Relating
to other denominations
Catholic. Baptist. Presbyterian. Lutheran.
Lutheran, variety number one. Lutheran, variety number two. The list goes on and on.
It can be confusing. It can be frustrating. It can be difficult to know what to do.
Why so many denominations?
Denominations exist because of differences in teaching. By comparing the public confession of a group to the Scripture, one can discover whether a church body is sharing all of God’s truth or mixing truth with error.
These differences in teaching are troubling, but not surprising. Such differences have existed since the beginning of the Christian church. The Holy Spirit, speaking to the congregation in Corinth, said, “No doubt there have to be differences among you to show which of you have God’s approval” (1 Corinthians 11:19).
So what do we do about these differences? What attitude does God want us to have toward denominations?
He wants us to watch out. False teaching and false teachers will not introduce themselves as false. The Apostle Paul explains, “Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness” (2 Corinthians 11:14-15). How then can we know what is right and what is wrong? Personal growth in knowledge of the Scripture equips us for distinguishing truth from error.
Should we detect error in a denomination, God warns of real danger. At first we may think, “That false teaching is just a small mistake.” The Lord reminds, “A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough” (Galatians 5:9). We may think, “But most of the people there are still Christian.” The Holy Spirit reminds us that false teachers “destroy the faith of some” (2 Timothy 2:18).
As we recognize the danger and see that we cannot unite ourselves to them, we also love the members of those churches and do not want them to be hurt by the devil’s schemes. As we watch out, God also commands us to reach out.
We wish to warn them gently, humbly recognizing that we too can fall. “Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:1-2).
This warning crosses our lips with the most admirable goal in mind. We gently instruct “in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will” (2 Timothy 2:25-26).
False teaching is a sad reality. It shows itself in the presence of different denominations.
Let us watch out, but let us also reach out.