The Big Questions About ChristianityMuestra

Doesn’t the existence of so many different Christian churches prove that Christianity is false?

It’s true. There are many different Christian churches.

Some people hear that and say, “Well, that proves Christianity is false because if it were true, there wouldn’t be any disagreements, and Christians wouldn’t split into so many different churches.” Let’s look first at how these different churches and denominations started.

It’s important to note there have been divisions within Christianity from the very beginning. In his first letter to the church in Corinth, the apostle Paul states the beginnings of denominationalism when he observes that some follow Apollo, some follow Peter, and some follow him. That is Paul himself.

While the apostle Paul emphasized the essential unity of the body of Christ, early Christianity was characterized by its marked diversity. There has never been a time in the history of Christianity when there were no divisions.

Different Christian churches have emphasized different aspects of what the Bible teaches. Each one arose because someone thought their existing church was neglecting a particular truth. So, for example, the Baptists emphasized the importance of baptism, the Salvation Army emphasized the need to help the poor and the destitute, the Pentecostal movement emphasized the importance of the Holy Spirit, and so on, and these are all great things.

The important thing to remember is while there may be differences over how to understand particular doctrines, the whole Christian world agrees on the essential teachings of Christianity. I’d even say the existence of so many different Christian churches and denominations isn’t evidence against Christianity. It’s powerful evidence that Christianity is true.

If there were only one Christian denomination, it would be easy to say, “Well, this is a single group with strange beliefs,” and it would be easier to discount their claims. But the fact there are so many different Christian churches and denominations indicates an underlying truth at the core of each of them. A truth independent of all of them. The great number of different Christian groups also points to the sheer vitality of that underlying truth. The truth is that Jesus Christ lived among us, died, and rose again, and if that is true, then what he said is also true.

I recommend people should consider being a Christian first and a member of a particular church second. That way, you know you’re a Christian for the right reasons. It always works out better that way.

What God needs isn’t more different kinds of churches. He needs more people willing to follow Jesus.

– Eliezer Gonzalez