<> Ask the Pastor Pastor Walter Snyder Q: Thanks for your answer about the Bible being God-inspired. That begs another question: How do we know what the Bible says? I read statistics that there are some 22,000 denominations worldwide, presumably each claiming to have the correct interpretation. I cannot believe that is what Jesus meant since there is only one truth. How do we deal with that? A: Sadly, disunity is the norm for most of what calls itself "Christendom." Babel's tower had nothing on the confusion among various groups who want to be known as Christian. Scripture warns of false teachings and false teachers, who grow like cancer in the Body of Christ. The problem, then, is not what the Bible says, but what people sometimes say it says. Some call disunity the greatest scandal of Christianity. I'm not one of these. The Bible says that the great "Scandal" is the incarnate, crucified, and risen Jesus Christ. God in human flesh, God who dies, dying such an ignoble death--he is an insult to all who don't believe and are in danger of eternal condemnation. You are right that there is only one truth. Thus, some who appear to be disunited Christians are actually non-Christian. Some churches deny the deity of Christ. Some claim that he is a different god than the Father or the Holy Spirit, giving us three gods. Others say that there is a Trinity in name only and what is revealed as three persons in Scripture is actually one god wearing three masks. So if we examine what is said about the incarnate, crucified, and risen Jesus Christ, we can immediately determine that some bodies--even if they might have "Jesus Christ" or "Christian" in their official name--are outside the Christian faith. Following examination of the person of Christ, another "cut" comes when we examine his work. Is he confessed to be the Savior of the world? Is there any other name, any other way, by which people are saved? If Jesus is taught to be other than the One who died to pay for our sins, then those who teach thus are excluded from the Christian Church. Are faith and works commingled? Are there multiple paths to eternal life? True Christianity teaches that there is one Way, one Truth, one Life--and that Jesus Christ is it. Then we get into geographic, linguistic, and political divisions. Some so-called "disunity" in the Church comes because of barriers that are difficult to surmount, yet do not divide doctrinally. Thus, many different branches of the Orthodox Church are in full communion with each other. They don't "hang around" together because of ethnic, linguistic, or geographic differences, but they agree on doctrine and practice. The same is true among many Lutherans, branches of the Anglican (Episcopal) Communion, and others. Fragmentation occurs most often in "mainline" Protestantism and its branches. It especially happens in those bodies who emphasize the individual and his or her relationship to God at the expense of the whole Body of Christ. Here, style is often as divisive as substance. Don't like the preacher? Start your own church! We've still got a major area to consider: How do we define and teach Christian doctrine? What are the "essential" doctrines, which are those about which we may disagree? The Bible provides clear teaching about the Lord's Supper, yet differences arise. It speaks of baptismal regeneration, yet many deny that Baptism washes away sins and makes people into Christians through the power of God's holy Word. While some false and confusing teachings now divide, they don't always stand in the way of eternal life. Yet they do cause problems in this life, and may bring the weaker Christian to stumble in his faith. That is why Christians still must contend for the truth. Also, "small" errors, left unchecked, don't go away. They grow larger, extending branches in many directions. So while we struggle for earthly unity, Christians should never do so at the expense of unity with the God and his pure Word. Satan would love to have a united "church" that believes little of God's truth every bit as much as he enjoys having our current fragmentation. Still, we do not struggle on our own. Christ prayed for the Church's unity in John 17. He continues to this day to mediate on our behalf that we might be one as he and his Father are one. Finally, as the season of Easter ends this week, we prepare for next Sunday--the Feast of Pentecost, which celebrates the giving of the Holy Spirit in full measure to the Apostles. It was the occasion that God used to reverse the effect of Babel, to begin the process of unifying all the sheep under one Shepherd. This will not be completed in time; we await fulfillment in eternity. Until then, true believers will continue to "test the spirits," to see if they are truly of God. Still, the Holy Spirit will continue to be our guide as we compare passages of Scripture, and he will allow the words of the Bible to interpret each other for our benefit. Until next week, when, Lord willing, we enjoy more of your questions, remember to "Ask the Pastor" at P.O. Box 1080, Jasper, Texas, 75951; E-mail xrysostom@aol.com; or catch me around town. Pastor Snyder serves St. Paul and Faith Lutheran Churches, Jasper and Woodville, Texas and is the coauthor of "What Do Lutherans Believe? A Study Guide in Christian Teachings for Adults." Copyright (c) 1997 by Walter P. Snyder Permission is granted by author to reproduce or retransmit this by any means, provided that its content is not altered, that this notice of copyright and permission is included, and that no financial gain is realized.