Do differences in practices of faith mean we follow the same Jesus Christ? (reject, gospel)

[uss_bigd]

Originally Posted by Scuba Pete

The NT not only condones that we worship Jesus differently, it encourages tolerance when we do!

Could you please provide verses that will prove your claim. Thanks!

[Scuba Pete]

Originally Posted by uss_bigd

Could you please provide verses that will prove your claim. Thanks!

Why yes I can. Perhaps you can provide some scriptures that provide for us biting and devouring each other over "theology".

Romans 14:5 One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 He who regards one day as special, does so to the Lord. He who eats meat, eats to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who abstains, does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God. 7 For none of us lives to himself alone and none of us dies to himself alone. 8 If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. 9 For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living. 10 You, then, why do you judge your brother? Or why do you look down on your brother? For we will all stand before God's judgment seat. 11 It is written:
" 'As surely as I live,' says the Lord,
'every knee will bow before me;
every tongue will confess to God.' " 12 So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.
13 Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother's way. NIV

There is only ONE acid test for a Christian: ONE. After that we are all free! Free to love and serve God in a most personal way. A way that no one else can quite understand.

Did you need more scriptures? I can surely provide them for you. Our God is not nearly as divisive as many Christians want him to be. After all, he is a God of Peace and Mercy: not of condemnation.

[Katzpur]

Originally Posted by Scuba Pete

Why do you look down on your brother?

Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother's way.

You realize, of course, Pete, that the standard answer to these questions is always going to be that differences of opinion, understanding and practice preclude us from considering other people to even be our brothers and sisters. If you can say that so-and-so believes differently than you do and is therefore not your brother, the problem appears to be solved. You may be prohibited from passing judgment on your brother, but you can crap all over someone who isn't your brother.

[Charity]

Hey Katz my friend see you have already beaten me here....

Just wanted to say, although Katz and I don't worship anything alike we are still friends. I have noticed that there are so many different interpretations of scripture in so many different churches....Take for instance the different beliefs just in the Baptist faith. Southern Baptists, Freewill Baptists, Christian Baptists, Independent Baptists, Old time Regular Baptists, each a Baptist but most have a slightly different view of the scriptures. Can we say that any of them are less Christian than the other? Or that they all aren't worshipping the same Jesus Christ? I have been in all of them at one time or another as a visitor. As far as I could tell they all are serving the same Jesus Christ that I know to be my Savior. Do they all love God? I believe they do.

If any man says that we aren't serving the same God, or same Jesus Christ by what measure does he use...You can't perceive to know the mind of God. We are to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling. No matter what name is over the door God knows the intent of the heart.

If you lived in a foreign country and only had one missionary there, and it was not our own church, but another denomination, would you rather they heard about the gospel of Christ from someone, rather than not at all? After all doesn't the Bible say that God's word won't return void, whether it comes from a burning bush or a prophet?

Charity

[Scuba Pete]

Originally Posted by Katzpur

You realize, of course, Pete, that the standard answer to these questions is always going to be that differences of opinion, understanding and practice preclude us from considering other people to even be our brothers and sisters. If you can say that so-and-so believes differently than you do and is therefore not your brother, the problem appears to be solved. You may be prohibited from passing judgment on your brother, but you can crap all over someone who isn't your brother.

Katz,

I think that's why Jesus gave us the prime commandment:

John 13:34 "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." NIV

If we can learn just to "love one another" then loving the rest of the world will be incredibly easy.

In that wonderful chapter on Christian Freedom (that most who call themselves Christian refuse to believe), Paul writes this:

Galatians 5:13 You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. 14 The entire law is summed up in a single command: "Love your neighbor as yourself." 15 If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.NIV

Unfortunately, we will always have legalists among us. There are those who are intent on subverting the Gospel of Grace and Freedom into just another set of rules and regulations. They often don't understand or accept the motives of other's peoples hearts, because their heart is not yet right. Tell me if you don't think this passage is about a legalist not understanding the worshiper's heart:

Luke 7:36 Now one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, so he went to the Pharisee's house and reclined at the table. 37 When a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee's house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume, 38 and as she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them. 39 When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, "If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner."
40 Jesus answered him, "Simon, I have something to tell you."
"Tell me, teacher," he said.
41 "Two men owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42 Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he canceled the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?"
43 Simon replied, "I suppose the one who had the bigger debt canceled."
"You have judged correctly," Jesus said.
44 Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. 46 You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. 47 Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little."
48 Then Jesus said to her, "Your sins are forgiven."
49The other guests began to say among themselves, "Who is this who even forgives sins?"
50Jesus said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace." NIV

[sojourner]

Originally Posted by Katzpur

You realize, of course, Pete, that the standard answer to these questions is always going to be that differences of opinion, understanding and practice preclude us from considering other people to even be our brothers and sisters. If you can say that so-and-so believes differently than you do and is therefore not your brother, the problem appears to be solved. You may be prohibited from passing judgment on your brother, but you can crap all over someone who isn't your brother.

Pete said that, unfortunately, we always have the legalists among us. The parable of the Samaritan was born out of a legalistic approach to "who is my neighbor" -- that is, "OK, if I'm supposed to love my neighbor, just who is my neighbor? (So I don't have to waste time loving someone I don't have to). We all know the answer to that one!

[sojourner]

So, you are saying that being the Son of God had little to do with this?

NO, I'm merely pointing out that Jesus was a scholar. If the Son of God revered the scriptures enough to study them responsibly, so should we, who follow him.

I don't hate scholarship: I just don't think it is necessary to live a life of love. It is definitely not needed to understand "Love God and Love your Neighbor". After all, that IS the essence of Christianity.

No, scholarship isn't necessary to live a life of love. But reading and understanding the Bible isn't "living a life of love." It's "reading and understanding the Bible," which is the guide of our faith and practice.