All churches have a theology. All churches grounded primarily in Scripture have very similar theologies. Many of the core beliefs of the confessional reformation churches had a good representation within pre-Trent Catholicism as Augustinians. Jesus teaches in Revelation that no individual church is safe from losing its candlestick. He will not tolerate the lukewarm. Those who are not already passionate for Him must come home to Him, regardless of the name or history of their church. Those who love Him above all else, who love and obey his word, who are led by His spirit, are already home.
Peace,
SR
Good post. May i have a single heart for Him to died for us and rose again.
I’m gonna respectfully disagree with you here:
>>> “All churches grounded primarily in Scripture have very similar theologies. “
though it depends on what is ‘similar’ enough.
The Reformers, sola scriptura, disagreed enough to reject each other’s theology and have different “Confessions” or credal documents.
I don’t believe Luther - Zwingli - Calvin - Arminius are similar theologies. First they differ on the sacraments and, in the case of Calvin, salvation, with Calvinism’s salvation by election not at all similar to salvation by grace through faith.
I would agree that Calvin follows an arc started by Luther, but at some point in the line it leaves it’s origin enough to be deemed no longer ‘similar.’
Further out we have the 19th Century invention, via sola scriptura again, of Dispensationalism by Darby and the Brethren Movement, and sola scriptura non-trinitarians such as Oneness Pentecostals and some strands of Unitarianism.
Luther thought that sola scriptura meant everyone would see *his* interpretation of scripture as the obviously correct one, this authority of scripture. But, in practice, it becomes everyone’s interpretation on their own authority.
thanks for your post.