Divisions

Most Christian denominations designate certain individuals as “clergy.”  Clergy in these denominations or groups hold most, if not all, of the leadership positions.  Besides administrative functions, they do most of the teaching, perform baptisms, weddings, and lead services, etc. It is hard to pin down the purpose of having a laity.  Most groups with clergy […]

This post was originally titled, “Apostolic Succession – Biblical or Not?”. I am attaching this post to the front page because I have expanded on it and added the answer to the question of whether apostolic succession is scriptural or not. Go to the Conclusion of the article to read the bulk of the answer

Some churches teach that Christians are required to tithe. Tithing is giving one-tenth of your income to God’s work. I have personally heard tithing taught in Baptist, Full Faith, Assembly of God, and Pentecostal churches. Most of these churches teach that not tithing is robbing God. And I have sat and heard those warnings. In

I want to preface this article by saying I had a hard time writing it because I love pastors and Bible teachers even when they teach opposing doctrines. They’re dedicated, hard-working, sincere, loving people who sacrifice much of their lives for their people. But it hurts my heart when I see teachers teaching different things

First, it should be noted that not all Quakers consider themselves Christians but many doi, and since they do that is why they’re being considered here. On the other hand the Salvation Army considers itself “an evangelical part of the universal Christian Church” ii, and they appear to be unique as a group that as

This is a post first published in 2012.  I have added more about the difference between the benefit of legally having an autonomous local church principle versus some of the errors in the scriptural basis taught about this concept. The autonomy of the local church is an aspect of the division in Christianity over which

War

Dietary Laws divide the Church.

The issue of the role of women in the church is complicated and far-reaching.  It is complicated because there are examples of women in powerful roles in the Bible while there are verses that appear to say that women shouldn’t even speak in public in church.  To see how far-reaching this dispute is look at

The Word of Faith movement is based on the precept that God has promised health and prosperity to all believers so it is a simple matter of confessing these gifts from God as having been received and they will be there. The doctrine is often called “Name it and Claim It”. The alternate viewpoint is

Among the many issues that differentiate churches and denominations is the basic issue of church government. After many centuries of mostly Episcopal (hierarchical) rule the Reformation saw changes that started Presbyterian and Congregational rule in the churches. Initially the center of Christianity was Jerusalem. But right after the church’s beginning the Dispersion happened where the

The question of evolution is a complex one. There are believers of different faiths who state unequivocally that evolution of species is absolutely false because God created our world, “as is” in six literal days as stated in Genesis chapter one. Others state that proponents of a young earth are misreading the text, saying it

While most pastors counsel in the form of pastoral counseling, some pastors reject psychology calling it “psychobabble,” even if done by Christian psychoanalysts. Traditionally the difference between traditional counseling and pastoral counseling is that pastoral counseling has been called clinical theology in the sense that the focus has been to address problems by instruction in

I recently read an interesting report about predestination, “President Wayland, in ‘Notes on the Principles and Practices of the Baptists,’ says that in the early part of his ministry he was settled in an intelligent community in the goodly commonwealth of Massachusetts. In his church was a gentleman reputed to be intelligent in the doctrines

Eternal Security is the teaching that “once saved, always saved”. There are two extremes relating to this doctrine. Catholics teach that if you die with mortal sin you can go to hell for eternity. Pentecostals, Assemblies of God, Methodists and Lutherans also teach that salvation can be lost. Anglicans, Baptists and Presbyterians as well as

I recently went to a Greek food Festival at a Greek Orthodox Church. This annual festival is a popular event around where I live. Besides some great gyros and lamb dinners, one of the stations in the festival is a bar where you can buy alcoholic beverages. That denomination not only allows drinking alcoholic beverages,

Underlying some of the basic differences in the interpretation of the bible and consequently, divisions among believers, are the concepts of Covenantism and Dispensationalism. Covenantism is a theology that puts all of history into the framework of old and new covenants. Covenant can also be translated testament. In other words and while this may be