How are we to make sense out of so many denominations that call themselves "Christian"? Should we attempt to evaluate them? If so, how?

Scripture warns us that many false prophets are in the world, and that we must not believe them (I John 4:1). We are also told that those who are involved in the worship of God must worship Him in truth (John 4:24). It would therefore seem desirable to be involved in a denomination which best reflects the truth of Scripture.

Consequently, I submit that the basis upon which a denomination should be evaluated is it's stated teachings. This is because a denomination's teachings are usually readily available, and are more objective as opposed to subjective. Furthermore, Scripture states that doctrine is to be a priority (I Tim. 4:13). Of course various denominations have done many wonderful humanitarian works which have no doubt brought many benefits to mankind, but this is not a test of the truthfulness of their respective teachings.

Before going any further, it is important that a distinction be made between what a denomination teaches and what a given member of that denomination actually believes. In evaluating a denomination, my comments will apply to the official, stated position of a denomination, but not necessarily to any given individual member.

As I point out in my article, "What is Your Ultimate Authority?", the Scriptures are demonstrably the most credible source of truth available in this world, and that all truth claims must be judged by what the Scriptures explicitly state. This principle, known as "sola Scriptura", should therefore be adhered to by all truly Christian denominations.

Not all denominations which claim to be "Christian" follow the principle of sola Scriptura. Those denominations which claim to have other ultimate authorities, such as teaching magisteriums, alleged "infallible" interpreters of Scripture, or other alleged sources of divine revelation have departed from the unique authority of Scripture and therefore, from my perspective, lack credibility.

Even though I am convinced many denominations are not credible expressions of biblical Christianity, individual members of those denominations can, in theory, be true Christians, provided they bear the marks of a true Christian (see my article, "The Difference Between a Real Christian and a Pretend Christian"). Conversely, a member of a true Christian denomination may not bear the marks of a Christian, and therefore should not be regarded as a real believer.

Although many differences exist between those denominations that hold to sola Scriptura, they still have remarkable unity on the most important issues. In fact, some of the differences can be attributed to different cultural backgrounds and are often not significant in terms of doctrine.

As in the case of individual Christians, a Christian denomination must present the historical Jesus, as well as the biblical gospel (again see my article, "The Difference Between a Real Christian and a Pretend Christian"). Because the biblical text often consists of simple statements without a great amount of detail, however, various denominations have taken different positions on certain issues. When denominations have different views on such matters as salvation and conversion, they may find it difficult to cooperate on the level of "doing church", yet they may be able to cooperate on more foundational issues such as the propagation of Scripture, and on joining together in trusting the Creator of Heaven and Earth to bring people to Himself through the hearing of His word (Rom. 10:17). In other words, while it is desirable to be faithful to Scripture in both doctrine and practice, it is not absolutely necessary in order for people to become truly converted.

My recommendation, then, is to first become involved in a truly Christian denomination--one that embraces sola Scriptura, presents the historical Jesus, and presents the biblical gospel as explicitly stated in Scripture. Beyond that, I recommend that one studies the various positions on salvation and conversion in light of the biblical data, and then try to determine which ones are supported the most by the evidence. Other issues which have a bearing on how one "does church" are the administration of the sacraments (water baptism and the Lord's supper), and the presence of substantial discipleship, which I maintain is vital in our particular culture. My own conclusions on which denominations are the most sound are obvious from the other articles and sites accessible from my home page.