Experience has taught me that the Shepherd is far more willing to show his sheep the path than the sheep are to follow. He is endlessly merciful, patient, tender, and loving.
Elisabeth Elliot
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My Dear Ones,
Sometimes people write to me and ask me about which church or religion I consider to offer the greatest truth or could be called the “TRUE CHURCH”.
Still others come claiming that THEY consider THEIR CHURCH to be the TRUE CHURCH and I had better believe it OR… (usually they then provide me with what they feel will result if I do not accept THEIR faith or religious beliefs and somewhere “eternal damnation” is usually stated or implied).
The first group is open for discussion and I always appreciate when people come in love and peace and who are willing to discuss the varied aspects of spiritual ideas logically and without dogmatic prejudice.
The second group has their own agenda and one cannot change anything that has hardened into stone.. Thus, they are not here to learn from what I offer but feel fully equipped to correct, rebuke and/or teach me as though their knowledge, wisdom and authority surpasses my own.
Sadly, there are far too many “self-ordained experts (sic)” who only know what they have been taught by a singular religious conviction, dogma and/or tradition. Often just parroting the viewpoint of a limited number of sources (and/or) mis-instructed or under-educated teachers.
The result is that when I bring up things they do not comprehend or disagree with instead of mindful consideration, reassessment and personal study they just react emotionally…often becoming frustrated and turning toward anger as though any difference to what they believe implies a personal assault against them.
Some even then go so far as to claim they “know the truth” and that the “Holy Spirit” sees things exactly as they do… which usually then leads to the misuse of the word “rebuke” and a total shut-down of any further debate or discussion.
For the record there is a difference between “open debate, discussion and opinion” and “grandstanding”.
Some well-meaning people have just not learned the difference and I sometimes find comments on my blog that are nothing more than somebody jumping onto “my soapbox” proclaiming their own faith or dogma as being superior (more often than not without anything to back up their ideas other than a few “out of context” or “misused” verses of Scripture)
Rightness is not well expressed by rudeness and truth cannot be found once someone closes their ears and opens their mouth. I am open for discussion on most issues but please understand that I have spent a great deal of time questioning and studying from a multi-perspective assortment of resources.
My viewpoints may at times differ greatly from traditional teachings of established religions and they are offered in Love to inspire people to think for themselves and seek understanding beyond what others tell them is right.
I am not here to tell people WHAT to think or believe…I am here to tell people TO THINK AND BELIEVE and then provide what I have learned in over 30 years of study, prayer, revelation and research.
“Debate and opinion” allows room for discussion…
…“Grandstanding” does not.
Anyway, Let’s begin this study by looking at the dictionary definition of “CHURCH” then I shall include an essay that I think offers some further insights regarding the various considerations when deciding what might be called the “TRUE CHURCH”.
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CHURCH:
Main Entry: 1church Pronunciation: 'ch&rchFunction: nounEtymology: Middle English chirche, from Old English cirice, ultimately from Late Greek kyriakon, from Greek, neuter of kyriakos of the lord, from kyrios lord, master; akin to Sanskrit sura hero, warrior1 : a building for public and especially Christian worship2 : the clergy or officialdom of a religious body3 often capitalized : a body or organization of religious believers: as a : the whole body of Christians b : DENOMINATIONc : CONGREGATION4 : a public divine worship 5 : the clerical profession
(Source: http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/church )
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WHICH, IF ANY, IS THE "TRUE" CHRISTIAN CHURCH?
The task of selecting the true church:
The Encyclopedia of American Religions 1 lists 1,588 religious denominations, sects, faith groups, organizations, etc. Most are currently operating in North America; a few are defunct but have been recently active. The vast majority of them consider themselves to be Christian. Some of these groups believe that they are the only true Christian church. But how does one find out which denomination really is? Some possibilities:
Perhaps one of them is the true church.
Perhaps none of them are. All of the Christian denominations may have strayed so far from Jesus' original intent, that all may be deeply flawed.
Perhaps many faith groups are different manifestations of the true church - even though their rituals and practices differ.
Perhaps a historical faith group, now defunct, was the rightful owner of that title. There have been a lot of religious genocides down through the ages, perpetrated by which ever religious group was in power.
Perhaps Jesus did not intend to found a church at all; in that case, there has never been a true church.
This essay explores these possibilities.
How Christianity fragmented:
Christendom has not been a unified movement throughout most of its history. With the possible exception of a few years circa 31 CE, from the execution of Jesus to the conversion of Paul, there have always been at least two competing faith groups which seriously, devoutly, thoughtfully and prayerfully believed themselves to be true Christianity. A broad overview of Christian history follows:
1st century CE: There were at least three distinct divisions within the Christian movement: the Jewish Christians (led by Jesus' brother James, with Jesus' disciples, and their followers), Pauline Christians (followers of St. Paul) and Gnostic Christians (people who believed that salvation came through secret knowledge). Each believed themselves to be the true church, and were highly critical of the other two.
4th century CE: The Roman Emperor Theodosian issued a series of decrees to "suppress all rival religions, order the closing of the temples, and impose fines, confiscation, imprisonment or death upon any who cling to the older [Pagan] religions." 2 The church used the power of the state to begin programs to oppress, exile or exterminate both Pagans and Gnostic Christians. Church authority had became concentrated in the five bishops or patriarchs located in Alexandria, Antioch, Constantinople, Jerusalem and Rome. Although they were officially given equal status, the Bishop of Rome was considered the first among the equals. 3
6th century CE: Only Pauline Christianity had survived in the Mediterranean area, in the form of a deeply divided Catholic church. Gnostic Christianity had been suppressed; Jewish Christianity had died out. There were independent Christian groups in Egypt, India and elsewhere which were not part of Catholicism.
1054 CE: The great schism formally divided Christendom into two main groups: Roman Catholicism in western Europe, and the Eastern Orthodox churches in the east.
1517 CE: Martin Luther triggered the Protestant Reformation.
16th century to the present time: Protestantism fragmented into more than a dozen families of denominations, and thousands of individual faith groups -- over 1,000 in North America alone.
On what basis can we identify the "true" church?
We can approach this question in many ways. There are many criteria that can be used. Unfortunately, they lead in many different directions. For example, we can examine:
What some very conservative denominations say: Some faith groups already claim to be the one true church. It is possible that one of them is correct.
What other groups say: Some conservative, mainline and liberal denominations believe that the true church is composed of many individual faith groups, each representing a different version of the true church. There might not be a single "true" church; there may be many.
What Jesus said: Perhaps Jesus' words in the Gospels can be used to identify the true church.
Jesus' behavior towards social outcasts: Perhaps the "true" church deals with people in the same way that Jesus did. By studying how Jesus treated others, we might identify a church that interacts with people in the same way.
What Jesus asked of his disciples: Perhaps Jesus' expectations of modern-day Christians are similar to what he expected of his disciples.
The example of Jesus' disciples: At Jesus' execution, his disciples knew more about his thoughts, goals and intentions than anyone else. Perhaps today's true church is the one that is closest to the religious organization that they formed.
Which the most successful Christian faith group is. God might wish to make certain that the true church would have the greatest number of members.
In a separate essay, we describe what a group of Mormons suggest are indicators of the "true church." Not surprisingly, they conclude that the LDS Church is that church.
What some very conservative Christian denominations say:
Many regard their own faith group to be the only true church. Three examples are:
Joseph Smith, the founder of the LDS Restoration movement, was troubled by the multiplicity of Christian sects. He received a vision at the age of 14. God and Jesus Christ appeared separately before Joseph and told him that all of the Christian sects and denominations were in error and that he should not join any of them. He founded the Church of Christ in 1830. It teaches that its beliefs and practices are a restoration of the very early Christian church. Today, the movement has grown to include almost 100 denominations and sects of which the largest is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints -- commonly referred to as the Mormons.
Jehovah's Witnesses teach that theirs is the only true religion. They believe that in the near future, at the Battle of Armageddon, many people (particularly those who are not Jehovah's Witnesses) will be destroyed for all eternity in a terrible slaughter.
The Roman Catholic church teaches that it is the only completely valid church. Its pope is believed to be infallible in certain pronouncements on faith and morals. God prevents him from committing error. But, after Vatican II, the church has recognized that the beliefs of other faith groups and religions contain some validity, at least in those cases where they agree with the Roman Catholic church.
Unfortunately, such exclusive statements - that their denomination is the only valid one - are not particularly useful. Only one faith group, at most, is correct. The others must be wrong. In fact, all may be wrong.
What other Christian denominations say:
Many other faith groups, representing the full range of conservative to liberal Christianity, have more inclusive beliefs regarding the validity of other denominations:
Many Fundamentalist and other Evangelical denominations from the conservative wing of Christianity recognize the validity of each other's teachings. Their clergy often cooperate in local Evangelical ministerial associations, which generally exclude representatives of more liberal denominations. They agree on fundamental beliefs and only differ in minor ways relating to practice and organization.
More liberal Christian denominations tend to recognize the validity of all Christian faith groups: conservative, mainline and liberal. Their clergy often cooperate in local ecumenical Ministerial associations which are open to all Christian clergy.
Some conservative faith groups do not view any single denomination as the true church. Rather, the "church" is made up of all of those individuals who have been saved: i.e. individuals who have repented of their sins and trusted Jesus as Lord and Savior - whether they be Pentecostals, Seventh Day Adventists, or Southern Baptists.
What did Jesus say?
Not much. Although the word "church" appears in the New Testament of the King James Version of the Bible 72 times, only two are found in statements attributed to Jesus. Both verses are in the gospel of Matthew:
Matthew 16:18: "...thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church..."
This passage has been considered a play on words by some Bible commentators. In Jesus' native tongue, Aramaic, the word for Peter is Kepha. The word for a stone or fragment of a rock is also kepha. In Greek, these words Petros and Petra. Some consider the verse to be a pun, a simple bit of humor, without any serious significance.
The Roman Catholic church interprets this passage literally. They teach that Peter later went to Rome, founded the Catholic church, and became its first pope. Some theologians believe that there is no historical evidence of this relocation.
Other conservative Christian commentators believe that the passage implies that Peter is to be considered a fragment of the rock - the rock itself being Jesus. 4 That is: the true Christian Church is to be built upon Jesus. Peter is to be considered as one contributor - one piece of the rock.
Most liberals do not regard the passage as being the authentic words of Jesus. They believe that the passage was composed by the author of Matthew circa 90 CE, some 6 decades after Jesus' execution, and the words attributed to Jesus. The author's motivation was to reinforce the legitimacy of the Christian church. "All of this is Christian language and reflects conditions in the budding institution," 5 It would not have formed part of Jesus' ministry. The word translated here as "church" is ekklesia in Greek. At the time, it meant a community of believers (something like a house church), not an organized church with clergy and a hierarchy. 6
Matt 18:15-17: "Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican."
Jesus is instructing his followers how to resolve intra-group conflicts, via a graduated series of responses. It starts with a meeting between the two persons who are directly affected; they attempt to resolve the problem. If necessary, it escalates to the level of a type of excommunication of the responsible individual from the Christian movement.
Most conservative theologians regard the reference to church as pertaining to the local congregation. 4
Most liberal theologians believe that "It seems certain that such advanced regulations did not come from Jesus but from the early church itself..." 2 Thus the words were composed by the anonymous author of the gospel, and were not actually said by Jesus. "The regulations are relevant to a time when the Christian community had to develop procedures for dealing with deviant behavior;" 5 These thoughts would not have formed part of Jesus'' ministry.
And so, we have the usual split among many conservative Protestants, liberal Protestants, and the Catholic church about Jesus' teachings. These derive from their very different beliefs about the nature of the Bible:
Roman Catholics believe that Jesus selected Peter to organize the Catholic church, centered in Rome, and to be its first pope.
Many other conservative Christians believe that it was Jesus' intention to found a formal religious organization, a church like today's conservative denominations.
Many very liberal Christians believe that Jesus had no desire to form a church organization, but was trying to convert individuals to his belief system via his own example, and by teaching. Thus, there is no "true" Christian church today, in the sense that no denomination matches Jesus' intent.
How did Jesus behave towards social outcasts?
Jesus' main religious opponents, the Pharisees, Scribes, continually criticized him for being in the company of publicans and sinners:
Mark 2:15-16: "...as Jesus sat at meat in his house, many publicans and sinners sat also together with Jesus and his disciples..."
Matthew 9:10-11: "...many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples. And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto his disciples, Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners?" (KJV)
Matthew 11:19 "...Behold a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners..."
Luke 5:30: "But their scribes and Pharisees murmured against his disciples, saying, Why do ye eat and drink with publicans and sinners?"
Luke 7:34: "Behold a gluttonous man, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners!"
Luke 15:1-2: "Then drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to hear him. And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them."
The term publican is translated in most other versions of the New Testament as tax collectors - perhaps the most despised persons in the community. Some theologians believe that the sinners "would have included women of questionable reputation." 5 One Bible commentary remarks that the Pharisees and scribes observed "that Jesus formed relationships with people they considered to be social outcasts." 4 Such individuals were "considered ceremonially unclean by Jewish standards."
Many groups have been considered social outcasts in North American society during the past two centuries: Roman Catholics, Irish and other large groups of immigrants, Jews, African-Americans, etc. But by the end of the 20th century, all of these groups have become more or less fully integrated into society. Rejection of groups because of their race, nationality, religion, gender, etc. are no longer allowed in polite company. The only main exceptions today are gays and lesbians. Homosexuals are still considered social outcasts by a large proportion of North Americans. We may conclude that if Jesus returned to earth tomorrow, he would be seen celebrating by eating and drinking with gays and lesbians. Few present-day denominations follow Jesus' lead by welcoming gays and lesbians as full members. The principal one is the Metropolitan Community Church, which has a special ministry to homosexuals, bisexuals and transsexuals. Other inclusive faith groups are a number of liberal denominations: Unitarian Universalist Association, United Church of Christ, United Church of Canada, Unity Church, and some others.
What did Jesus ask of his disciples?
Jesus expected his disciples to abandon their family, give away their possessions, accept a life of poverty, and follow Jesus as an itinerant preacher who relied on the charity of others. There are major anti-family aspects involved in this message. Some passages which mention this are:
Matthew 19:27-30: Peter said that he and the rest of the disciples had left everything to follow Jesus. He asked what would happen to them in the future. Jesus replied that his followers would sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. Verse 29 continues: "And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life." (Some ancient manuscripts of Luke said "everyone who has left...mother or wife")
Mark 10:28-30: This is similar to Matthew 19:27-30
Luke 9:59-62: "Then He said to another, 'Follow Me.' But he said, 'Lord, let me first go and bury my father.' Jesus said to him, 'Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God.' And another also said, 'Lord, I will follow You, but let me first go and bid them farewell who are at my house.' But Jesus said to him, 'No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.'" (NKJ) Jesus seems to be implying that to attain the kingdom of God, one is expected to drop everything and follow Jesus. This was considered so important that a person should violate a major Jewish law by not giving priority to burying their father.
Some might argue that the true church of today is that faith group that follows the demands that Jesus required of his disciples: abandon their family, give away all of their possessions to the poor, travel around as itinerant preachers of the gospel, and rely on the generosity of others.
This accurately describes an American faith group without a formal name, which is sometimes called the Body of Christ, The Brotherhood, Church of the Brotherhood, Brothers and Sisters, or the Roberts Group. Counter cult groups, disaffected parents of Body of Christ members, and others frequently call them by the derogatory term Garbage Eaters.
The example of Jesus' disciples:
After the death/suicide of Judas, the 11 surviving disciples of Jesus elected a twelfth man to their group: Matthias. James, one of four brothers of Jesus headed the movement; Peter was an important leader. Centered in Jerusalem, they spread Jesus' teachings to their fellow Jews. They were called Nazoreans or Nazarenes (Notzrim in Hebrew) by the Jews, and Christians (Christianoi or Nazoraioi in Greek) by the Gentiles (non-Jews). They were observant Jews. They continued to follow the Jewish laws concerning circumcision, diet, festivals, the Saturday Sabbath, and ritual. They had animals ritually sacrificed at the temple on their behalf.
The Jewish Christians considered themselves to be a reform movement within Judaism. They had followed Jesus and formed close emotional bond with him for at least a year (according to the synoptic gospels) and three years (according to the gospel of John). They knew more about Jesus' teachings than anyone else. It can be argued that they tried to carry out his wishes when they organized the Jewish Christian movement. Perhaps the "true church" is not a Christian church at all, but is today's Reform Judaism.
Which is the most successful denomination or family of denominations?
Since the various denominations have widely varying beliefs and practices, and since all Christian faith groups believe in God, then it might be argued that God would favor one denomination (or group of denominations) over all others. If so, then one might expect the true church to be the one group that has the greatest number of members. In the very early years of the Christian movement, i.e. the first few years after Jesus' death, this would have been the Jewish Christian movement, centered in Jerusalem under the leadership of James, the brother of Jesus. But within about five years, Pauline Christianity came into being. It eventually triumphed over the other early Christian movements and became the Catholic Church, centered in Rome. Since then, it has continually had the greatest number of members of all of the faith groups within Christianity. At the moment, the Roman Catholic church membership is in decline, and the Pentecostal movement is experiencing the greatest growth. So, using the criteria of popularity, one might argue that either the Roman Catholic church or the Pentecostal movement represents the true Christian church.
Conclusions:
Depending upon the approach used to determine the "true church", one can come up with answers as diverse as the Anglicans, Fundamentalists and other Evangelicals, Mennonites, Methodists, the Metropolitan Community Church, Pentecostals, Quakers, Reform Judaism, Roman Catholic church, Unitarian Universalist Association, United Church of Christ, and Unity Church.
In a separate essay, we describe how a group of Mormons justify their belief that their church is the true one. In another essay, we describe the beliefs of an Evangelical Christian on this topic.
There appears to be no clear, obvious choice. However, we suspect that many of the readers of this essay will assume that their own denominations is the true church; it is only human nature.
Related essay:
Which is the "true" religion?
References:
J.G. Melton, Ed., "The Encyclopedia of American Religions," Triumph Books, (1991). A 3 volume set.
Joseph McCabe, "A Rationalist Encyclopaedia: A book of reference on religion, philosophy, ethics and science," Gryphon Books (1971). Excerpts appear at: http://www.christianism.com/articles/18.html
David Levinson, "Religion: A cross cultural dictionary," Oxford University Press, (1996). Topics: Eastern Orthodoxy & Roman Catholicism.
J.D.Douglas, Ed., "New Commentary on the Whole Bible, New Testament Volume" Tyndale House, (1990)
R.W. Funk, et. al., "The five gospels: the search for the authentic words of Jesus," Macmillan, (1993)
C.M. Laymon, Ed., "The Interpreter's one volume commentary on the Bible, Albingdon, (1991)
H.C. Hoeksema, "The marks of the true church," at: http://www.prca.org/pamphlets/pamphlet_73.html
D.R. Larsen, "There is but one true church of Christ," at: http://www.scripturessay.com/ch3.html
"The search for the true church," Amazing Facts, at: http://www.amazingfacts.org/catalog/pb/bk-stc.html
M.T. Griffith, "Forty-one points of the true church," at: http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/MGriffith_2/points.htm
Which church is the one true church?
People mistakenly think that there is an earthly organization that is the one true church. The true church is not an organization, not a series of buildings, but the body of true believers. The true church consists of those who are regenerate; that is, it consists of those who are the true Christians. There are, however, churches that are Christian and churches that are not Christian.
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Of course this is in reference to the CHRISTIAN FAITH and one might reasonably argue that the TRUE CHURCH might be expanded in scope to include some who may not refer to themselves as “CHRISTIAN” (per se’) but still could be called part of the TRUE CHURCH.
Remember that I actually believe that the TRUE CHURCH is not a religion, building or specific set of dogmas or doctrines.
To me the TRUE CHURCH is everywhere and we all daily are in it whether we know it or not.
When one begins to live by YHWH’s LAW OF LOVE and accepts the precepts and principles thereof one becomes a knowing member of this “universal unified church” and each becomes their own priest and accountable only to YHWH (God) for whatever else they desire or are inspired to believe or learn within it.
BE LOVE & BE LOVED!
PLEASE NOTE: Information presented in the essay provided above is intended for consideration and educational purposes only and may or may not reflect the beliefs and/or understandings of JESUS OF ZION.
Elisabeth Elliot
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My Dear Ones,
Sometimes people write to me and ask me about which church or religion I consider to offer the greatest truth or could be called the “TRUE CHURCH”.
Still others come claiming that THEY consider THEIR CHURCH to be the TRUE CHURCH and I had better believe it OR… (usually they then provide me with what they feel will result if I do not accept THEIR faith or religious beliefs and somewhere “eternal damnation” is usually stated or implied).
The first group is open for discussion and I always appreciate when people come in love and peace and who are willing to discuss the varied aspects of spiritual ideas logically and without dogmatic prejudice.
The second group has their own agenda and one cannot change anything that has hardened into stone.. Thus, they are not here to learn from what I offer but feel fully equipped to correct, rebuke and/or teach me as though their knowledge, wisdom and authority surpasses my own.
Sadly, there are far too many “self-ordained experts (sic)” who only know what they have been taught by a singular religious conviction, dogma and/or tradition. Often just parroting the viewpoint of a limited number of sources (and/or) mis-instructed or under-educated teachers.
The result is that when I bring up things they do not comprehend or disagree with instead of mindful consideration, reassessment and personal study they just react emotionally…often becoming frustrated and turning toward anger as though any difference to what they believe implies a personal assault against them.
Some even then go so far as to claim they “know the truth” and that the “Holy Spirit” sees things exactly as they do… which usually then leads to the misuse of the word “rebuke” and a total shut-down of any further debate or discussion.
For the record there is a difference between “open debate, discussion and opinion” and “grandstanding”.
Some well-meaning people have just not learned the difference and I sometimes find comments on my blog that are nothing more than somebody jumping onto “my soapbox” proclaiming their own faith or dogma as being superior (more often than not without anything to back up their ideas other than a few “out of context” or “misused” verses of Scripture)
Rightness is not well expressed by rudeness and truth cannot be found once someone closes their ears and opens their mouth. I am open for discussion on most issues but please understand that I have spent a great deal of time questioning and studying from a multi-perspective assortment of resources.
My viewpoints may at times differ greatly from traditional teachings of established religions and they are offered in Love to inspire people to think for themselves and seek understanding beyond what others tell them is right.
I am not here to tell people WHAT to think or believe…I am here to tell people TO THINK AND BELIEVE and then provide what I have learned in over 30 years of study, prayer, revelation and research.
“Debate and opinion” allows room for discussion…
…“Grandstanding” does not.
Anyway, Let’s begin this study by looking at the dictionary definition of “CHURCH” then I shall include an essay that I think offers some further insights regarding the various considerations when deciding what might be called the “TRUE CHURCH”.
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CHURCH:
Main Entry: 1church Pronunciation: 'ch&rchFunction: nounEtymology: Middle English chirche, from Old English cirice, ultimately from Late Greek kyriakon, from Greek, neuter of kyriakos of the lord, from kyrios lord, master; akin to Sanskrit sura hero, warrior1 : a building for public and especially Christian worship2 : the clergy or officialdom of a religious body3 often capitalized : a body or organization of religious believers: as a : the whole body of Christians b : DENOMINATION
(Source: http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/church )
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WHICH, IF ANY, IS THE "TRUE" CHRISTIAN CHURCH?
The task of selecting the true church:
The Encyclopedia of American Religions 1 lists 1,588 religious denominations, sects, faith groups, organizations, etc. Most are currently operating in North America; a few are defunct but have been recently active. The vast majority of them consider themselves to be Christian. Some of these groups believe that they are the only true Christian church. But how does one find out which denomination really is? Some possibilities:
Perhaps one of them is the true church.
Perhaps none of them are. All of the Christian denominations may have strayed so far from Jesus' original intent, that all may be deeply flawed.
Perhaps many faith groups are different manifestations of the true church - even though their rituals and practices differ.
Perhaps a historical faith group, now defunct, was the rightful owner of that title. There have been a lot of religious genocides down through the ages, perpetrated by which ever religious group was in power.
Perhaps Jesus did not intend to found a church at all; in that case, there has never been a true church.
This essay explores these possibilities.
How Christianity fragmented:
Christendom has not been a unified movement throughout most of its history. With the possible exception of a few years circa 31 CE, from the execution of Jesus to the conversion of Paul, there have always been at least two competing faith groups which seriously, devoutly, thoughtfully and prayerfully believed themselves to be true Christianity. A broad overview of Christian history follows:
1st century CE: There were at least three distinct divisions within the Christian movement: the Jewish Christians (led by Jesus' brother James, with Jesus' disciples, and their followers), Pauline Christians (followers of St. Paul) and Gnostic Christians (people who believed that salvation came through secret knowledge). Each believed themselves to be the true church, and were highly critical of the other two.
4th century CE: The Roman Emperor Theodosian issued a series of decrees to "suppress all rival religions, order the closing of the temples, and impose fines, confiscation, imprisonment or death upon any who cling to the older [Pagan] religions." 2 The church used the power of the state to begin programs to oppress, exile or exterminate both Pagans and Gnostic Christians. Church authority had became concentrated in the five bishops or patriarchs located in Alexandria, Antioch, Constantinople, Jerusalem and Rome. Although they were officially given equal status, the Bishop of Rome was considered the first among the equals. 3
6th century CE: Only Pauline Christianity had survived in the Mediterranean area, in the form of a deeply divided Catholic church. Gnostic Christianity had been suppressed; Jewish Christianity had died out. There were independent Christian groups in Egypt, India and elsewhere which were not part of Catholicism.
1054 CE: The great schism formally divided Christendom into two main groups: Roman Catholicism in western Europe, and the Eastern Orthodox churches in the east.
1517 CE: Martin Luther triggered the Protestant Reformation.
16th century to the present time: Protestantism fragmented into more than a dozen families of denominations, and thousands of individual faith groups -- over 1,000 in North America alone.
On what basis can we identify the "true" church?
We can approach this question in many ways. There are many criteria that can be used. Unfortunately, they lead in many different directions. For example, we can examine:
What some very conservative denominations say: Some faith groups already claim to be the one true church. It is possible that one of them is correct.
What other groups say: Some conservative, mainline and liberal denominations believe that the true church is composed of many individual faith groups, each representing a different version of the true church. There might not be a single "true" church; there may be many.
What Jesus said: Perhaps Jesus' words in the Gospels can be used to identify the true church.
Jesus' behavior towards social outcasts: Perhaps the "true" church deals with people in the same way that Jesus did. By studying how Jesus treated others, we might identify a church that interacts with people in the same way.
What Jesus asked of his disciples: Perhaps Jesus' expectations of modern-day Christians are similar to what he expected of his disciples.
The example of Jesus' disciples: At Jesus' execution, his disciples knew more about his thoughts, goals and intentions than anyone else. Perhaps today's true church is the one that is closest to the religious organization that they formed.
Which the most successful Christian faith group is. God might wish to make certain that the true church would have the greatest number of members.
In a separate essay, we describe what a group of Mormons suggest are indicators of the "true church." Not surprisingly, they conclude that the LDS Church is that church.
What some very conservative Christian denominations say:
Many regard their own faith group to be the only true church. Three examples are:
Joseph Smith, the founder of the LDS Restoration movement, was troubled by the multiplicity of Christian sects. He received a vision at the age of 14. God and Jesus Christ appeared separately before Joseph and told him that all of the Christian sects and denominations were in error and that he should not join any of them. He founded the Church of Christ in 1830. It teaches that its beliefs and practices are a restoration of the very early Christian church. Today, the movement has grown to include almost 100 denominations and sects of which the largest is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints -- commonly referred to as the Mormons.
Jehovah's Witnesses teach that theirs is the only true religion. They believe that in the near future, at the Battle of Armageddon, many people (particularly those who are not Jehovah's Witnesses) will be destroyed for all eternity in a terrible slaughter.
The Roman Catholic church teaches that it is the only completely valid church. Its pope is believed to be infallible in certain pronouncements on faith and morals. God prevents him from committing error. But, after Vatican II, the church has recognized that the beliefs of other faith groups and religions contain some validity, at least in those cases where they agree with the Roman Catholic church.
Unfortunately, such exclusive statements - that their denomination is the only valid one - are not particularly useful. Only one faith group, at most, is correct. The others must be wrong. In fact, all may be wrong.
What other Christian denominations say:
Many other faith groups, representing the full range of conservative to liberal Christianity, have more inclusive beliefs regarding the validity of other denominations:
Many Fundamentalist and other Evangelical denominations from the conservative wing of Christianity recognize the validity of each other's teachings. Their clergy often cooperate in local Evangelical ministerial associations, which generally exclude representatives of more liberal denominations. They agree on fundamental beliefs and only differ in minor ways relating to practice and organization.
More liberal Christian denominations tend to recognize the validity of all Christian faith groups: conservative, mainline and liberal. Their clergy often cooperate in local ecumenical Ministerial associations which are open to all Christian clergy.
Some conservative faith groups do not view any single denomination as the true church. Rather, the "church" is made up of all of those individuals who have been saved: i.e. individuals who have repented of their sins and trusted Jesus as Lord and Savior - whether they be Pentecostals, Seventh Day Adventists, or Southern Baptists.
What did Jesus say?
Not much. Although the word "church" appears in the New Testament of the King James Version of the Bible 72 times, only two are found in statements attributed to Jesus. Both verses are in the gospel of Matthew:
Matthew 16:18: "...thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church..."
This passage has been considered a play on words by some Bible commentators. In Jesus' native tongue, Aramaic, the word for Peter is Kepha. The word for a stone or fragment of a rock is also kepha. In Greek, these words Petros and Petra. Some consider the verse to be a pun, a simple bit of humor, without any serious significance.
The Roman Catholic church interprets this passage literally. They teach that Peter later went to Rome, founded the Catholic church, and became its first pope. Some theologians believe that there is no historical evidence of this relocation.
Other conservative Christian commentators believe that the passage implies that Peter is to be considered a fragment of the rock - the rock itself being Jesus. 4 That is: the true Christian Church is to be built upon Jesus. Peter is to be considered as one contributor - one piece of the rock.
Most liberals do not regard the passage as being the authentic words of Jesus. They believe that the passage was composed by the author of Matthew circa 90 CE, some 6 decades after Jesus' execution, and the words attributed to Jesus. The author's motivation was to reinforce the legitimacy of the Christian church. "All of this is Christian language and reflects conditions in the budding institution," 5 It would not have formed part of Jesus' ministry. The word translated here as "church" is ekklesia in Greek. At the time, it meant a community of believers (something like a house church), not an organized church with clergy and a hierarchy. 6
Matt 18:15-17: "Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican."
Jesus is instructing his followers how to resolve intra-group conflicts, via a graduated series of responses. It starts with a meeting between the two persons who are directly affected; they attempt to resolve the problem. If necessary, it escalates to the level of a type of excommunication of the responsible individual from the Christian movement.
Most conservative theologians regard the reference to church as pertaining to the local congregation. 4
Most liberal theologians believe that "It seems certain that such advanced regulations did not come from Jesus but from the early church itself..." 2 Thus the words were composed by the anonymous author of the gospel, and were not actually said by Jesus. "The regulations are relevant to a time when the Christian community had to develop procedures for dealing with deviant behavior;" 5 These thoughts would not have formed part of Jesus'' ministry.
And so, we have the usual split among many conservative Protestants, liberal Protestants, and the Catholic church about Jesus' teachings. These derive from their very different beliefs about the nature of the Bible:
Roman Catholics believe that Jesus selected Peter to organize the Catholic church, centered in Rome, and to be its first pope.
Many other conservative Christians believe that it was Jesus' intention to found a formal religious organization, a church like today's conservative denominations.
Many very liberal Christians believe that Jesus had no desire to form a church organization, but was trying to convert individuals to his belief system via his own example, and by teaching. Thus, there is no "true" Christian church today, in the sense that no denomination matches Jesus' intent.
How did Jesus behave towards social outcasts?
Jesus' main religious opponents, the Pharisees, Scribes, continually criticized him for being in the company of publicans and sinners:
Mark 2:15-16: "...as Jesus sat at meat in his house, many publicans and sinners sat also together with Jesus and his disciples..."
Matthew 9:10-11: "...many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples. And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto his disciples, Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners?" (KJV)
Matthew 11:19 "...Behold a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners..."
Luke 5:30: "But their scribes and Pharisees murmured against his disciples, saying, Why do ye eat and drink with publicans and sinners?"
Luke 7:34: "Behold a gluttonous man, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners!"
Luke 15:1-2: "Then drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to hear him. And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them."
The term publican is translated in most other versions of the New Testament as tax collectors - perhaps the most despised persons in the community. Some theologians believe that the sinners "would have included women of questionable reputation." 5 One Bible commentary remarks that the Pharisees and scribes observed "that Jesus formed relationships with people they considered to be social outcasts." 4 Such individuals were "considered ceremonially unclean by Jewish standards."
Many groups have been considered social outcasts in North American society during the past two centuries: Roman Catholics, Irish and other large groups of immigrants, Jews, African-Americans, etc. But by the end of the 20th century, all of these groups have become more or less fully integrated into society. Rejection of groups because of their race, nationality, religion, gender, etc. are no longer allowed in polite company. The only main exceptions today are gays and lesbians. Homosexuals are still considered social outcasts by a large proportion of North Americans. We may conclude that if Jesus returned to earth tomorrow, he would be seen celebrating by eating and drinking with gays and lesbians. Few present-day denominations follow Jesus' lead by welcoming gays and lesbians as full members. The principal one is the Metropolitan Community Church, which has a special ministry to homosexuals, bisexuals and transsexuals. Other inclusive faith groups are a number of liberal denominations: Unitarian Universalist Association, United Church of Christ, United Church of Canada, Unity Church, and some others.
What did Jesus ask of his disciples?
Jesus expected his disciples to abandon their family, give away their possessions, accept a life of poverty, and follow Jesus as an itinerant preacher who relied on the charity of others. There are major anti-family aspects involved in this message. Some passages which mention this are:
Matthew 19:27-30: Peter said that he and the rest of the disciples had left everything to follow Jesus. He asked what would happen to them in the future. Jesus replied that his followers would sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. Verse 29 continues: "And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life." (Some ancient manuscripts of Luke said "everyone who has left...mother or wife")
Mark 10:28-30: This is similar to Matthew 19:27-30
Luke 9:59-62: "Then He said to another, 'Follow Me.' But he said, 'Lord, let me first go and bury my father.' Jesus said to him, 'Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God.' And another also said, 'Lord, I will follow You, but let me first go and bid them farewell who are at my house.' But Jesus said to him, 'No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.'" (NKJ) Jesus seems to be implying that to attain the kingdom of God, one is expected to drop everything and follow Jesus. This was considered so important that a person should violate a major Jewish law by not giving priority to burying their father.
Some might argue that the true church of today is that faith group that follows the demands that Jesus required of his disciples: abandon their family, give away all of their possessions to the poor, travel around as itinerant preachers of the gospel, and rely on the generosity of others.
This accurately describes an American faith group without a formal name, which is sometimes called the Body of Christ, The Brotherhood, Church of the Brotherhood, Brothers and Sisters, or the Roberts Group. Counter cult groups, disaffected parents of Body of Christ members, and others frequently call them by the derogatory term Garbage Eaters.
The example of Jesus' disciples:
After the death/suicide of Judas, the 11 surviving disciples of Jesus elected a twelfth man to their group: Matthias. James, one of four brothers of Jesus headed the movement; Peter was an important leader. Centered in Jerusalem, they spread Jesus' teachings to their fellow Jews. They were called Nazoreans or Nazarenes (Notzrim in Hebrew) by the Jews, and Christians (Christianoi or Nazoraioi in Greek) by the Gentiles (non-Jews). They were observant Jews. They continued to follow the Jewish laws concerning circumcision, diet, festivals, the Saturday Sabbath, and ritual. They had animals ritually sacrificed at the temple on their behalf.
The Jewish Christians considered themselves to be a reform movement within Judaism. They had followed Jesus and formed close emotional bond with him for at least a year (according to the synoptic gospels) and three years (according to the gospel of John). They knew more about Jesus' teachings than anyone else. It can be argued that they tried to carry out his wishes when they organized the Jewish Christian movement. Perhaps the "true church" is not a Christian church at all, but is today's Reform Judaism.
Which is the most successful denomination or family of denominations?
Since the various denominations have widely varying beliefs and practices, and since all Christian faith groups believe in God, then it might be argued that God would favor one denomination (or group of denominations) over all others. If so, then one might expect the true church to be the one group that has the greatest number of members. In the very early years of the Christian movement, i.e. the first few years after Jesus' death, this would have been the Jewish Christian movement, centered in Jerusalem under the leadership of James, the brother of Jesus. But within about five years, Pauline Christianity came into being. It eventually triumphed over the other early Christian movements and became the Catholic Church, centered in Rome. Since then, it has continually had the greatest number of members of all of the faith groups within Christianity. At the moment, the Roman Catholic church membership is in decline, and the Pentecostal movement is experiencing the greatest growth. So, using the criteria of popularity, one might argue that either the Roman Catholic church or the Pentecostal movement represents the true Christian church.
Conclusions:
Depending upon the approach used to determine the "true church", one can come up with answers as diverse as the Anglicans, Fundamentalists and other Evangelicals, Mennonites, Methodists, the Metropolitan Community Church, Pentecostals, Quakers, Reform Judaism, Roman Catholic church, Unitarian Universalist Association, United Church of Christ, and Unity Church.
In a separate essay, we describe how a group of Mormons justify their belief that their church is the true one. In another essay, we describe the beliefs of an Evangelical Christian on this topic.
There appears to be no clear, obvious choice. However, we suspect that many of the readers of this essay will assume that their own denominations is the true church; it is only human nature.
Related essay:
Which is the "true" religion?
References:
J.G. Melton, Ed., "The Encyclopedia of American Religions," Triumph Books, (1991). A 3 volume set.
Joseph McCabe, "A Rationalist Encyclopaedia: A book of reference on religion, philosophy, ethics and science," Gryphon Books (1971). Excerpts appear at: http://www.christianism.com/articles/18.html
David Levinson, "Religion: A cross cultural dictionary," Oxford University Press, (1996). Topics: Eastern Orthodoxy & Roman Catholicism.
J.D.Douglas, Ed., "New Commentary on the Whole Bible, New Testament Volume" Tyndale House, (1990)
R.W. Funk, et. al., "The five gospels: the search for the authentic words of Jesus," Macmillan, (1993)
C.M. Laymon, Ed., "The Interpreter's one volume commentary on the Bible, Albingdon, (1991)
H.C. Hoeksema, "The marks of the true church," at: http://www.prca.org/pamphlets/pamphlet_73.html
D.R. Larsen, "There is but one true church of Christ," at: http://www.scripturessay.com/ch3.html
"The search for the true church," Amazing Facts, at: http://www.amazingfacts.org/catalog/pb/bk-stc.html
M.T. Griffith, "Forty-one points of the true church," at: http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/MGriffith_2/points.htm
Which church is the one true church?
People mistakenly think that there is an earthly organization that is the one true church. The true church is not an organization, not a series of buildings, but the body of true believers. The true church consists of those who are regenerate; that is, it consists of those who are the true Christians. There are, however, churches that are Christian and churches that are not Christian.
______________________________________________________________________
Of course this is in reference to the CHRISTIAN FAITH and one might reasonably argue that the TRUE CHURCH might be expanded in scope to include some who may not refer to themselves as “CHRISTIAN” (per se’) but still could be called part of the TRUE CHURCH.
Remember that I actually believe that the TRUE CHURCH is not a religion, building or specific set of dogmas or doctrines.
To me the TRUE CHURCH is everywhere and we all daily are in it whether we know it or not.
When one begins to live by YHWH’s LAW OF LOVE and accepts the precepts and principles thereof one becomes a knowing member of this “universal unified church” and each becomes their own priest and accountable only to YHWH (God) for whatever else they desire or are inspired to believe or learn within it.
BE LOVE & BE LOVED!
PLEASE NOTE: Information presented in the essay provided above is intended for consideration and educational purposes only and may or may not reflect the beliefs and/or understandings of JESUS OF ZION.
20 comments:
Wow! I think this is the most unbiased essay I've ever seen on this topic. It's nice to be able to read something like that.
I have just one thought which comes from two basic premises:
1. God is all loving
2. God is all knowing
If God is all knowing, then he knows if there is one true church.
And if He is all loving wouldn't he guide you to that church. Certainly you would have to do your part. You would have to search. But it has been my experience that if you ask God he will give an answer. And if there is one true church, wouldn't it be very important to find out?
And again, you couldn't just ask, you would have to do your part as well. You would have to search and study about it. But I have had too many experiences with prayer where I have asked and He has given to believe that He would not give an answer.
I hope this is making sense, and I don't mean for this to be taken the wrong way, but shouldn't it be our obligation to ask Him what the true church is.
I know that He will answer. And having an answer from God, you would know that you were right, there could be no doubt.
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