Why are there so many Christian denominations?

Christian Denominations and the Protestant Reformation

Why are there so many Christian denominations? We're going to answer that question. You can also discover more on GotQuestions .org. We must first differentiate between denominations within the body of Christ and non-Christian cults and false religions.

Presbyterians and Lutherans are examples of Christian denominations. Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses claim to be Christian but deny essentials of the Christian faith and therefore are cults. Islam and Buddhism are entirely separate religions.

The rise of denominations within the Christian faith can be traced back to the 16th century Protestant Reformation. Splitting from the Catholic Church, four major divisions of Protestantism would emerge.

From these four, other denominations grew over the centuries. The Lutheran denomination was named after Martin Luther and was based on his teachings. The Methodists got their name because their founder, John Wesley, was famous for coming up with methods for spiritual growth.

Presbyterians are named for their view on church leadership. The Greek word for elder is presbyteros. Baptists got their name because they have always emphasized the importance of baptism. Each denomination has slightly different doctrine or emphasis from the others.

Unity in Christ Versus Denominational Difference

The point of these divisions is never Christ as Lord and Savior but rather honest differences of opinion by godly albeit flawed people seeking to honor God and retain doctrinal purity according to their consciences and their understanding of his word.

Denominations today are many and varied. Some emphasize slight doctrinal differences but more often they simply prefer different styles of worship. As believers, we must be of one mind on the essentials of the faith but beyond that there are many different flavors of Christian corporate worship.

A Presbyterian church in Uganda will have a different style of worship than a Presbyterian church in Colorado but their doctrine is nearly identical. Diversity is a good thing but disunity is not. If two churches disagree doctrinally, debate and dialogue over the word may be called for.

This type of iron sharpening iron is beneficial to all. If they disagree on style and form however, it is fine for them to remain separate but remain united as one in Christ. There seems to be at least two major problems with denominationalism.

The Biblical Case Against Denominationalism

First, nowhere in scripture is there a mandate for denominationalism. To the contrary, the mandate is for union and connectivity. Thus, the second problem is that denominationalism is the result of or caused by conflict and confrontation which leads to division and separation.

Is Christ divided? Was it Paul who was crucified for you or were you baptized in Paul's name? Obviously, according to Paul, there is only one church and one body of believers and anything that is different weakens and destroys the church.

Practical Problems Caused by Denominations

Here are some of the problems we face with denominations currently and in recent history. Denominations are based on disagreements over interpretation of the scripture. Disagreements over these interpretations are taken personally leading to arguments which destroy the witness of the church.

Today, the media uses our differences against us to demonstrate that we are not unified in thought or purpose. Denominations are used by man out of self-interest and sheep are led into apostasy by those promoting personal agendas.

The value of unity is found in the ability to pool our gifts and resources to promote the kingdom to a lost world. This runs contrary to divisions caused by denominationalism. What is a believer to do?

Should we ignore denominations? Should we skip church and worship on our own at home? No, the church is important and all believers need a gathering where the gospel is preached and a personal relationship is cultivated with the Lord.

Pick a church on the basis of its relationship to Christ and how well it is serving the community. As believers, there are certain basic doctrines that we must believe but beyond that, there is liberty on how we can serve and worship.

This is diversity and not disunity. That answers the question, why are there so many Christian denominations? On our website, gotquestions .org, you'll find a deeper discussion and recommended resources.

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