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WhySoMa~y
DENOMINATIONS?
Is Christ divided? There are hundreds of denominations in
America- and many other little groups and sects. Why?
t's hard to believe, but it's true!
The actual facts of history–
both biblical and secular-are
astonishing!
Jt's time we looked behind
this curtain! lt 's time you
knew how, when, and where
all this religious confusion started.
Every thinking person- every de–
nomination-realizes that, at sorne
time in history, there has been a
great apostasy or falling away from
original truth.
Jesus Christ did not found many
denominations! Christ said,
"l
will
bui ld my churcb" (Matthew
16: 18).
He did build it! One Church, com–
missioned to preach and to publish
His gospel - the very message He
brought from God - to a l l the
world.
But what do we find toda y?
Hundreds of different a nd disagree–
ing churches, a ll founded by men,
each professing to teach the truth,
yet contradicting and disagreeing
with all the others.
The Church in Prophecy
While most people today suppose
that the true Church was rapidly
to grow big, to become a powerful
organization, exerting powerful in–
ftuence on the world, making this
a better wo rld , becoming th e
stabilizing influence of the world's
civi lization, actually Christ founded
The
PLAIN TRUTH September 1979
When did this confusion originate?
by
Herman L. Hoeh
Hi s Church for no such purRose!
In His final prayer for His one
Church, Jesus prayed: " 1 pray for
them: I pray not for the world ...
Holy Father, keep through thine own
name those whom thou hast given
me, that they may be one, as we
a re .... I have given them thy word;
and the world hath hated them, be–
cause they are not of the world, even
as
1
am not of the world. 1 pray not
that thou shou!dest take them out of
the world, but that thou shouldest
keep them from the evil. They are not
of the world, even as I am not of the
world" (John 17:9-16).
Those of Hís Church are described
as being strangers and foreigners in
th is wo rld- ambassadors for
Christ- ambassadors representing
His Kingdom which
is
foreign to this
world-yet never being of the
world!
To Be Scattered
This true Church of God was to be
persecuted- scattered.
"If
they have
persecuted me, they will also perse–
cute you," said J esus to His disciples
(John
15:20).
"AII that willlive god–
ly in Christ Jesus sball suffer perse–
cution" (Il Timothy
3:12) .
On the night Jesus was seízed to be
crucified, He saíd: "It is written,
1
will smite the shephe rd, and the
sheep shall be scattered" (Mark
14:27). After He, the Shepherd, was
crucified, the "sheep"-H is
Church-were to become scattered.
Previously, that same evening, Jesus
had said to His disciples: "Ye shall
be scattered" (John
16:32).
This persecution and scattering
began early. Notice Acts 8: 1: "And
at that time there was a great perse–
cution against the church which was
at Jerusalem; and they were all scat–
tered abroad throughout the regions
of Judaea and Samaria , except the
apostles."
Nowhere is there any prophecy
that the one true Chu rch should be–
come great and powerful, exerting
influence in this world. Rather, Jesus
called ít the "little flock" (Luke
12:32).
Despised, persecuted, scat–
tered by the world-separate from
the world! Scattered, but never di–
vided . Always bne Church, speaking
the same thing-never many differ–
ing sects.
You haven't read much of the his–
tory of tha t Church. Even the histori–
ans never knew where to look for the
true Church- for they didn't even
know what the true Church is.
Broad Majo rity Deceived
On the other hand, in the world, all
the prophecies foretold apostasy, de–
ception, and division.
Jesus foretold the very first event
to come on the world-great decep–
tion-climaxing, in our day now j ust
ahead, in great tribulation!
"Take heed," He said, " that no
man deceive you. For many shall
come in my name, saying,
1
am
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