What is a denomination?
As someone who is curious about Christian concepts or even as a new believer in Christ, sometimes it’s hard to get a straight and simple answer to a question. There are reasons for this (God and His ways are very complex), but it can be hard to know where to start and it can be overwhelming to have to read and research all kinds of things just to get a simple answer. The goal of this series of posts is to provide simple, concise answers and definitions to common questions about Christianity. These posts won’t be long or complicated, they won’t delve into all of the layers and angles that could be addressed in regards to each question; that’s not the intention. The intention is to give a clear and concise answer so that someone who is curious or new to the faith can have a starting point to work from. Think of it as Christianity 101, the very basics you need to know about foundational concepts in Christianity. We hope this will allow you to read the Bible or listen to Christian preaching and have a better understanding of what is being said. You are always welcome to email us with any specific questions you have: info@theywaysgf.com.
What is a denomination? Why are there different Christian denominations?
In short, a denomination is a group of people who agree on a certain Biblical issues. It’s a shared school of thought.
Within Christianity, there are many different doctrines (Link to What is doctrine? article). Sometimes there is disagreement between Christians about what the Bible teaches on a certain topic. For example, baptism. (Link to What is Baptism? article) The Bible is clear that baptism is a command given to people who profess Christ as their Savior. However, there is disagreement amongst Christians about what that looks like. Do we have to be fully submerged in the water? Can we just be sprinkled with water? Do we baptize babies or children? Different groups of people answer these questions in different ways. And thus we have denominations. All Christian denominations agree on the foundational message of the Gospel (Link to What is the Gospel? article), but depending on how people interpret the passages that talk about baptism, they might fall into different denominations. They are all still Christians uniting around the same Gospel truth (which is what really matters), but secondarily, they are grouping themselves by these other doctrinal beliefs. Baptism is just one example of a doctrine denominations are built around; there are several others as well.
Within Christianity, there are many different doctrines (Link to What is doctrine? article). Sometimes there is disagreement between Christians about what the Bible teaches on a certain topic. For example, baptism. (Link to What is Baptism? article) The Bible is clear that baptism is a command given to people who profess Christ as their Savior. However, there is disagreement amongst Christians about what that looks like. Do we have to be fully submerged in the water? Can we just be sprinkled with water? Do we baptize babies or children? Different groups of people answer these questions in different ways. And thus we have denominations. All Christian denominations agree on the foundational message of the Gospel (Link to What is the Gospel? article), but depending on how people interpret the passages that talk about baptism, they might fall into different denominations. They are all still Christians uniting around the same Gospel truth (which is what really matters), but secondarily, they are grouping themselves by these other doctrinal beliefs. Baptism is just one example of a doctrine denominations are built around; there are several others as well.
Posted in Concise Christianity
Posted in Concise Christianity, denominations, doctrinal distinctions
Posted in Concise Christianity, denominations, doctrinal distinctions
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