ARE they in fact Biblical? Where? Joel Osteen’s shoppe? Swaggart’s? Graham’s? Within a ten mile radius of me there are easily a dozen Baptist churches, one Catholic, one Episcopalian, a few varieties of Methodist/Wesleyan, Brethren, DOC, Mennonite, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and more. Which is Biblical? None has a Pope. All have a Bible. Why are there so many?
“Which is Biblical?”
All that adhere to the core tenets of Christianity as taught in Scripture - as it has been since the beginning.
“None has a Pope.”
Yes, we can be grateful for that.
“All have a Bible.”
Yes, we can be exceedingly grateful for that.
“Why are there so many?”
A better question. Since the Catholic denomination has a pope, why don’t most Catholics agree with him and obey?
Jesus said "Go out and preach the Gospel". Could it be they are doing what they are bidden?
I think your post goes to the point of who decides. On a macro level, is it the head of the denomination, congregation, convention, etc.? On the micro level, is it a pastor, preacher, priest, or the individual? The Bible gives at least two examples, such as Peter and Paul acting alone and the Apostles acting as a group.
I believe there is overlap. The Catholic model is the Church proposes a set of beliefs. A person must decide whether they accept the proposed beliefs. Thence forward, they are to trust the priests and bishops, as having been properly formed and instructed. Simultaneously, a person must develop their intellect in such they can know if a particular priest, bishop, etc is way off the mark.
Ultimately, it is up to the individual to decide what is right for their soul. They must choose what they believe is the truth, out of several competing versions. Without a well-formed conscious and intellect, a person may accept false doctrines.
There wouldn't be if original Christianity had not had apostate "grievous wolves" to arise from among themselves "speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them," Acts 20:29,30.
There wouldn't be if the original good seed first sown, had not had tares to arise among the wheat (parable of the wheat and tares, Matt. 13).
There wouldn't be if Christianity had not apostatized, becoming more and more eclectic, more and more paganized, more and more Romanized, until the rise of the Roman Papacy, a tyrannical totalitarian institution.
From the days of Wycliffe, Huss, and Luther, Christianity has been characterized by its effort to overthrow the paganism introduced into it, trying to get back to the original good seed first sown before the eclectics had corrupted the field. The Protestants represent that gallant effort.
So don't trash the gallant effort of Protestants, there wouldn't be Protestants if the RCC had not become the chief representative of eclectic paganized Christianity. The Papacy is tares, not wheat.
And every Catholic agrees 100% lockstep with every other Catholic on the planet and there's no difference between any of the Catholic rites, like the EO teachings on the papacy and Mary.
Correct?
Joel Osteen , heck that`s Oprah Winfrey`s Church, gay people attend there because he does not mention sin
Not sure if you meant this, but you had Billy Graham and Swaggert and Baptists lumped in with JW`s (a cult) and Joel Osteen (I believe a cult) and you had Baptists included as well
Sorry if I missed your point, I am a non denominational Christian, I dont need another title, not ever been a Baptist but have been to a number in my life, and a Baptist Church for the most part in my experience would not fit into THE MAIN LINE CHURCH TITLE
Baptists in my experience would fit better into the group of Churches outside of mainline , would be more along the lines of a good white pentecostal church , forgive the term “white” has to be said to differentiate from the ALL BLACK Pentecostal Church, the “White” Pentecostal Church has many blacks that have broken away from the ALL Black anti Christian Church
A person can be saved in their bathroom or in their bedroom with a Bible or just a sinners prayer, one does not have to attend any church to be saved.
I have yet to see a satisfactory answer to that simple question. Maybe this time....