Why Are There So Many Churches?

Have you ever wondered WHY there are so many different churches and WHERE they came from? Lutheran Nazarene Episcopalian Assembly of God Seventh Day Adventist Christian Church Wesleyan Jehovah’s Witnesses Presbyterian Pentecostal Roman Catholic Methodist Holiness Baptist Mormon

A close look at both the BIBLE and HISTORY will clearly show the answer!

The Bible teaches that Jesus promised to establish just ONE CHURCH, HIS CHURCH … “And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” “And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, Which is his body …” “There is one body …” Matthew 16:18 Ephesians 1:22 Ephesians 4:4

Jesus bought His church with His own BLOOD when He died on the cross. Paul told the elders from the church at Ephesus … “Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood” … (Acts 20:28).

The church that Jesus promised was established in Acts 2 when the first people were SAVED and ADDED to the CHURCH by the Lord. “disciples” … (Acts 6:1). “the multitude of them that believed” … (Acts 4:32). “the church” … (Acts 5:11). “… the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch” … (Acts 11:26). These people were called …

The first problems the church encountered was from EXTERNAL SOURCES in the form of persecutions. “And as they spake unto the people, the priests, and the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees, came upon them” … (Verse 1). “And they laid hands on them, and put them in hold unto the next day: for it was now eventide” … (Verse 3). “So when they had further threatened them, they let them go …”, (Verse 21). Acts 4:1-22

Next came moral problems from WITHIN the church … “But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost” … (Acts 5:3).

Persecutions from the JEWS became more severe. Steven stoned to death … Acts 7:1-60 “And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul. And they stoned Stephen …”, (Verses 58-59). Apostles jailed and beaten … Acts 5:17-42 “And laid their hands on the apostles, and put them in the common prison …”, (Verse 17). “… when they had called the apostles, and beaten them”, (Verse 40). “And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem …”, (Verse 1). Others suffered persecution … Acts 8:1-4

Then a third kind of problem arose to threaten the church. It was INTERNAL, and was of a DOCTRINAL NATURE. Gentiles must be taught to keep the Law of Moses! “And certain men which came down from Judea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved” … (Acts 15:1).

Paul warns that the church will fall into ERROR, because of the LEADERSHIP GOING ASTRAY. “Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock … For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock, Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them” … (Verses 28-30). Acts 20:17-38

Later … both Peter and John write warnings about the FALLING AWAY. II Peter 2:1-22 “But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies … And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you …”, (Verses1-3). II John 7-11 “For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist” … (Verse 7).

The Scriptures teach that each church is to be overseen by a PLURALITY of elders … Early in the second century … a change in CHURCH ORGANIZATION begins to be seen … Some churches begin to have ONE MAN as chief elder or bishop. This ERROR was a major step toward DENOMINATIONALISM! “Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof …”, (I Peter 5:2). “… and ordain elders in every city”, (Titus 1:5). “And when they had ordained them elders in every church …”, (Acts 14:23).

Late second century … the presiding ELDER over a large city church assumed authority over smaller churches and rural churches. LOCAL CHURCH LARGE CHURCH EXTENDS OVERSIGHT BEYOND ITSELF LOCAL CHURCH LOCAL CHURCH LOCAL CHURCH LOCAL CHURCH LOCAL CHURCH This elder became known as the BISHOP or PATRIARCH. This was an even further DEPARTURE from the divine pattern revealed in the Bible.

The second and third centuries … these PATRIARCHS of the capital cities of the Roman districts, became the five most important BISHOPS. In about 600 A.D. one became known as the UNIVERSAL BISHOP.  Rome Constantinople  Antioch  Jerusalem  Alexandria 

…….A.D. 325…… Emperor Constantine, ordered a council of the church leaders to settle theological differences. This council composed the first HUMAN CREED that was to be imposed upon all who were believers. This was another major step into DENOMINATIONALISM! THE NICAEAN CREED

A.D. 588 John the Faster of Constantinople assumed the title of UNIVERSAL BISHOP. A.D. 606 Boniface III was declared to be the UNIVERSAL BISHOP and the ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH comes into existence. The first DENOMINATION can now clearly be identified! Jesus said, “But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren” … (Matthew 23:8).

A.D The POPE in Rome sent messengers to to the Bishop of Constantinople with charges of heresy. When he ignored them, he was excommunicated along with those who opposed the Pope in Rome. The PATRIARCHS of Alexandria, Antioch, and Jerusalem aligned themselves with Constantinople, thus forming the ORTHODOX CHURCH. Establishing, yet another DENOMINATION!

.…..A.D … Martin Luther, rejecting indulgences, posts his 95 thesis on the church door, desiring to bring about reform in the Roman Catholic Church. He was excommunicated by the POPE. After his death, his followers, contrary to Luther’s wishes, begin to call themselves LUTHERANS. Another DENOMINATION is established, the LUTHERAN CHURCH.

….A.D King Henry VIII, of England wanted to divorce his wife, Catherine, and marry Anne Boleyn. The POPE refused to grant the divorce, so King Henry broke away from the CATHOLIC CHURCH and established the church of England, the ANGLICAN CHURCH. The FALLING AWAY is well underway, two more DENOMINATIONS! The EPISCOPAL CHURCH in the United States later developed from the ANGLICAN CHURCH

…………….A.D. 1568………….... John Calvin began his movement in protest of CATHOLICISM in Switzerland in In 1541 Calvin’s teaching was made the official religion of Geneva. In 1568 John Knox, one of Calvin’s disciples, successfully established the PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH in Scotland. Again, another DENOMINATION had been established!

………..…….. A.D ….……..…. John Smythe, a Congregational Separatist from the CHURCH OF ENGLAND, was forced to flee England because of the persecutions of King James I. He baptized himself in 1608 by pouring water on himself. Later, Thomas Helwys, holding many of Smythe’s beliefs, returned to England and established the ARMINIAN BAPTIST CHURCH. Drifting further and further into DENOMINATIONALISM!

………………. A.D …………….. At Oxford University, John and Charles Wesley started a study group which were nick-named “Methodists” because of the strict methods they adopted. The club eventually became the METHODIST CHURCH. In 1784, the METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH in America was organized, even though Wesley had opposed such a use of “Methodist” saying, “Would to God that all party names, and phrases and forms which have divided the Christian world, were forgot …”, (Universal Knowledge, Vol. IX, p540). Where is UNITY in DENOMINATIONALISM!

…..………… 1830 ……...… Joseph Smith, claiming special revelations from visions, angels, and golden tablets, started the MORMON CHURCH. Paul said, “But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed” … (Galatians 1:8). Another DENOMINATION was formed!

During the late 1800’s to early 1900’s … the JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES were gradually formed mainly through the efforts of Charles Taze Russel and Judge Joseph Rutherford. Each new DENOMINATION taught things NOT FOUND IN THE BIBLE!

Recently … many groups have formed, claiming to offer man special powers. The term, NEW AGE describes them all. Its nothing NEW, its a philosophy rooted in ancient traditions, often based on mystical experiences, each within a different context. Grecian Philosophy Gnosticism Jewish Mysticism Alchemy Freemasonry The Rosicrucian's Spiritualism Because of FALSE DOCTRINE men drift further away from TRUTH!

During this time … NEW DOCTRINES are continually being introduced that were neither practiced in or taught by the New Testament. 3 rd. Century … Infant Baptism 394 A.D. … Latin Mass 593 A.D. … Purgatory 1015 A.D. … Priestly Celibacy 1192 A.D. … Indulgences 1311 A.D. … Sprinkling 6 th. Century … Instrumental Music 1870 A.D. … Papal Infallibility

When did your church begin? Can you find its teachings in the Bible? Two Serious Questions …

In the “Parable of the Sower” - Luke 8:4-18, Jesus said that the SEED planted, was the WORD OF GOD. When the Word of God was preached, people became CHRISTIANS, not members of a DENOMINATION. Churches that were established in this way were the LORD’S CHURCH, not DENOMINATIONS! DENOMINATIONALISM came into being through the teachings and doctrines of men, and are not the LORD’S CHURCH!

Follow GOD’S PATTERN, not man’s pattern, and become a CHRISTIAN, just as those in Acts did. HEAR the teaching of God’s truth … (John 6:44-45). BELIEVE in God and Jesus and believe what they say in the Bible … (John 20:30-31). REPENT of your sins … (II Peter 3:9). CONFESS CHRIST as God’s Son … (Matthew 10:32-33). Be IMMERSED into Christ for the remission of sins … (Acts 2:38). Like those in Acts, the LORD will ADD YOU to HIS CHURCH … (Acts 2:47).

WHICH WILL YOU CHOOSE?