Let’s look at how you and I got here. I hope this is an eye opener. Note that this short list is not to emphasis differences or to find which one is correct. I need you to ask yourself, “REALLY?” and the hope is that “REALLY?” gets louder and louder as you move down the list and at the end you are fed up. Yes, fed up at what you and I, my father and your father have allowed to happen over time. Without feeling fed up, you and I will just move on and not want to do anything to change the status quo. If you feel fed up, then you know how essential it is to change the status quo. We can work together to figure out how to change it.
This is a link to a pdf with the same information, in presentation style, if you’d like to have https://www.dropbox.com/s/863diabnugk8tkg/HowDidWeGetHere.pdf?dl=0

Start of List

People in Judaism split over interpretation of Scripture, laws and customs to;
Sadducees ;  Pharisees ; Essenes
Note; Scriptures were only available to priests and scholars yet the small % of the Jewish population with access to Scriptures came up with different interpretations of the same Scriptures

Jesus, born a Jew. crucified & resurrected a Jew, as well as all his disciples born of Jewish faith and died of Jewish faith

The Year is;
“48 A.D.”  Paul argues about the necessity of circumcision for gentile believers. James using Scripture ordains no circumcision for gentiles but they must observe Moses’ laws in regards food and sexual morality, although circumcision was a direct communication from God to Abraham while the abstain from food was a tenet of Judaism.
Note: No split, yet a clear distinction in “we preach to the circumcised and you preach to the uncircumcised”

“~120 A.D.” Jewish faith people that are Jesus followers been labeled by non-believers as Christ followers. Clearly Judaism will not accept Jesus as the Messiah, and the name Christian is adopted by the Jewish faith Jesus followers, and establish a NEW religion

“170 A.D.”  1st New testament compiled, then a few changes and councils in the years 363, 393 & 397 affirmed that the 27 books of the NT are authoritative

“170-312 A.D.”  Christianity remains underground and persecuted yet flourishing with authority from Rome where Patriarchs are established

“313 A.D.”  Constantine ceases the persecution of Christianity. Patriarch in Rome is the authoritative figure in Christianity and Scriptures are still ONLY available to the elect, a small % of the believers

“325 A.D.”  What do we believe in? Nicene Creed… Arian controversy. The fight is over; “how exactly is Jesus & God interrelated”. Which no one to this day can claim Absolute Truth about, JUST many interpretation of the same Scriptures

“~360 A.D.”  Jesus’ birth date is searched to be celebrated. 2 Groups, 2 dates & to this day Christmas is celebrated Jan 7th & Dec 25th

“333 A.D.”  Constantine moves the capital of the Roman Empire to Constantinople

Christianity is splitting within itself…… & only a small % has access to Scriptures

“381 A.D.”  Nicene Creed redefined to fight teachings about the Jesus-God interrelation

“~390 A.D.”   Rome still has a Patriarch speaking Latin. 4 additional Patriarchs are in; Constantinople, Antioch, Alexandria, Jerusalem & Byzantium and all speak Greek

“431 A.D.”  Still fighting about the nature of Jesus, Council curses those against Nicene Creed. Assyrian church splits. God did NOT pitch in this fight

“451 A.D.”  Still fighting about the nature of Jesus … like; is Jesus “in” or “from”….. Oriental Orthodox Church splits;  Alexandria Patriarch. God NEVER pitched into this fight either. Council recognizes equal honor to the Patriarch of Constantinople as to that of Rome’s

“1054 A.D.”  Rome (West) & Constantinople (East) Patriarchs bickering since 451, excommunicate each other over “…the Father and the Son” vs. “… the Father” The Greek Orthodox Church splits

“Till 1516 A.D.”  Although the Roman empire has become very weak, the Church under the Roman Patriarch has become very strong and we all know about the Middle Ages

“1517 A.D.” Martin Luther witnessing the abuses of the Roman Catholic Church under the auspices of “the Patriarch just like the Bible has absolute authority”, decided to PROTEST the Church’s actions and propose that ONLY the Bible has absolute authority and not the Patriarchs. Martin Luther did not seek to abolish rather to reform of the Catholic church Yet the Lutheran church starts

The Pro-test-ants Flourish now that the masses can read & INTERPRET the Bible
– Please watch with me through this process and ask at each split; Is this to further God’s Kingdom?
Or, to prove if I or You are interpreting the Bible right!?  Is it OPINION or ABSOLUTE TRUTH?

“1525 A.D.” Anabaptist/Mennonites ; Bible clearly prohibits infant baptism &…. Let’s start our own church

“1536 A.D.” Anglican Church splits from the Roman Church and follow the Calvin model

“1555 A. D.” Presbyterian church splits based on the Calvin model; Only the ‘elect’ are SAVED. God did not pitch into this fight

“1595 A.D.” Armenian Church splits; Free Will not predestination.  God did not pitch in

“1612 A.D.” General  Baptist; Full immersion is the ONLY Biblical baptism. God’s not in this fight

“1638 A.D.” First Baptist Church as there were differences in predestination vs. free will

“1736 A.D.” Methodist church splits from Anglican church and follow Armenian model

“1794 A.D.” Restoration movement to simplify, rather we have the Christian church and Church of Christ. God did not pipe in

“1901 A.D.” Pentecostal church requiring the speaking of tongues as evidence of salvation

“1914 A.D.” Assemblies of God varying on trinity and oneness with Pentecostal belief. God again is staying out of this fight

“1980 A.D.” Nondenominational churches with no hierarchy or established beliefs, free standing churches. Note,  Nondenominational churches although with no organized structure have become a denomination.

End of list.

To remind you, the goal of this exercise is not to highlight the differences or who is correct, rather to demonstrate that the differences are NEVER PROVABLE. They are simply OPINIONS of what the Bible says, for each uses verses from the same and one Bible to support their own case.

Remember;
None of the originators of the ideas behind the divisions claimed divinity or God saying thru
them, “this is how God & Jesus relate…….” or “I will not accept a
baptism unless it is done ..…..”     NONE

My father and your father simply wanted to demonstrate how much they love our FATHER
and demonstrate how much they KNOW HIM so they continued to say,
Daddy wants this and not that. Then the brother or sister say,
no no Daddy wants us to……. but not to…….

Meanwhile Daddy is watching the kids, still smiling, shaking His head and
probably saying to Himself,
One day they’ll stop their squabbling over Me
They’ll mature
One day they’ll know what I AM about
They’ll look back, laugh and say “remember when” and giggle
For now, at least they know that I continue to Love them with ALL My Heart

Many believe after we die then we can ask our Father!

Don’t you think you would have a richer relationship with our
Father as a mature person while on this Earth?

You and I, my father and your father created the squabbling, and
we can rise above it.

You may wonder, “Why go thru the trouble?”

So that our Father is elated……………      to Please Him

and may the glory be to God always and forever

So have you thought about these questions; Did God intend to have so many divisions within His church/ Is it God’s plan for man to fight over what Jesus said or meant/ Is God looking at us delighted about our divisions or sad? Simple questions begging a simple answer, and that answer is; we have created the divisions and we need to undo it and reunite. It is possible not impossible. Why? Because it is indeed God’s plan for us to be united in Him. ALL united in Him. Till next week 🙂