. But there is exactly zero false
Christians in the invisible church.

CONCLUSION

My conclusion is that it is not appropriate to say there are many Christian

denominations and try to link any and all proclaimed denominations with true
Christianity. The bible is full of warnings about false teachings, prophets,
gospels spirits and even false Jesus‘.

The bible even claims that it is a fallen angels agenda to pervert the truths
contained in the bible. History shows the fight to keep Christianity from being
redefined. It is absurd to say I will not consider Jesus because there is no unity
in his followers because there is unity within diversity among the people of
Jesus.

There are many individuals and groups that call themselves Christians but you
don't become a car by parking in a garage. You have to become a car to be a car by
nature. A Christian is a Christian by virtue of what they believe about Jesus
Christ. I have avoided defining what is essential Christian doctrine because I
don't have time but I will say it is safe to say if you don't think Jesus is The
Way, The Truth and The Light,,,, ,your not a real Christian. It is safe to say
that not all, but close to all Christian churches listed in my phone book believe
he IS The Way The Truth and The Light. It is safe to say that of 19 - 34 thousand
alleged Christian denominations that there is only one true church and it is
called the body of Christ of which Jesus is the head. The true church is not a
denomination. The true church are people that hold to essential Christian
doctrine.

It should be no surprise that there is unity within diversity within true

Christianity. To be otherwise would be authoritarianism.

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34,000 differing denominations or Unity Within Diversity UNITY IN ESSENTIALS by

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