Expert: Dean Gade - 6/18/2007

Question
How has Christianity, a faith based on the teachings of a single text (the Bible), divided into so many denominations?


Answer
SOME of the most prominent reasons are:

1:  Some denominations calling themselves Christian are NOT "faith based".  They are further divided into:
those who are "Law" based and teach a religion of following the 10 Commandments rather than seeking God's righteousness in Jesus Christ.  OR
those who base their religion on philosophies or traditions of man.

2: Many use the Bible but do not trust in all of it to be the Word of God (as it says of itself) and so they pick and choose which parts of the Bible they wish to believe; that is. Thus there is no common ground on which to be united.
 
3: Among the Bible based Christians there is the matter of INTERPRETATION of the Bible in forming their doctrine.  Even within each denomination there are disagreements over the the true meaning of various parts of the Bible.  This is caused either by a fleshly bias or by a difference in spiritual maturity.

1 Cor 2:10-14

The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. 11 For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man's spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 12 We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. 13 This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words.   14 The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.
(from New International Version)

4: Then there are the matters of the social sources of denominationalism and those who seek their own power in the church and so refuse give up their power for the sake of unity.

We cannot understand God completely nor His will for us on earth.  This has been true since God first spoke to man.  And, as the account of Adam and Eve shows, even if His word IS clear ("Don't eat of the Tree...") people don't often trust God enough to obey it.