Today we looked further at the subject of ‘the church’, looking into the history of the church and the formation of denominations. In 1054 there was a split between Eastern and Western Christian churches which continues to this day; in the 16th century the Reformation and Martin Luther saw the origins of the Protestant church which split from Rome. In England this had profound consequences, with Henry VIII backing the Protestant church (partly to justify his divorce from the Catholic Catherine of Aragon), and a period of religious persecution depending on the beliefs of the current monarch. Further ‘splits’ within the Protestant traditions occurred later on, with John and Charles Wesley responsible for the formation of the Methodist Church. Other denominations have arisen as churches focus on particular aspects of doctrine (e.g. the Baptist church which looks at the need for adult baptism of believers and Pentecostal/ charismatic churches which believe in the gifts of the Holy Spirit in church life today.)
Often, which church we attend is as much about ‘styles’ of worship as doctrine, but there is a broad consensus of belief amongst many churches which focuses on Jesus Christ and His death and resurrection in particular. We should aim to work with all who believe this is the way of salvation and not be divisive unnecessarily.
In Eph 4 we looked at ‘church’ and ‘the local church’, seeing that there are ministry gifts in the church which help the church to grow. We are all part of the church, a role which is not just functional in church services. Our involvement means we can build others up and all are needed. Some ministries are focussed inside the building; others are focussed outside, but all of us are needed and have a role to play.
