COMPARING
CHURCHES, DENOMINATIONS AND CULTS
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A CHRISTIAN CHURCH AND A CULT
Christian churches follow the teachings of the Bible only. So their members would feel quite at ease worshipping with any denomination of a Christian church.
Cults follow the exclusive teachings of a man (or woman), and separate themselves from those who don't. They would not feel at home in a Christian church because many of the biblical teachings and practices would contradict those of their founder and/or leader. Nor would they feel at ease worshipping with another cult, whose teachings would also differ from their own.
Although cults do use the Bible, they "interpret" it in the light of their own prophet or leader's revelations.
WHY ARE THERE DIFFERENT CHRISTIAN DENOMINATIONS?
The LDS maintains that having different denominations in the Christian church proves that they are apostate. Firstly, this is because they don't understand what a denomination is. And secondly, they're pointing fingers at themselves, because the LDS church also has many splinter groups, a fact which their leadership tries to brush under the carpet.
The best way I have heard to explain denominations is to liken them to football teams. Although all football teams play exactly the same game and adhere to precisely the same set of rules, they each work out and follow through with their own different strategies for the game. In the same manner, Christian denominations all follow only the teachings of the Bible, and although they each may have a different emphasis or strategy, none of them is unbiblical.
As a Christian I can worship in any Christian denomination and feel quite at ease because they all follow only the teachings of the Bible. None of them relies on the exclusive teachings of their own leaders, only on the Bible. So their basic doctrines are the same. All Christian denominations agree on the basic biblical doctrines on God, creation, man and salvation. But the basic doctrines of the LDS have originated from the teachings of their prophet, Joseph Smith, and what is more, they all contradict the Bible. That's why they don't fall into the category of "Christian".
MORMONISM IS NOT CHRISTIANITY
For some time now the LDS church has been striving to become accepted as part of the Christian fraternity. But Mormonism has very little in common with biblical Christianity.
Christian churches of today have the same doctrines and teachings that were taught by Christ's primitive church in the New Testament, so they worship the same God and follow the same Saviour.
On the other hand, the Jesus Christ of Mormonism is not the Christ of the Bible, but a different person altogether. They also worship a different God, and teach an unbiblical atonement with two types of unbiblical salvation, as well as an unbiblical gospel.
In Ephesians chapter 6, the church is instructed to use the Word of God, the Bible, as a spiritual sword to counter spiritual deception or error. It is the standard of truth against which all else must be tested. However, the LDS teaches Mormons to use Joseph Smith's teachings as their standard of truth, against which to test the accuracy of the Bible.
All that Mormonism and biblical Christianity have in common are the biblical terms they both use. However, in order for these terms to fit in with their unbiblical doctrines, the LDS has had to give them meanings that will not be found in any dictionary, and that are exclusive to Mormonism alone.
Copyright 2007 by Mormonism and Biblical Truth. All rights reserved.
Christian churches follow the teachings of the Bible only. So their members would feel quite at ease worshipping with any denomination of a Christian church.
Cults follow the exclusive teachings of a man (or woman), and separate themselves from those who don't. They would not feel at home in a Christian church because many of the biblical teachings and practices would contradict those of their founder and/or leader. Nor would they feel at ease worshipping with another cult, whose teachings would also differ from their own.
Although cults do use the Bible, they "interpret" it in the light of their own prophet or leader's revelations.
WHY ARE THERE DIFFERENT CHRISTIAN DENOMINATIONS?
The LDS maintains that having different denominations in the Christian church proves that they are apostate. Firstly, this is because they don't understand what a denomination is. And secondly, they're pointing fingers at themselves, because the LDS church also has many splinter groups, a fact which their leadership tries to brush under the carpet.
The best way I have heard to explain denominations is to liken them to football teams. Although all football teams play exactly the same game and adhere to precisely the same set of rules, they each work out and follow through with their own different strategies for the game. In the same manner, Christian denominations all follow only the teachings of the Bible, and although they each may have a different emphasis or strategy, none of them is unbiblical.
As a Christian I can worship in any Christian denomination and feel quite at ease because they all follow only the teachings of the Bible. None of them relies on the exclusive teachings of their own leaders, only on the Bible. So their basic doctrines are the same. All Christian denominations agree on the basic biblical doctrines on God, creation, man and salvation. But the basic doctrines of the LDS have originated from the teachings of their prophet, Joseph Smith, and what is more, they all contradict the Bible. That's why they don't fall into the category of "Christian".
MORMONISM IS NOT CHRISTIANITY
For some time now the LDS church has been striving to become accepted as part of the Christian fraternity. But Mormonism has very little in common with biblical Christianity.
Christian churches of today have the same doctrines and teachings that were taught by Christ's primitive church in the New Testament, so they worship the same God and follow the same Saviour.
On the other hand, the Jesus Christ of Mormonism is not the Christ of the Bible, but a different person altogether. They also worship a different God, and teach an unbiblical atonement with two types of unbiblical salvation, as well as an unbiblical gospel.
In Ephesians chapter 6, the church is instructed to use the Word of God, the Bible, as a spiritual sword to counter spiritual deception or error. It is the standard of truth against which all else must be tested. However, the LDS teaches Mormons to use Joseph Smith's teachings as their standard of truth, against which to test the accuracy of the Bible.
All that Mormonism and biblical Christianity have in common are the biblical terms they both use. However, in order for these terms to fit in with their unbiblical doctrines, the LDS has had to give them meanings that will not be found in any dictionary, and that are exclusive to Mormonism alone.
Copyright 2007 by Mormonism and Biblical Truth. All rights reserved.