Quote:
Originally Posted by Evangelical
Church history - the church history that shows the church was one for hundreds of years. The notion of doing church however we like and not according to any God-ordained pattern or blue print is a modern invention of man. That's why even Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican etc do not agree with this view.
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Actually, the church was not so one, even in the first century. Paul had to take one to task for not even being one all by itself. And there was contention between the gentile and Jewish churches.
Following that, there was great dissention over things. Some of them we think of as significant errors, and others just differences in what we would now call the non-essentials. But those that wanted total and complete unity dictated the thinking through the councils and eventually through the wielding of authority granted by the government.
Yet we find that there were churches that were not affected by these things that continued all the way into this century. Churches that were separated from the others almost from the beginning.
Yet you claim there was this wonderful unity from the beginning and going on for several centuries thereafter. I would not disagree that there was a tendency for uniformity within the primary groups. And do not say that was bad. But even you agree that the answer was not to still be within those ancient groups. Rather to find your way according to your conscience and understanding of scripture. You want it one way for your group, and the opposite for everyone else.
Unity is not simply in the EO, or RCC, or any other earlier group. It is found in Christ. And Christ is in all of us. It the prayer of Christ that we would be one. Not that we would be uniform. The lack of discourse on issues within a single group who thinks they have found "the truth" in all its facets is a breeding ground for error. It is in the diversity of opinion that we keep each other within the way. Only the very decidedly closed can wander too far astray. But as your position is that you have the truth and the only "unity," You are the most nearly destined for error. We may or may not have insignificant errors but are constantly reviewing. You are set and closed and have no way to consider your errors because you have turned you face from any who, while your brothers, have even the slightest difference of opinion.
We don't need to justify denominations from scripture any more than we need to justify driving automobiles. There may be walls, but they are walls of rhetoric, not walls of differing faith. Meanwhile, your walls are absolute. You only seek to evangelize the world for your way. Never consider how you may have wandered into error.