Originally posted by Nellinator
It should be known by Christians that the differences that seperate the many denominations are unimportant to God in comparison to many of his other teachings. God demands only the tenets of holy living, righteousness, and the acceptance of Jesus Christ as Savior. That is why these topics are emphasized time and again in the Bible. Why is it that denominations split and fight amongst each other over such things as spiritual gifts, baptism for the dead, and infant baptism? Should not all churches focus on spreading the tenets of Christianity instead of squabbling over minor theological differences? I am interested to hear what Christians think about this, but moreso what non-Christians think about seperation in the church.
While Christ was on the Earth, he gathered the twelve apostles. He organized the group of Seventy. He created a structure for the Church. Why did he do this? Is the structure important? Following the betrayal and death of Judas, what was the action taken by the remaining eleven apostles? They filled the empty space with another. There is evidence that the structure was important.
Read from Eusebius, a historian of the Christian Church in the early 4th century C.E.
Eusebius Pamphilus, The Ecclesiastical History..., trans. and intro. by Christian Frederick Cruse (Grand Rapids, Mich.:Baker Book House, 1955), 40.Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, not very long after the commencement of his public ministry, elected the twelve, whom he called apostles, by way of eminence over the rest of his disciples. He also appointed seventy others besides these, whom he sent, two by two, before him into every place and city whither he himself was about to go.
The apostles traveled to the various churches, trying to maintain consistency among the churches. It is important that the Church be consistent between churches. There are wrong ways to worship.
Eusebius Pamphilus, The Ecclesiastical History..., trans. and intro. by Christian Frederick Cruse (Grand Rapids, Mich.:Baker Book House, 1955), 118.The same author [Hegesippus], relating the events of the times, also says, that the church continued until then [the early second century] as a pure and uncorrupt virgin; whilst if there were any at all, that attempted to pervert the sound doctrine of the saving gospel, they were yet skulking in dark retreats; but when the sacred choir of apostles became extinct, and the generation of those that had been privileged to hear their inspired wisdom, had passed away, then also the combinations of impious error arose by the fraud and delusions of false teachers. These also, as there was none of the apostles left, henceforth attempted, without shame, to preach their false doctrine against the gospel of truth. Such is the statement of Hegesippus.
Many Christians hold that these bodies were meant as a foundation to the church, but that the apostolic structure was never intended to be final. We, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, believe that the failure to maintain Christ's established structure, with the Twelve as special witnesses of Christ and the continuing foundation of the church, broke the authoritative thread of the priesthood. Thus apostasy occurred through loss of the quorum and its authority.
Mainstream Christianity's lack of ability to uniformly moving in the same direction is, in our, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, opinion, a sign of the loss of priesthood authority.
There was only one way to worship, and the apostles maintained that. Following their deaths the structure also fell, and the combinations of impious error arose by the fraud and delusions of false teachers. Sorry, but there should only be one true Christian Church.
Now, your appraisal is simplistic, and avoids the gaps that exist in the Bible. If the requirements are as simple as your statement claims then why did the apostles speak out against various topics beyond what you state? Why did Christ create the structure he did? It is important to maintain the structure and the authority that existed in the early church. Your simple structure is lacking in Biblical support.