Interpretations and denominationalism, rather than the belief in the core tenets of the Christian salvation, are now used by some Christians to determine salvation in Christ. The thief on the cross who accepted Jesus had no denominational leanings. He just believed Jesus and that earned him salvation.
On many occasions I have been asked, “Are you Calvinist or Arminian?” People don’t ask me if I believe in the triune God, (God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit).
They don’t ask me if I believe Jesus is God, (John 10:30; Colossians 2:9; Hebrews 1:3), and if I believe that Jesus is the Savior, and the only way to God, (John 14:6). They don’t ask me whether a person can or cannot be saved and become a child of God if that person does not believe that Jesus is God and the Savior. They don’t ask me if I believe and practice the Apostles’ doctrine, (Acts 2:42; Matthew 28:19-20).
Rather they are concerned whether I believe in Arminianism, Calvinism, or other denominational doctrines.
These doctrines that have torn Christians apart were not promulgated by Jesus nor by the Apostles. Jesus did not say they are the basis of our salvation. Calvinism and Arminianism, for example, were formulated by people in the 16th and the 17th centuries.
My response is always that I believe in the triune God (i.e., the trinity: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit). I believe that God is One divine Essence in the Godhead. I believe the teachings that Jesus and the Apostles disseminated. I believe that Jesus is God, Jesus died for me and resurrected on the third day and will judge the living and the dead.
Denominational doctrines do not define our salvation, yet if you take one side the other will alienate you. This is unfortunate.
Interpretations of Biblical words, statements or contexts have torn Christians apart. Even though the interpretations do not define our salvation. Some Christians will have nothing to do with fellow Christians who disagree with their denominational doctrines. I have been sidelined before by some Christians because I did not share their beliefs. Some even decided to alienate me because of my views.
Yet these disagreements have nothing to do with our salvation.
The Apostle Paul addressed some problems at their time in Colossians 2:8-23, Romans 14:4-6, and Galatians 3:1-6.
The Bible is clear as to what makes us Christians or how we become Christians (passages include Matthew 28:19; Mark 16:16-20; John 3:16; John 15:4-16; Acts 2:38). How we interpret or misinterpret some words of the Bible does not define our Christianity, unless our doctrines and practices disagree with the basic pillars or the core tenets of Christianity.
The true Christian must believe in the triune God (the Trinity – God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit). The true Christian believes that God is one Divine Essence (substance) in three persons, not three Gods (deities). The person of the Father, the person of the Son, and the person of the Holy Spirit are separate. But the Godhead of the Father, the Godhead of the Son, and the Godhead of the Holy Spirit is ONE, (Colossians 2:9). The Godhead is one in essence and Jesus is the only Lord and Savior of the world. God speaks through His Son, who is the express image of God’s person, (Hebrews 1:1-3).
These were tenets Jesus Christ taught the Apostles and commanded the Apostles to disseminate throughout the world, (Matthew 28:18-20; Luke 24:44-51; Acts 1:8; John 10:30 – God and Jesus are one in essence or substance).
Most of the doctrines that have become the pillars of various denominations were formulated many years after the core tenets of Christianity had been laid out in the Bible. The founders of these new doctrines interpreted the passages of the Bible according to their own personal understanding of what they read.
As I said earlier, the thief on the cross who accepted Jesus had no denominational learnings. He just believed in Jesus and that earned him salvation. We must, therefore, not alienate fellow Christians who do not share our denominational beliefs. We must not alienate a person who believes in the core tenets of Christianity, in the Lordship of Jesus, in the triune God, and what Jesus and the Apostles taught.
Mostly, we use biased lenses to see and interpret what we read. And so, we give our own interpretations and views and alienate other Christians who do not belong to our denominations, or who do not share our interpretations and views. Even within the denominations we encounter differences of interpretations and doctrines. Many denominations have split further because of further disagreements in interpretations within them as they refuse to consider each other’s views.
Even leading theologians have their biases. Martin Luther, for instance, expressed personal opinions and doubts about the authority of Hebrews, James, Jude, and Revelation. He called the Epistle of James “an epistle of straw.” He said its teaching on good works conflicted with his personal theology of justification by faith alone. Martin Luther did not ask the Holy Spirit to explain to him why the Holy Spirit inspired James to write on faith and works in the manner he did.
The early church believed that the books, (including the epistle of James), were authentic and inspired by the Holy Spirit. Our inability to understand some words or passages in the Bible, therefore, does not diminish the genuineness of such words or passages. Martin Luther, by his statement, implied that the Holy Spirit inspired James to write ‘an epistle of straw’. (Or he believed that James was not inspired to write that epistle.) Despite that, Christians still hold Martin Luther in high esteem. Yet these same Christians will alienate fellow Christians who do not agree with what they believe.
But as I indicated, the words and beliefs we fight about do not define our salvation. Our salvation depends on the belief that Jesus is the only Lord and Savior, He died and resurrected, and that Jesus is God. True Christians believe in the triune God (God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit), and that God is One divine Essence in the Godhead. True Christians believe and practice the Apostles doctrine, (Acts 2:42; Matthew 28:18-20).
I believe that the words and the statements the writers and prophets used in the Bible are the words and statements that God (the Holy Spirit) intended. God speaks to us in the simple language that we can understand Him. He does not use obscure language.
Unfortunately, Satan has succeeded in tearing us apart by using insignificant doctrines. The doctrines we argue on and fight each other against do not determine our salvation. Yet Satan has managed to engage us in fighting against each other on them. And some of us do not want to have anything to do with people who disagree with us.
We often take a portion of the Bible, a statement or verse, and make a doctrine out of that. We neglect other passages that may contradict the passages that we choose to make our doctrines.
Denominations develop their fundamental doctrines using only a portion or some portions of the Bible, and neglecting others. They don’t consider that there are other words and statements that may seem to contradict those words and statements they rely on as the basis for their doctrinal beliefs.
My lecturer, Ms. Eunson, taught us in class, in my first year in Bible Seminary, that we must always carefully analyze the words and statements when they seem to contradict. If two words or statements seem to contradict, we must always search further to see if there are other words or statements that might contradict the ones we are reading. If there are other words and statements that seem to contradict the ones we are reading or that seem to be neutral, then we must ask why it is so. That introduces us to contextualization. Most of the words or statements were made in context.