Many denominations
By powemji
@powemji (247)
Nigeria
4 responses
@raisingsaints (217)
• United States
8 Jun 07
I've heard that there are something like 40000 different denominations. That's a fairly new development though, starting with the Reformation.
It all comes down to authority in Scripture interpretation.
@raisingsaints (217)
• United States
8 Jun 07
Catholics and the Orthodox believe that the Church has the authority to interpret Scripture.
Lutherans base their beliefs on Luther's interpretation of Scripture thereby giving him authority.
Various other denominations believe in private interpretation, that each individual has the authority to interpret Scripture because the Holy Spirit is leading them into "all truth". The Holy Spirit would not lead people into thousands of conflicting interpretations and denominations.
@kimfitts (66)
• United States
7 Jun 07
The Bible prophesies that there will be many false religions in the last days. There are so many different versions now of the Bible. All of them have been corrupted in some way or another. The Bible was originally written in Greek and Hebrew. The translations are causing people to be mislead. To get back to the original Greek and Hebrew, you can get an Interlinear Bible and a good Concordance to look up the words for their original Greek/Hebrew definition. All of this confusion though is in keeping with God's plan.......don't be discouraged. Just pray for His will in your life and study the word in truth as best as you can. Agape.
@cook4t7 (202)
• United States
10 Jun 07
These Interlinear Bibles your talking about just translate backwards with the impression they are original whatch them carefully and get a Zola's Introduction to Hebrew Book which will teach you the Hebrew well enough to check anything in Interlinear Bibles you want as well as read Hebrew with a descent understanding. Shalom
@flowerchilde (12529)
• United States
8 Jun 07
...this is due to "free-will" and every body's individual ability to think and rationalize.. The bible says forming different groups is a "work of the flesh" i.e. human nature or that is to say, fallen human nature.. But even the saved are not perfect.. Not until the return of Christ and the restoration of paradise/Eden to earth.. So my answer is - people are individuals, and God Himself gave 'free-will'.
@lecanis (16647)
• Murfreesboro, Tennessee
7 Jun 07
Yesterday at my work, there was a discussion about different versions of the same demonination, and I was so confused. My coworkers were talking about people in terms of being this church, or that church, and the different rules that meant they had to follow... and all of these churches were supposedly Apostolic Lutheran.
That's breaking it down even further than denominations, but even denominations is something I can't wrap my head around. As an outsider, I just can't help thinking that people who worship the same God should be able to get along better. My Methodist grandmother had a running fued with her Southern Baptist neighbor over some sort of tiny scriptural disagreement! Over a Bible that also says "love thy neighbor!"
Meanwhile, my Pagan great-grandmother never argued with anyone over religion, even people who did worship different Gods than she. I'm Pagan myself, an in Paganism the different religions all actually do worship different Gods, so I can't really understand people who worship the same God fighting so much.
