Which Denomination is Right?

Hi this is breathing welcome to the Salvation Army's words of life. Welcome back the words of life.

I'm Bernie Dick and I'm Cheryl Gail Cheryl.

It's nice to have you back. Thank you. It's good to be back with our listeners.

Yes, absolutely.

And you know what we hope you've been enjoying the series skeptics welcome and enjoyed hearing Capt. Ken's heart through this series and again as a reminder, this series is based on questions that were sent in by you are listener, so thank you so much for these right this weekend discusses the question which denomination is right very early in the church we already saw believers forming denominations right in first Corinthians chapter 1 pulses one of you says. I follow Paul another. I follow Apollo's another. I follow Cephas still another. I follow Christ. I think it particularly in the United States, where we are recording this we have a number of denominations in the Christian church family Salvation Army was born of the Methodist Church of scholars and theologians say that our are we are Wesley Arminian I went to a Wesley in college. That was my first exposure to a different denomination than what I grew up with. You have a perspective of, where you came from and I grew up as a salvationist by my mother actually was. I was introduced to mass and things like that, growing up, and then also has had a lot of association with nondenominational churches and just come to to realize it really is a kingdom you write absolutely in the Christian family that we all have different things you you mentioned earlier when we were talking about this that it's kind of your choice and some people like to go to a high church sort of very liturgical service. Some people like a contemporary service and just different denominations offered different things. Whatever it is we hope you enjoy this episode with Ken and you know I'm really excited about Cheryl. There's some new music being played in this part of our series by transmission who have a new CD out. It's hitting all of the social media places or all of the streaming outlets like iTunes and spot a fire wherever you catch your music on demand there some new stuff from Chris Hoffer, the drummer with his first arrangement. Rachel Wiley is honest with her first arrangement and the first female vocalist that they've had little time with the group and Josh is done a great job with it, so we hope that you enjoy what you will. Good morning and welcome again to skeptics welcome. Last week we asked the question can I disagree with the Bible and still be a Christian and one of the questions that we often get asked in that is well whose Bible whose interpretation we been talking about.

Is it the King James version or the new international version or the living Bible. Do I believe the interpretation of the Roman Catholic Church, or if I'm Protestant my a Methodist and believe in free will or Calvinist, and believing God serenity why there's so many interpretations of the Bible. Can we just agree on one thing, it seems, almost, when ever someone disagrees. They just start a new church.

You see, there were days when church splits were based on theological disputes, but nowadays we have contemporary churches overhearing traditional churches over there churches who welcome everyone is members and those churches have strict codes for membership. Why are we, what are we to do with so many voices that all say different things in the body of Christ. Let's start with the question of translations there.

There was a day when I remember. All I had was the King James version. While there was a living Bible, but that's a paraphrase, meaning it's not a word for word translation, but I don't know about you but I don't speak the King's English of the 17th century, so I was glad to get a copy of the new international version, whatever that was. But then in college. They told me to get a new American Standard Bible because that was more word for word and then in seminary.

They asked me to get a new revised standard version because that had more up-to-date language. Now there's a new King James version it really what it comes down to is, do you do you like the readability of the Scriptures or do you like more word for word syntax and then there was the Dead Sea Scrolls in 1968 that were discovered which the King James version didn't have when the Bible was translated. So what we do with that new evidence. What we do with the two endings of the gospel of Mark or John chapter 8 will. Here's where I'm at. I believe that God is not only inspired the Scriptures through the writing of those authors, but I believe that God has inspired the process as it is work through history and he is work through men and women who were inspired to interpret and to bring the gospel to us. I also believe this.

I believe that God is bigger than our preferences and doctrines in acts chapter 15 what we called the Council of Jerusalem.

The church was faced with a major decision should Gentiles have to become Jews. That is, should they be circumcised to follow Jesus and this is the big deal, but through the Holy Spirit.

And through those men and women who met and decided they said no they didn't need to be circumcised only two criteria were necessary. Do not eat sacrifices with blood in them and abstain from sexual immorality. Then in the first three centuries, many books are being written besides the letters of Paul and Peter. There was the Gospel of Thomas and Judas.

Some of these were declared heretical look appealing to what we call Gnosticism, while others were simply dubbed apocryphal interesting but not really necessary. This is new.

The Old Testament had a group of Jewish writings that book of Enoch, the book of Baroque and Tobit there actually some that are included in the Ethiopian Orthodox Bibles of the Christian church but not ours. At the end of the day the Holy Spirit not only inspires the writing but inspires the reader and they continue through their reason and experience and conversations in the body of Christ to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling.

Martin Luther wanted the book of James thrown out because it focused too much on works. Now we understand the need for that balance in the approved works that have become our scriptures. You see, we will never agree on everything. I don't know that we can deny the concept of human free will, but nor can we deny God's omniscient predestined authority.

Protestant still believe in purgatory is a belief in purgatory going to send someone straight to hell instead of purgatory heaven. I don't know how that works. Does God care if I am a pre-or post-millennialist worship. The hymns or like to sing a bunch of courses does he care if I wear blue jeans to church or if I believe in transubstantiation. I say all this to say I believe there is room in the body of believers for diverse beliefs. Save one. You must believe that Jesus Christ is Lord, you see were more alike than different, yet we allow our differences to define us.

Methodist, Baptist, male-female Jew, Greek, and yet Paul reminds us, we are all baptized into one Spirit, one church one body with different members and we need each other. Our diversity allows us to focus on certain gifts or people, groups, personalities and beliefs I become all things to all people. Paul will even say that I might win some actually anyone and yet it feels as if we as a church.

Sometimes dig our heels into our parochial doctrines that only someone can get in if they believe all of what we believe. I think one of the best ways we could reengage our culture is to invite people into a relationship in the community were all of us seek the Holy Spirit wisdom and guidance as we wrestle with the Scriptures together and it may be more non-combative way.

Rather than being dogmatic. Let's practice what Jesus did when he met the woman at the well didn't condemn her for being a Samaritan or believing what she believed didn't say no, no, no, you must worship in Jerusalem where you're really not following God, but he said no, there will come a day. We all worship in a way that you haven't even seen yet. Let's meet people where they are and share the good news through the Holy Spirit that he is still working and ever present with us even when we don't have all the answers. May God bless you, my friends and will see you next week. The Salvation Army's mission doing the most good means helping people with material and spiritual needs to become a part of this mission every time you give to the Salvation Army visit Salvation Army USA.org to offer your support and love to hear from you. Email us radio@uss.salvationarmy.org or call 1-800-229-9965 or write us at PO Box 29972, Atlanta, GA 30359 tell us how we can help share prayer request or share your testimony. Would love to use your story here. You can also subscribe to our show on iTunes podcast store and surely give us a rating to search for the Salvation Army's words of life. Follow us on social media for the latest episodes extended interviews and more. And if you don't have a church home.

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