Some are covenantal, some dispensationalist, some TULIP, some Arminian, some Unitarian. Some withdraw from the world, while others are right in there pitching. Some think buttons are wrong! (Personally, I think the zipper could stand an upgrade, but I don't make a religion of it.)
So to the unregenerate D00d-in-the-street, what do you say about where he should go to find the right answer? Seriously, I won't jump on you. I want to know your thoughts.
Some are covenantal, some dispensationalist, some TULIP, some Arminian, some Unitarian. Some withdraw from the world, while others are right in there pitching. Some think buttons are wrong! (Personally, I think the zipper could stand an upgrade, but I don't make a religion of it.) So to the unregenerate D00d-in-the-street, what do you say about where he should go to find the right answer? Seriously, I won't jump on you. I want to know your thoughts.
There are a couple of things.
First most protestant churches do not recognize an office higher than Elder or Overseer, so biblically we do not see a prescription for a hierarchy of oversight past the local church. We all have Jesus Christ as our Head.
The most important thing is most protestant churches believe that Salvation is by Grace thru Faith alone. That is the distinguishing mark of being a true Christian church and a true believer.
The differences with other churches are minor, I call the Arminian, the reformed, the covenental, the dispensationalist, my Brother in the Lord. I certainly might not see eye to eye with some in regards to certain things, but who cares? As long as the GOSPEL is believed, the regenerate are TRULY united in the TRUE CHURCH(called out ones) of His body in CHRIST.
Why do I NEED to see every little thing identically with everyone? We are not judged by our accuracy in the "hard sayings", but by wether we have been KNOWN by the LORD. Those minor issues will be rectified by the Lord in Heaven, which we might not even care at that point.
There are many such churches with identicle theology but without an over riding denomination affiliation. Oddly, these churches are counted as individual denoms by some accountings (kinda silly).
Obviously, other churches split over the color of the carpet. Sinners, sin. Blaming Sola Scriptura for that is nuts. Many of these problems occure because of the LACK of SOLA Scriptura.
MD - it goes well beyond that. non-Catholics derive their identity and their reason for existence from their stance in opposition to the Catholic Church. Regardless of the very real difference between them they cannot acknowledge anything good of valid about Catholicism for fear of diminishing their opposition and identity. It should come as no surprise that the anti-Catholics among them believe and act in the understanding that the Church is the greatest evil. A review of their posting histories will show that they ignore Islam, Communism, Fascism, and Satan worship unless it is in the context of linking them to the Church.
Difficult, if not impossible, to answer. I doubt; however, there are 33,000 different definitions. :-)
Some are covenantal, some dispensationalist, some TULIP, some Arminian, some Unitarian. Some withdraw from the world, while others are right in there pitching. Some think buttons are wrong! (Personally, I think the zipper could stand an upgrade, but I don't make a religion of it.)
So to the unregenerate D00d-in-the-street, what do you say about where he should go to find the right answer? Seriously, I won't jump on you. I want to know your thoughts.
There is no single "right answer".