Posted by Dena on October 14, 2003, at 11:30:48
In reply to Re: Interesting..., posted by rayww on October 10, 2003, at 10:17:18
> After the death of the apostles many Christian churches sprung up, all hoping and claiming a portion of that orriginal authority. These are wonderful religions, and they have blessed the earth. Good people become better when they adhere to their religion. Perhaps the OCD comes during the futile search, when no matter where you go you just can't find what you are looking for. Something inside keeps driving you to whatever it is, but you can't find it. Each will satisfy for a time, but it wears out fast, so you try another. Then you decide it isn't worth it, so abandon religion all together. It's not supposed to be that way.
Dear Rayww -This is an interesting theory (about different Christian churches springing up after the Apostles died off, & thus the Church lost her authority). I understand that it's the teaching of the Mormon church, but it just doesn't hold up to historical facts.
Yes, heretical factions sprung up from the very beginning of Christianity, many of them claiming to be the "true Church". Heresies have arisen in every generation of Christianity, continuing to today. But the True Christian Church continued strong & has remained to this very day, faithful to the teachings of Jesus Christ Himself, regardless of any external opposition. The Christian Church has been sustained by Jesus Himself, not by humans, just as He promised He would do.
Perhaps an analagy would be helpful. Mormonism began in 1830, & almost right from the start, different "Mormon" churches sprang up, often contradicting the teachings of Joseph Smith & the Book of Mormon. Today there are many different churches under the "umbrella" of Mormonism (Most Mormons are not aware that there are nearly two hundred Mormon denominations with most of them claiming to be the "one and only true Church". In fact, the Mormon Church has schismatised more than orthodox Christianity in a comparable period of time (compare 200 LDS denominations in less than 200 years with 600+ Christian denominations in more than 2,000 years.)
Despite that, Mormons feel quite comfortable claiming that True Mormons have remained faithful to the teachings of Joseph Smith, despite the various factions which claim to have sole authority.
The Mormon teaching that Christianity stopped following the teachings of Jesus Christ in the second century is simply not true. It is revisionist history. There are true Christians all over the world, belonging to various denominations, but united in the truth as taught by Jesus Christ, despite the heretical groups claiming to be "the one true church". And despite the individuals who are Christian in name only.
Jesus promised to keep His Church, His Bride, safe from the fires of hell (& all of it's deceptions) forever... & Jesus keeps His promises.
The Christian Church has remained alive & well throughout the time since Jesus Christ established it. Nothing that any human or demon can say will change that fact.
Shalom, Dena
poster:Dena
thread:266261
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/faith/20030908/msgs/269306.html