THE SPIRITUAL BATTLE – 77 Do We Need Denominational Creeds?

“18 For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: 19 and if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book” (Revelation 22:18-19, KJV).

Loved ones, do you ever wonder why we have thousands of denominational creeds, manuals, doctrines, and catechisms? By some estimates there are some 42,000 different “Christian” denominations on the earth, and each one has its own book of doctrines and rules. If these books are necessary, how did the early church exist for a few hundred years before the first creeds were written by men?

We know that the 66 books of the Bible, God’s Word, was written by men who were guided by the Holy Spirit, and thus, it is God’s Truth (John 17:17). In our above text we are warned not to add to, or take away from it. That’s pretty clear language. Who cannot understand the message it portrays? We have similar warnings in the Old Testament.

"Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you” (Deuteronomy 4:2).

“What thing soever I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it” (Deuteronomy 12:32).

“5 Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. 6 Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar” (Proverbs 30:5-6).

In Matthew 5:18-19, Jesus said, “18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. 19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.”

Those passages are hard to misunderstand. The words are clear and NOT confusing. So, the question is, how do the various denominational creeds and practices differ from what God’s Word says? Let’s examine a few.

The Standard Manual for Baptist Churches says – “It is most likely that in the Apostolic age when there was but ‘one Lord, one faith and one baptism,’ and no differing denominations existed, the baptism of a convert, by that very act, constituted him a member of the church…Now, it is different. The churches have candidates come before them, make their statement, give their ‘experience,’ and then their reception is decided by a vote of the members.”

Question – Who said it is different now? My Bible and your Bible still reads the same, stating that we are “baptized into Christ” – without any vote taken. “For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ” (Galatians 3:27). Furthermore, if the Baptist Denomination is a Bible church, where can we find it mentioned in the Bible?

Christian Science Church – This denomination admits it was not founded by Christ, as it was founded by Mary Baker Eddy in 1878. Its guide book is “Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures,” written by Eddy in 1875.​ The Christian Science Church does not practice baptism as a physical or ritual act. Instead, baptism is understood as an inner, spiritual experience rather than an outward ceremony performed by a minister or priest.

This is a clear refusal to follow God’s Word, for the command to be baptized in water is clearly stated in the New Testament, for in baptism our sins are washed away by the blood of Jesus (Revelation 1:5). Saul (who became the Apostle Paul) was told: “And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord” (Acts 22:16).

Question: By whose influence has the Christian Science Church eliminated baptism from its practice? By God’s influence, or by Satan’s influence? We think the answer is evident.

The Methodist Discipline – My copy of this book states on page 2: “We have, therefore, expected that the Discipline would be administered, not merely as a legal document, but as a revelation of the Holy Spirit, working in and through our people.” The plain language of that statement indicates that the Methodist Discipline, being a new revelation of the Holy Spirit, means that the New Testament is no longer in force, as it has been replaced by a “new revelation.”

We’re sorry, but we find that hard to believe. As noted earlier, the message we have in the New Testament will last as long as time exists (Matthew 5:18-19).

Among other matters to consider is the ordination of women as pastors or ministers. God’s Word is very clear about this, as stated in 1 Timothy 2:11-14: “11 Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. 12 But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. 13 For Adam was first formed, then Eve. 14 And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.”

This does not mean that a woman cannot teach a man, for we have an example of this being done in a private setting, rather than public. We have the record of a man named Apollos who was preaching error, “Whom when Aquila and Priscilla had heard, they took him unto them, and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly” (Acts 18:26).

Why does the Methodist Church sprinkle water for baptism? They say, “Sprinkling is the preferred method for baptizing infants and young children because it is safe — babies cannot hold their breath for full immersion. It is also practical for all ages, as it can be done quickly and without special equipment.”

There are two things to consider about this. (1) Nowhere in God’s Word do we find babies being baptized. Nowhere do we read about them being born in sin. We sin when we violate God’s command for us. And nowhere do we find anything about “inherited sin.” (2) The word for “baptize” in the New Testament is from the Greek “baptidzo,” and is translated “baptize,” meaning to bury or immerse. To sprinkle (Gk. rhantizo) or pour (Gk. cheo) water on a person is NOT Biblical baptism.

The record is clear about baptism as practiced in the New Testament, as seen when Philip taught the gospel to the Egyptian eunuch: “38 And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized (immersed) him. 39 And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing” (Acts 8:38-39).

The Catholic Catechism – The authorized guide for Catholics would be the Catechism, which contains certain rules, obligations and practices for Roman Catholics. Various practices of the Catholic Church are well known, such as calling their priest “Father,” and forbidding them and nuns to be married. They also practice baptism by pouring water on the head.

So, let us examine these practices with a look at what the Bible says about them. Notice Matthew 23:9: “And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.” This refers to our religious spiritual leaders (vs. 2-8), not our birth fathers. The term “fathers” is used various times referring to family relationships, not spiritual relationships (Colossians 3:21). So, which should we practice—Roman Catholic doctrine, or God’s Word?

With respect to marriage, it is well known that the Catholic practice is for priests, bishops, the Pope, etc. not to marry. But when we turn to God’s Word, we see a different picture. As an apostle of Christ, Paul asked, “Have we not power to lead about a sister, a wife, as well as other apostles, and as the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas?” (1 Corinthians 9:5).

The Catholic Church claims that Cephas (Peter) was the first pope, (although there is absolutely no evidence for that) and in this passage it is inferred that Cephas has a wife. And who is Cephas? He is the Peter the apostle.

In contrast to this, note God’s Word on this matter of marriage. “1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; 2 speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; 3 forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth” (1 Timothy 4:1-3)

Furthermore, among the qualifications required for those who are appointed as leaders in local churches is the one that they must be married. “This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work. 2 A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach” (1 Timothy 3:1-2). So, which should we follow—what the Catholic Catechism decrees, or what God’s Word decrees?

Well, we could go on writing about these matters on thousands and thousands of pages. But the point is obvious — the thousands of creeds of the thousands of denominations all disagree with one another, but more importantly, THEY ALL DISAGREE WITH THE BIBLE!

Question 1: Does Truth disagree with itself? Obviously not (John 8:32; 14:6).

Question 2: Is God the author of the confusing denominational creeds? Obviously not (1 Corinthians 14:33).

Question 3: Who led Adam and Eve astray with false information? Obviously, Satan (Genesis 3).

Question 4: Who is still working today to deceive people? Who else but Satan? (Revelation 12:9; 20:10; cf. 2 Corinthians 11:13-15).​

There is an obvious conclusion to draw, and that is that doctrines and practices that are not found in the Bible, God’s Word, are the result of Satan’s deceptions. God does not accept them. We can read of God’s attitudes towards the doctrines of men in Matthew 15:1-9:

“Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying, 2 Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread. 3 But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition? 4 For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death. 5 But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; 6 and honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition. 7 Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, 8 This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. 9 But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.”

In this passage we note that some men from Jewish denominations approached Jesus complaining that their traditions had not been followed. Jesus showed His disapproval of the denominations and their teaching because it was of men and not from God.

Question 5: If Christ rejected the Jewish denominations and their creeds then, why would he accept “Christian” denominations and their creeds now? Think about it.

How many churches did Christ establish? 42,000? The Bible only refers to one! “And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18). “My church.” That’s singular, not plural.

Then in Ephesians 4:4-6: “4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.” There are seven “ones” in the passage, not six ones, and then 42,000 bodies!

The churches of Christ are neither Catholic, Protestant, nor Jew (Romans 16:16; Matthew 16:18-19). We are the loving suffering body of Christ (Ephesians 1:20-23; 4:4-6) – CHRISTIANS: “Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf” (1 Peter 4:16; cf. Acts 11:26; 26:28).

Through the free gift of God’s grace by Jesus’ blood (Ephesians 2:8; Revelation 1:5) and your obedient faith (Romans 1:5; 10:17; 16:26), salvation is offered. If you have questions or wish to comment, please do so. Lord willing, a Bible answer will be provided for every Bible question.

Shared with you by Samuel A. Matthews, preaching with the Liberty NW church of Christ, meeting in Portland, Oregon, USA. The God of Heaven and Earth is so good, and His love reaches all. He is in control, so trust Him. We love you with the love of the Lord (John 13:34-35).