Expert: Clive Heath - 10/6/2010

Question
Dr. Bateman,
    I attended a Baptist Church till the age of 12, then my Dad married into a family who attend Church of Christ. I was Forced to start attending, but now that im 18 i try to attend at friends churches. My question though is can a church say they are right and everyone else is wrong? How can you say your right..everyone reads the bible and can get something completely different, whose to say the way your interpreting it is right or wrong. The church of Christ church i attended said pretty much you don't believe their way then your going to hell..  

Answer
Hi Kimberly,

I do not know if Dr.Bateman has answered this for you, but it has only just come to me, so I apologise for my late reply to you.
A church cannot and should not ever say they are right and all others are wrong, that is unacceptable.

Remember that the Bible is the Living Word of God, and because of this people will get different things from it, even I sometimes can read a verse or chapter again and find that it tells me a different message, it tells us what we need to know. That is beacause it is alive and cannot be altered or addeed to.

No one has the right to tell you your thoughts or beliefs and no one in any church has the right to infer you will go to hell.
We that are in Christ have a personal relationship with Him, put your faith in that and stand by your beliefs, but at the same time have an open mind but do not be swayed by others. I advise you that you stay away from that church and follow the Baptist way.

I hope this helps

Regards and God Bless

Clive Heath