https://steve-finnell.blogspot.com/2016/11/
NEW TESTAMENT DENOMINATIONS? BY STEVE FINNELL
Are denominations acceptable under
the new covenant? There were no denominations of the church of Christ
that were acceptable to the Lord for the first one hundred years of the
church. Why do men believe that God finds the hundreds, if not
thousands, of the contemporary so-called churches of Christ to be
pleasing to God? Did Jesus die for a divided church?
FIRST CENTURY DENOMINATIONS
The First Church of Knowing Only The
Baptism of John: Acts 19:1-7 ......2 He said to them, "Did you receive
the Holy Spirit when you believed?" And they said to him, "No, we have
not even heard whether there is a Holy Spirit." 3
And he said, "Into what then were baptized?" And they said, "Into
John's baptism." 4 Paul said, "John baptized with the baptism of
repentance, telling the people to believe in Him who was coming after
him, that is, in Jesus." 5 When they heard this they baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.......
When these twelve men heard the truth
and they repented of their false misunderstanding. They canceled their
membership in "The First Church of Knowing Only the Baptism of John".
These twelve men realized that John's
baptism was not a baptism into Christ. (Galatians 3:27 For all of you
who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.)
These twelve men understood that they
could not receive the Holy Spirit unless the received the water baptism
of the new covenant. (Acts 2:38 Peter said to them, "Repent, and each
of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of
your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.)
You will notice, not one of the
twelve told the apostle Paul that they did not need Christians baptism,
because the thief of the cross was not baptized and he was in paradise
with Jesus. They understood that they were living under the new
covenant.
The Resurrection Is Over Christian Church: 1 Timothy 2:17-18 and their talk will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, 18 men who have gone astray from the truth saying that the resurrection has already taken place, and they upset the faith of some.
Denominations are established because they deviate from the truth. It was true in the first century and it is true today.
The Jerusalem Judaizers for Christ: Galatians 2:11-21 But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. 12 For prior to the coming of certain men from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he began to withdraw and hold himself aloof, fearing the party of the circumcision, 13 The rest of the Jews joined him in hypocrisy, the result that even Barnabas was carried away by their hypocrisy. 14 But when I saw that were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas in the presence of all, "If you, being a Jew, live like the Gentiles and not like the Jews, how is it that you compel the Gentiles to live like Jews............
The apostle Paul confronted the apostle Peter because he was practicing the denominational doctrines of The Jerusalem Judaizers for Christ. Peter was perverting the truth of the gospel. Peter needed to repent. The apostle Paul did not say, it does not matter what doctrine you teach and practice as long as you are sincere.
Men, today, who are preaching doctrines different from Biblical teaching, need to repent. There was only one church established on the Day of Pentecost. There was only one way preached, telling men how to be saved.
WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED?
1. FAITH: John 3:16
2. REPENTANCE: Acts 2:38, Acts 3:19
3. CONFESSION: Romans 10:9-10, Acts 8:37
4. WATER BAPTISM: Acts 2:38, Mark 16:16, 1 Peter 3:21, Galatians 3:27.
JESUS PRAYED FOR UNITY
John 17:20-21"I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; 21 that they may all be one; even as You Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.
Can there be unity when different denominations teach various ways to become saved?
THERE IS ONLY ONE BODY OF CHRIST!
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