One Faith: Part 2

By Clifton Angel
    Paul instructed the church at Ephesus that there is "one faith" (Ephesians 4:5). Jude wrote to Christians with the purpose of exhorting them: "ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints" (Jude 3). Humbly, sincerely, and lovingly, I plead with you: Why are there so many different faiths today? Let's consider some more research:
The Watchtower Society’s (more commonly known as Jehovah's Witnesses) origin and beliefs can be traced back to its founder Charles Taze Russell, Russell's successor Joseph Franklin Rutherford, who also denounced many of Russell's teachings, and Nathan H. Knorr, under whose leadership the New World Translation was published.***The New World Translation is a copy of the Bible text with various words and phrases changed, added, or taken away in order that it might better fit their foundational teachings. The Watchtower, a frequent publication of the Society, is also used as an authoritative source of their faith.    The Church of God, the United Pentecostal Church, the Assemblies of God, Neo-Pentecostalism and other groups can be grouped together "under the heading of 'Holiness Churches.'" While their faiths do not agree on every point, they have similarities, including their beliefs in Holy Spirit baptism, the performing of miracles today, and the ability to speak in tongues, which are misapplications of the Biblical text.    Did you know that the Masonic Lodge, or Freemasonry, is another denominational, unbiblical faith? Interestingly, their own writings contradict themselves concerning their status as a religion. "'Though religious in character, Masonry is not a religion, not a substitute for one.' (Freemasonry, A Way Of Life, Grand Lodge of Indiana)." "'Every Masonic Lodge is a temple of religion; and its teachings are instruction in religion.' (Morals and Dogma, p. 213)." "'Masonry propagates no creed except its own most simple and Sublime One; that universal religion, taught by Nature and by Reason. Its Lodges are neither Jewish, Moslem, nor Christian Temples...it extracts the good and not the evil, the truth and not the error, from all creeds.' (Morals and Dogma, p. 718).”    In our three articles concerning there being a multiplicity of faiths in a world where the Bible says there is only one true faith (Ephesians 4:5), we have only touched the hem of the garment of researching various faiths. Not only is there much more research concerning those already mentioned, but there also remains much to be taught concerning the faiths of the Salvation Army, the Community Church movement, and numerous others. Humbly, sincerely, and lovingly, I plead with you: Why are there so many different faiths today?***Unless noted, extra-Biblical citations are from: http://www.padfield.com/acrobat/taylor/denominations.pdf.

- Clifton Angel preaches for the Coldwater Church of Christ in Coldwater, MS. He may be contacted through that congregation's website: http://www.coldwatercofc.com/