Expert: Dr. Ronald E. Shultz - 7/29/2009

Question
I don't consider myself a baptist more of a non-denominational christian,really i don't know the difference between baptists/ pentacostal/catholics/methodist would like to know if you could help me with that?
. I really only go by the bible now and don't attend church as many of the churches i've attended were bias or their beliefs were not in the bible/used out of context. Is what im doing any way wrong? I know i should be in a fellowship with brethren but i feel it is better to go by the bible at home rather than attempting to eat at a table that is not serving the bread of life at least until i find a good church.

Answer
If you only go ny the Bible then you are closer to being a Baptist than anything else since non-denominational is technically a misnomer.  To denominate means to name so as should as you put any name on your building though it be as plain or vanilla as Community Gathering or Fellowship you have become a denomination.  The only difference between you a group of another denomination is size or number of churches sharing the same belief and working together.  If you hook up with another church that believes the same as you then you are a denomination of two churches instead of 2,000 churches.  The concept of non-denominationalism is really a ploy of the devil to divide the Church and yet this day and age many speak of unity and we are more disunified than ever. We are divided and conquered.  Anyone can start a cult or group and call it non-denom so Grace Bible Fellowship in one town may be Baptistic, in another Charismatic or a cult in another on its way to tainted Kool-Aid land.  I am not sure why that concept is so popular.  

We were meant to be one and to all speak the same thing or doctrine.  That is why there are divisions because of doctrine and Paul said that there must be needs divisions so that the approved will stand out. Yes, divisions or denominations are of man because some chose their own way and doctrine and not the way of he Book and its doctrines or teachings. We must have sound doctrine.

I have not been to the churches that you have attended not how you define bias and not bible based. Maybe they were out of context or not.  I can thin the herd down for you.

Baptism.  If they baptize infants or use any mode other than immersion they are not right so avoid them.  The word baptizo clearly means to immerse and believers are to be baptized and babies cannot repent, believe or make a profession of faith.  

That wipes out Catholicism and all of the mainline denominations, Methodist, Presybterian, Episcopal, Lutheran and any offshoots or derivations of those groups.

Any group that teaches you must speak in tongues to be saved is out because Paul clearly teaches that not all spoke in tongues in his day yet they were saved.  If they emphasize the gifts of the Spirit or the Spirit Himself they are wrong because the gifts are secondary to the Giver and the Spirit was not sent to be elevated but rather He was to exalt Christ and teach us all we need to know in Christ. That wipes out nearly all Pentecostal/Charimatic groups.

If they teach that salvation is Christ plus works or some ritual(s)even baptism rather than faith in Christ alone they are a form of the Judaizers that Paul militated against in all the Epistles.  Avoid them.

We could go down a list of other stuff, but most of the denoms and cults are wiped out already.

Which pretty much leaves you the Baptists.  Now because the non-denom craze kicked in many Baptist became ashamed of the name and started taking vanilla names to avoid the crowd.  In fact, many Southern Baptist Churches have done this.  It is not until the last lesson in their new member's class that you will find out they are SBC.  That is cowardice and deceit in my eyes and they should be avoided unless there is just nothing else around.  Then rebuke them on that point and attend out of obedience to the Word to fellowship with a local assembly.

If they are not SBC but Baptist in doctrine and using a vanilla name then they need to stop that and use the name to declare who they are and quit hiding.  Baptists were given their name by the enemies of God and many shed their blood for Christ under that name and many of our rights in the US were secured by Baptists who influenced the writers of the Bill of Righst and the Constitution.  Many are still battling for religious freedom.  It is not a name to be ashamed of and we all want banners and names for our alma maters, sports teams, political parties and the like.  So why cannot the people of God unite under one banner and sound doctrine?

Note the epistles salute THE Church at Ephesus, Colosse and Corinth, not the churches.  Galatia was a territory and to that area it salutes the churches of Galatia.  The church in each town was only one. Everyone belonged to it until false doctrine crept it and John said they went out from us for they were not of us.  So a bunch or non-denoms that are really denoms in one town is not any more biblical than having 5 Methodist churches or Baptist churches.  In that case, all have sinned.  Therefore none are perfect.  You have to find the one that is closest to Biblical doctrine and that group is the Baptists. Perfect, no but as I have shown you most are way off on some basic doctrine.

So find, a good Baptist church and fellowship and serve with them.

If you have a Facebook account, look me up and check out these two sermons.  

Blessings to you as you seek His will through the Word.

http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=106442097803&__a=1

http://www.facebook.com/MavMin?v=app_2347471856&ref=profile#/note.php?note_id=10...