Well, I could go on and on, but don\u2019t have the time or ink to name all 42,000 different denominations. They all claim to follow Christ, with their faith based on the Bible\u2019s teaching.<\/p>\n
But that cannot be true!<\/strong> It should be patently obvious that all these doctrinal statements represent confusion and division, and this is exactly the opposite<\/em><\/strong> of what Christ prayed for and what the apostles worked for. Consider a few Scriptures on this subject. In the gospel of John, we have a record of Christ praying to His Father.<\/p>\n “I do not ask in behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; that they may all be one; even as Thou, Father, [art] in Me, and I in Thee, that they also may be in Us; that the world may believe that Thou didst send Me, .And the glory which Thou hast given Me I have given to them; that they may be one, just as We are one; I in them, and Thou in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, that the world may know that Thou didst send Me, and didst love them, even as Thou didst love Me<\/em>\u201d (John 17:20-23).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n What did Christ pray for? He prayed that his 12 disciples might be united even as He and the Father were. And this unity would be a sign that Christ had been sent into the world. Are these 42,000 denominations united? Obviously not. Some teach that Christ was born of a virgin, while some teach that Adam is now God and he came to earth and had sex with Mary \u2014 (Mormons). Thus, she was not a virgin, but also guilty of adultery, since she was engaged to Joseph. And then others teach that Jesus is not the Son of God, but is Michael the archangel –(Jehovah\u2019s Witnesses). Some churches teach that Christ fulfilled all prophecies made about him, while others teach that Christ was prevented by Satan from establishing his kingdom and that he will come again sometime to establish his kingdom on earth and rule for 1,000 years (Premillennialists). A growing number of denominations are now ordaining women and homosexuals into the ministry, while others insist that the Scriptures do not allow this. That\u2019s not what I would call \u201cbeing perfected in unity.\u201d What can we conclude from this? If this is not what God wants and what Christ prayed for, then it must be the work of Satan. Can anyone truthfully dispute that conclusion?<\/p>\n Now, think for a moment. Jesus prayed for the disciples\u2019 unity, just as he and the Father were one \u2014united. So I ponder this and think about the unity in heaven. \u201cCould it be that the Father is a Baptist, and Christ is a Unitarian, and the Holy Spirit a Catholic?\u201d No sane person would consider such a possibility. And therefore, the unity Christ prayed for is not represented by the denominational division we have.<\/p>\n So, what is the cause of this division and confusion? Would it be Satan? Who could argue with that conclusion? Consider Paul\u2019s warning about false teachers to the church at Corinth.<\/p>\n \u201cFor such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their deeds<\/em>\u201d (II Corinthians 11:13-15).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n In Paul\u2019s earlier letter to Corinth, he encouraged them\u2026<\/p>\n \u201cNow I exhort you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment<\/em>\u201d (I Corinthians 1:10).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Is the denominational division we have in the world today an answer to that exhortation by Paul? Obviously not, but rather far from it.<\/p>\n Satan was already at work in the early church, and Paul dealt with this more than once, as did the other writers. He encouraged them to be \u201ccomplete in the same mind and in the same judgment<\/em>.\u201d He did not tell them to \u201cdo their own thing.\u201d Even in a local congregation, there was division.<\/p>\n \u201cFor, in the first place, when you come together as a church, I hear that divisions exist among you; and in part, I believe it. For there must also be factions among you, in order that those who are approved may have become evident among you<\/em>\u201d (I Corinthians 11:18-19).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Who can rightly claim that the Bible allows all this division and confusion? If anyone would make such a claim, I would refer him to I Corinthians 14:33,<\/p>\n \u201cfor God is not a God of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints.<\/em>\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Did you notice what Paul wrote? He said God is not<\/strong> \u201ca God of confusion, as in all the churches of the saints<\/em>.\u201d I suppose that most, if not all, of the 42,000 denominations, would claim they are a church that belongs to God. Are all of those denominations in unity? Obviously not. Is there confusion? Obviously so. Are there conflicting doctrines? Who can deny it? So, what\u2019s the logical conclusion? That this confusion and division is not of God. Then what is the source of this confusion and division? Who else but Satan through his \u201cfalse apostles and deceitful workers, who disguise themselves as apostles of Christ<\/em>\u201d?<\/p>\n Notice something else Paul wrote to Timothy:<\/p>\n \u201cFor this reason I have sent to you Timothy, who is my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, and he will remind you of my ways which are in Christ, just as I teach everywhere in every church<\/em>\u201d (I Corinthians 4:17).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n What did Paul write? He wrote of \u201cmy ways which are in Christ<\/em><\/strong>,\u201d which \u201cI teach everywhere in every church<\/em><\/strong>.\u201d Let us suppose that there were different denominations then, and Paul decided to go on a short journey preaching three times a week. He went to Baptist, Catholic, Methodist, Salvation Army, Episcopalian, etc., churches. Could he preach the same thing in each of these churches? Obviously not, for they all teach different and contradicting doctrines.<\/strong><\/p>\nBut of course, there were no differing denominations then. Christ promised to build \u201cmy church\u201d (Matthew 16:18). He did not promise to build \u201cmy churches\u201d that would teach \u201cdiffering doctrines.\u201d \u201cNow a certain Jew named Apollos, an Alexandrian by birth, an eloquent man, came to Ephesus; and he was mighty in the Scriptures. This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he was speaking and teaching accurately the things concerning Jesus, being acquainted only with the baptism of John; and he began to speak out boldly in the synagogue. But when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately<\/em>\u201d (Acts 18:24-26).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n This man was mistaken in his understanding of the Scripture and was not teaching the whole truth. But what a great and honest heart he had when corrected by this godly couple. I wish those preachers who were mistaken that I have tried to talk to had that same attitude. I remember some years ago when I was living in New Mexico there was a young Baptist preacher who lived across the street from me. We got to know each other, and one day I went to his house to see if we could sit down together for a Bible study. He told me he knew what I believed, and had no interest in studying with me. I said, \u201cWould you answer one question for me?\u201d He agreed. I asked him, \u201cDo you believe that we are saved by faith only.\u201d He said he did. Then I opened my Bible to James 2:24 and asked him to read it.<\/p>\n \u201cYou see that a man is justified by works, and not by faith alone.<\/em>\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n After reading it, he slammed my Bible shut and said, \u201cThat\u2019s not the kind of God I serve.\u201d He then walked away. Closed Bible, closed mind. As my father would say, his mind was like concrete, all mixed up and permanently set. If my memory is correct, he admitted he had never read that passage, and did not know it was in the Bible. But his mind was already set in concrete.<\/p>\n Now, back to the creed books. Why do we need them? There were no such official doctrinal statements other than the inspired Scriptures for hundreds of years after the establishment of the Lord\u2019s church in the 1st Century. God\u2019s revelation was completed then, and he has given no new doctrines and has given no changes. If God thought that was good enough then, why isn\u2019t it good enough for us now? Consider a statement in Jude 3,<\/p>\n \u201cBeloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.<\/em>\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n The gospel, the system of faith, has been given once for all the saints and once for all time. No new revelations, no additions, no subtractions, no changes. Christ told the disciples that all truth would be revealed to them.<\/p>\n \u201cI have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come<\/em>\u201d (John 16:12-13).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n If that promise was kept, then there is no new truth that has been revealed after the 1st century. Anyone who claims to have a new truth or revelation is just a false teacher, a deceiver, a minister of Satan, whether deliberately or mistakenly. Consider what John wrote in Revelation 22:18-19,<\/p>\n \u201cI testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God shall add to him the plagues which are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the tree of life and from the holy city, which are written in this book.<\/em>\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n God\u2019s Word has always been sufficient, and even Moses was warned not to tamper with it.<\/p>\n \u201cYou shall not add to the word which I am commanding you, nor take away from it, that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you<\/em>\u201d (Deuteronomy 4:2).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n I have heard the statement that if the Bible had been written today, there would be some changes made, as some want to allow homosexual behavior to be approved, or for women to become pastors. But such thoughts are claiming that God didn\u2019t have the power to look into the future and see the changes that would come in society. That would be considered blasphemy, in that it is saying that God is not all-seeing and all-powerful and all-knowing.<\/p>\n Consider the apostle Peter\u2019s words in I Peter 1:23-25,<\/p>\n \u201cFor you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and abiding word of God. For, \u2018All flesh is like grass, and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls off, but the word of the Lord abides forever.’\u00a0 And this is the word which was preached to you.<\/em>\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Were there other doctrines, other gospels, and creeds of men present in the early church, in the first century? Certainly so. And Paul dealt with that in strong words to the churches of Galatia:<\/p>\n \u201cI am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you, and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even though we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to that which we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to that which you received, let him be accursed<\/em>\u201d (Galatians 1:6-9).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n John dealt with the same problem in II John 1:9-10,<\/p>\n \u201cAnyone who goes too far and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God; the one who abides in the teaching, he has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into [your] house, and do not give him a greeting.<\/em>\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Good reader, we have what God has given us \u2014 the Scriptures. God said they were sufficient for us. God said we must not add to, subtract from or change in any way. The creeds, catechisms, manuals, and doctrines of men do all of that. If we want to please God and be found faithful to His Word in the end, we need to throw away all of the creeds, catechisms, manuals, and doctrines of men and come back to God\u2019s divine Word \u2014 the Bible.<\/strong><\/p>\n All these books on top of the Bible, written by men, have something in common. \u201cAnd in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrine rules made by men.\u201d (Matthew 15:9) If they teach the same thing that is in the Bible, we don\u2019t need them. We already have the Bible. If they teach something different, then they are rules made by men. Only God\u2019s word is true.<\/p><\/div>\n \u201cAll Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work<\/em>\u201d (II Timothy 3:16-17).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n If it is true that the Scripture is adequate, and can furnish us unto every good work, then why do we need the creeds of men?<\/strong> If they are needed, then why didn\u2019t the Lord provide for them in his teaching?<\/p>\n That passage in II Timothy 3 is in absolute and direct contradiction to a statement in one of the Jehovah\u2019s Witnesses publications, The Watchtower<\/strong>:<\/p>\n \u201c2. “… people cannot see the Divine Plan in studying the Bible by itself … if he then lays them [Scripture Studies] aside and ignores them and goes to the bible alone, though he has understood his Bible for ten years, our experience shows that within two years he goes into darkness. On the other hand, if he had merely read the Scripture Studies with their references, and had not read a page of the Bible, as such, he would be in the light at the end of the two years, because he would have the light of the Scriptures.” The Watchtower<\/em><\/strong>, Sept. 15, 1910, p. 298.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Notice that they claim one cannot understand God\u2019s plan without their \u201cScripture Studies.\u201d That means that for over 1,800 years since Pentecost, there was no understanding of truth until the 1800s when Charles Russell founded the Jehovah\u2019s Witness movement. Who can believe it?<\/p>\n If the creeds agree with the Bible, then we don\u2019t need them. But if they disagree with the Bible, then we still don\u2019t need them.<\/strong><\/p>\n So, what\u2019s wrong with the creeds? They contradict one another and they contradict the Bible. Consider just a few examples.<\/p>\n (Hiscox Baptist Manual) — Church Membership<\/strong>, p. 22 \u2013 \u201cIt is most likely that in the Apostolic age when there was but \u2018one Lord, one faith, and one baptism,\u2019 and no differing denominations existed, the baptism of a convert by that very act constituted him a member of the church \u2026 In that sense, \u2018baptism was the door into the church.\u2019 Now, it is different<\/strong>; and while the churches are desirous of receiving members, they are wary and cautious that they do not receive unworthy persons. The churches therefore have candidates come before them, make their statement, give their \u2018experience,\u2019 and then their reception is decided by a vote of the members. And while they cannot become members without baptism, yet it is the vote of the body which admits them to its fellowship on receiving baptism.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n The Bible says<\/strong> we are \u201cbaptized into Christ,\u201d not \u201cvoted\u201d into Christ. \u201cFor all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ<\/em>\u201d (Galatians 3:27). Note \u2014 it looks like it is more difficult to become a Baptist than to become a Christian. Question<\/strong> \u2013 Who said it was different?<\/p>\n On another point, consider the following quote from Hiscox — Church Ordinances<\/strong>, Note 8, pages 20,<\/p>\n 21 \u2013 \u201cBaptism is not essential to salvation, for our churches utterly repudiate the dog-ma of \u2018baptismal regeneration\u2019 ; but it is essential to obedience, since Christ commanded it\u2026\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Note \u2014 logically, that means that obedience is not essential to salvation, either.<\/p>\n The Bible says<\/strong> baptism is <\/b>essential.<\/p>\n \u201cHe that believes and is baptized shall be saved, but he that does not believe shall be condemned<\/em>\u201d (Mark 16:16).<\/p>\n \u201cAnd now why do you delay? Arise, and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on His name<\/em>\u201d (Acts 22:16).<\/p>\n \u201cAnd corresponding to that, baptism now saves you — not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience — through the resurrection of Jesus Christ<\/em>\u201d (I Peter 3:21).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n (Methodist and Episcopalian creeds)<\/strong> \u201cWherefore, that we are justified by faith only is a most wholesome doctrine and very full of comfort.\u201d (\u201cFaith only\u201d is common in many denominations\u2014Baptist, Lutheran, Church of God, Presbyterian, etc.)<\/p>\n But the Bible says<\/strong>: \u201cYou see that a man is justified by works, and not by faith alone<\/em>\u201d (James 2:24). In other words, it is an obedient faith that God considers.<\/p>\n (The Catholic Church)<\/strong> It is well known that Catholic priests are to be respectfully addressed as \u201cFather.\u201d<\/p>\n But the Bible says<\/strong>: Christ does not agree with this, as he addressed the matter of the Pharisees ascribing to themselves titles of honor. \u201cAnd they love the place of honor at banquets, and the chief seats in the synagogues, and respectful greetings in the market places, and being called by men, Rabbi. But do not be called Rabbi; for One is your Teacher, and you are all brothers. And do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven<\/em>\u201d (Matthew 23:6-9).<\/p>\n Obviously, this does not refer to our fathers in the flesh, but to giving some religious title.<\/p>\n (The Catholic Church)<\/strong> I have a booklet titled \u201cThe Bible Is N<\/strong>ot <\/b>Our Sole Guide\u201d published by the Catholic organization the Knights of Columbus. The whole text is dedicated to explaining why common people are incapable of reading the Bible with understanding, which is why only the ordained clergy can interpret it. The heading on page 43 states: \u201cInadequacy of the Bible as the sole rule of faith.\u201d<\/p>\n To further emphasize their point, the Knights of Columbus’ book states that \u201cThe Scribes who were professionally trained through long periods of study and instruction were the only ones who had competence in the interpretation of the Books of Moses. The Jews, contemporaries of Jesus, would have been horrified at the principle that anyone is qualified to read and interpret for himself\u2026\u201d (p. 10).<\/p>\n But the Bible says<\/strong>, as when Paul wrote to the Ephesian church; \u201cSo then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is<\/em>\u201d (Ephesians 5:17). Paul encourages common Christians to understand, and how is this to be done? Consider what Paul said about the people in Berea:<\/p>\n \u201cNow these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily, to see whether these things were so<\/em>\u201d (Acts 17:11).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n These common people listened to Paul\u2019s preaching and then went home to check what he was preaching by the Scriptures to be sure he was preaching the truth. The common people were able to discern and understand. And Paul commended them. He didn\u2019t say, \u201cYou cannot understand the Scriptures without some official help.\u201d They didn\u2019t need some ordained clergyman to do it for them. And we are reminded of a Scripture cited earlier:<\/p>\n \u201cAll Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work<\/em>\u201d (II Timothy 3:16-17).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n If the Scriptures can make us \u201cadequate, equipped for every good work<\/em>,\u201d then who says the Bible is \u201cinadequate?\u201d Furthermore, in my copy of The Baltimore Catechism No. 3 on page vii, there is this statement: \u201cAll volumes of Catholic teaching, in this time of transition, are outdated by the time they are published.\u201d Then what are we supposed to believe? Does that mean that what the church taught ten years ago may not be true today? Thankfully, that is not true about the Bible, as it \u201cabides forever<\/em>\u201d (I Peter 1:25). Truth does not change!<\/strong><\/p>\n If it is true that the catechisms \u201care outdated by the time they are published,\u201d then how can anyone ever know the truth? The apostle Paul wrote about those who are \u201calways learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth<\/em>\u201d (II Timothy 3:7).<\/p>\nAnother passage that touches on this is Ephesians 3:3-4: \u201c\u2026that by revelation there was made <\/em> Note that Paul was not writing to the professors in some theological seminary, but to ordinary Christians. And what did he tell them? He told them that when they read what he wrote, they could have the same understanding that Paul, the Biblical scholar had. That clearly contradicts Catholic teaching.<\/p>\n (The Catholic Church)<\/strong> One other note about the Catholic creed is that priests, bishops, etc., are forbidden to marry.<\/p>\n But the Bible has other teachings on this matter<\/strong>, as we know Peter was married, and Paul gives the qualifications for those who serve as pastors, bishops or shepherds. Then Paul instructs Timothy that there will come a time when there is a departure from the faith, which will include forbidding to marry and commanding to abstain from meats.<\/p>\n “Faithful is the saying, If a man seeks the office of a bishop, he desires a good work. The bishop therefore must be without reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, orderly, given to hospitality, apt to teach<\/em>\u201d (I Timothy 3:1-2).<\/p>\n \u201cAnd when Jesus had come to Peter’s home, He saw his mother-in-law lying sick in bed with a fever<\/em>\u201d (Matthew 8:14).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n If Peter has a mother-in-law, wouldn\u2019t it be logical to assume he was married?<\/p>\n \u201cBut the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, by means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron, men who forbid marriage and advocate abstaining from foods, which God has created to be gratefully shared in by those who believe and know the truth<\/em>\u201d (I Timothy 4:1-3).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Furthermore, there is no evidence in the Bible that Peter was ever the pope.<\/p>\n (Church Manual of The First Church of Christ Scientist)<\/strong> This denomination, founded by Mary Baker Eddy in 1879 has a creed separate from the Bible, as do all denominations. On page 61 of my edition, under \u201cCommunion,\u201d we have the following words:<\/p>\n \u201cNo more Communion. Section I. The Mother Church of Christ, Scientist, shall observe no more Communion seasons.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n But the Bible gives different instructions<\/strong>. In the Gospels, an account is given of the Lord eating the last supper with his disciples before his crucifixion. Then Paul, in giving instruction to the church at Corinth, wrote the following:<\/p>\n \u201cFor I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it, and said, \u2018This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me.\u2019 In the same way He took the cup also, after supper, saying, \u2018This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me<\/em>\u2019 (I Corinthians 1:23-25).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Historians agree that the early church partook of the Communion, The Lord\u2019s Supper every first day of the week. How did they know to do that? The early disciples were guided by the Apostles, who were guided by the Holy Spirit to reveal \u201call the truth,\u201d as noted in John 16:12-13.<\/p>\n We could go on for hundreds of pages, but I believe the point has been made. The doctrines and creeds of men contradict one another, but more importantly, they contradict the Bible<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Time will fail if we go on to write about denominations that are ordaining homosexuals and women to the ministry, although the Bible forbids both (see Romans 1:24-27, I Timothy 2:12).<\/p>\n Dear Reader, there are churches throughout the world that wear no name but Bible names, who have no creed other than the Word of God, who only practice what they find in the Scriptures. They still exist from the 1st Century, in fulfilling the prophecy made in Daniel concerning the four earthly kingdoms that Daniel saw in his vision, and the kingdom that was going to be established by Jesus Christ.<\/p>\n “And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which will never be destroyed, and that kingdom will not be left for another people; it will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, but it will itself endure forever<\/em>\u201d (Daniel 2:44).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n It is impossible to reconcile the Bible\u2019s statement in Ephesians 4:4-6 with the condition that we find in the denominations of men.<\/p>\n \u201cThere is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.<\/em>\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n The passage does not say \u201cmany bodies\/churches\u201d nor \u201cmany faiths\u201d (Protestant, Catholic, Mormon, etc.), nor does it say \u201cfour baptisms\u201d (sprinkling, pouring, immersion, sprinkling rose petals).<\/p>\n Finally, we need to consider God\u2019s attitude toward denominations. Do you realize that the Jewish religion had denominations? They all believed in the same God and sincerely thought their denominations were acceptable to God. There were Sadducees, Pharisees, Zealots, Herodians, Essenes, etc. There is no passage in the Bible where any Jewish denomination is referred to in a favorable manner.<\/p>\n Time and time again Christ rebuked them. \u201cAnd Jesus said to them, \u2018Watch out and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees\u2019<\/em>\u201d (Matthew 16:6). There is a reference to \u201cthe sect of the Sadducees<\/em>\u201d in Acts 15:7. Zelotes are mentioned in Matthew 10:4. In countless passages, Christ pronounces \u201cWoe to you, scribes and Pharisees<\/em>.\u201d Some 18 times the phrase \u201cwoe to you<\/em>\u201d is uttered by Christ in the four gospels.<\/p>\n There is only one designation among the Jews which receives a good mention. As Christ is calling his disciples, he sees Nathaniel sitting under a tree, and speaks to him: \u201cJesus saw Nathanael coming to Him, and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!<\/em>” (John 1:47).<\/p>\n The Jews were Israelites, and that\u2019s all God wanted them to be, not Pharisee Israelites, not Sadducee Israelites, not Herodian Israelites, etc. \u201cIsrael\u201d was the name God gave to Jacob. So we know that term was acceptable since God gave it.<\/p>\n \u201cYour name shall no longer be Jacob, but Israel; for you have striven with God and with men and have prevailed<\/em>” (Genesis 32:28).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n And what does God want us to be? Not —– Christians, nor —— Christians, nor ——– Christians. (You can supply the denominational names, as I don\u2019t have enough paper or ink to describe the 42,000 different sects that say they are \u201cChristian.\u201d Centuries ago, we find a name by which the early disciples were called. Paul and Barnabas spent about a year in Antioch preaching, and notice what is written in Acts 11:26:<\/p>\n \u201cAnd it came about that for an entire year they met with the church, and taught considerable numbers; and the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.<\/em>\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n The word \u201ccalled\u201d in the original New Testament Greek is \u201ccrematidzo<\/em>,\u201d and has the implication of a divine calling. \u201cto utter an oracle, i.e., divinely intimate\u2026\u201d (Hebrew Greek Key Study Bible<\/strong>, Spiros Zodiates). Then we consider the words of Peter in I Peter 4:16:<\/p>\n \u201cbut if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not feel ashamed, but in that name let him glorify God.<\/em>\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Why would we want to suffer wearing the names men and women have chosen? Whether the names were chosen by Joseph Smith, Judge Rutherford, Mary Baker Eddy, Charles Wesley, or whoever, why not just be called by the name God gave, and follow only his creed, the Bible rather than the names and doctrines of men? Do you remember the passage that was cited earlier in this treatise from Matthew 15:9?<\/p>\n \u201cBut in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the precepts of men.<\/em>\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\nWhat about the designation of the church\/kingdom\/family that was established on Pentecost? We can find such terms as \u201cKingdom of God,\u201d \u201cbody of Christ,\u201d \u201cchurch of Christ,\u201d \u201cbride of Christ,\u201d \u201cchurch of the Lord,\u201d \u201cchurch of God,\u201d etc. There is no official name given to the Lord\u2019s church, but all the terms used reflect a body of people who have a common relationship in that body or church that was established on Pentecost. But where can we find the thousands upon thousands of names invented by men? Where can I go to learn about the \u201cNudist Christian Church of the Blessed Virgin Jesus,\u201d or \u201cThe Church of Body Modification,\u201d or \u201cThe Methodist Church,\u201d or \u201cThe Roman Catholic Church?\u201d Consider something Paul wrote to the Ephesian church: \u201cFor this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name<\/em>\u201d (Ephesians 3:14-15). If those in God\u2019s spiritual family were given names by God, why can\u2019t we be satisfied with the various terms that the Holy Spirit revealed to the writers of the New Testament Scriptures?<\/p>\n Suppose a missionary in a Muslim nation was talking with a person who was interested, who wanted to learn more about the church that was established at Pentecost. What book would the missionary give him? The Baptist Manual, The Methodist Discipline, the Catholic Catechism? Could we not agree that all that would be needed to give the person would be a Bible?<\/p>\n Centuries ago, when Joshua was about to lead the people of Israel into the Promised Land, he gave the following challenge to the people.<\/p>\n “And if it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD<\/em>” (Joshua 24:15).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n What has taken place in the centuries following the establishment of Christ\u2019s church in the 1st Century was predicted in Paul\u2019s letter to Timothy in II Timothy 4:3-4:<\/p>\n \u201cFor the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths.<\/em>\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Dear reader, consider what the Apostle Peter wrote in his second epistle:<\/p>\n “Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence<\/em>” (II Peter 1:2-3).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n If God has granted to us \u201ceverything<\/strong> pertaining to life and godliness<\/em>,\u201d then there is nothing that any creed, doctrine, manual, catechism, or whatever, that can add to what God wants us to know and practice. The fact that every<\/em> manmade creed contradicts something in the Bible, God\u2019s Word, shows that it came from the mind of Satan.<\/strong> Furthermore, human creeds are often rewritten, changed and updated, which shows they are from men, and not from God.<\/p>\n “All flesh is like grass, and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls off, but the word of the Lord endures forever<\/em>” (I Peter 1:24-24).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n We still have the right and power to choose. We can serve in the denominations men have created, or we can serve in the kingdom\/church established by Jesus Christ on the Day of Pentecost as described in Acts chapter 2.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" by Jefferson David Tant Does your denomination have a creed? I suppose most denominations have an official creed outlining the things that distinguish one denomination from another. I have a box full of such books. These include the Catholic New Baltimore Catechism, the Baptist Hiscox Standard Manual for Baptist Churches, the Methodist Discipline, the Book…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_seo_schema_type":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[27],"tags":[857,300],"class_list":["post-16403","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-article","tag-creeds","tag-denominations"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":87294,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/are-all-denominations-false\/","url_meta":{"origin":16403,"position":0},"title":"Are all denominations false?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"May 28, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Are all denominations false? Did Jesus ever command anyone to create denominations? To me, it seems that denominations are man-made religions, not something the Lord initiated. I don't believe God leads people to follow a particular denomination or to find their identity in one. Many people proudly call themselves\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":11001,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/if-christ-built-only-one-where-did-they-all-come-from\/","url_meta":{"origin":16403,"position":1},"title":"If Christ Built Only One, Where Did They All Come From?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"September 30, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"by Jefferson David Tant At the beginning of the gospel age, there was but one church, and now, 2000 years later, according to some reports, there are over 1,200. How did this happen? People wonder where they all came from. Is this division and confusion what Christ intended? Let's examine\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":44847,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/creeds-and-statements-of-faith\/","url_meta":{"origin":16403,"position":2},"title":"Creeds and Statements of Faith","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"March 15, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: John 17:11-23 \u00a0 I.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Every once in a while someone will ask what is our statement of faith. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Back when we were home schooling, we were wanting to get involved with a local group, but they wanted us to sign a statement of faith \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0B.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Another name\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Audio"","block_context":{"text":"Audio","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/audio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":68698,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/the-rise-of-denominationalism\/","url_meta":{"origin":16403,"position":3},"title":"The Rise of Denominationalism","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"July 2, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"by Andy Sochor via Unmasking Sophistry, Vol. 4, No. 3, July-September 2024 In the previous article, we discussed the Reformation Movement, which came when the Roman Catholic Church was a religiously and politically dominating force. Over the centuries, it became increasingly\u00a0corrupt until Martin Luther challenged some of the errors and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":18075,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/are-baptists-christians-and-where-does-the-bible-speak-against-creeds\/","url_meta":{"origin":16403,"position":4},"title":"Are Baptists Christians and where does the Bible speak against creeds?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"March 4, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I have discussed with a lady the fact that one has not put on Christ until she has been baptized into Him. She is a Baptist but has been discussing the Bible with an open mind. She said her preacher told the congregation this weekend that they are \"bought\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":45317,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/jericho-and-our-salvation\/","url_meta":{"origin":16403,"position":5},"title":"Jericho and our Salvation","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"March 15, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"by Jefferson David Tant After reading the title, some might wonder what the battle of Jericho has to do with our salvation today. The battle when Israel conquered Jericho was about 1410 B.C., over 3,400 years ago. Thus the question might be, \"What in the world would some event over\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16403","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16403"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16403\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16403"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16403"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16403"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nI do not claim that every false teacher is deliberately teaching false doctrine. I believe that some are, who are using their position to enrich themselves. But there are those who are simply mistaken in their understanding of the Scriptures or have been deceived. Consider a preacher named Apollos. He was a great preacher, but he was mistaken.\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/Human-Creeds.png\")
\nknown to me the mystery, as I wrote before in brief. And by referring to this, when you <\/em>
\nread you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ.<\/em>\u201d\n
\nIf the church belongs to and was established by Christ, why don\u2019t we let him claim ownership? Why not refer to it by one of the names given in the New Testament? Among the terms mentioned in the preceding paragraph, I find Paul writing to the church at Rome, and sending greetings from other churches. He writes \u201call the churches of Christ salute you<\/em>\u201d (Romans 16:16). If Christ is the founder and head of the church, why would we want to attach some human-invented name to Christ\u2019s body? Why call a church the \u201cLutheran Church,\u201d when even Luther begged his followers not do call themselves after him? Why call the church \u201cThe Church of Body Modification,\u201d when such a name gives no honor to the one who died and poured out his blood in order to bring about the establishment of his body, his church?\n