One of the Bible passages which I much regret having to obey is Matt 10:35 "...I came to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother...and a man's enemies will be the members of his household...".
There is no hidden meaning in this passage. It clearly means that christianity is divisive; and we will be living in a very divisive christian world.
I had told myself to accept this passage first, painful as it was, before I could truly accept Christ. The moment I accepted Christ years ago, I great gulf separated me from my family. I was no longer 'one of them' who followed the family religion. I no longer worshipped the family gods. During festivals when all members of the family gathered to pray and to burn incense, I stepped aside and stood alone. I am a part of the family, yet I am not.
When Jesus commissioned Peter "upon this rock I will build My church,..." Matt16:18, Jesus must already know that His church will be divided and fragmented. After the apostolic church came the papal church and the fragmentation accelerated down the centuries. The Catholic church, the Eastern Orthodox churches, the Anglican church, the protestant churches, the denominational churches, the independent churches and the many christian sects and semi-churches.
Some may argue that the many christian church groups provide different flavours, and different flavours appeal to people of different taste. However, there are just too many flavours, and this situation confuses and sows distrust, instead of harmonises our beliefs.
As I look at the Catholic Church, and the Methodist Church, the New-Age Churches and other charismatic christian groups, I hope they will all be united in the Apostles Creed which I recite every week. I love the Apostles Creed. All Christians must wholeheartedly believe and be faithful to the Apostle Creed. In it, we believe that Jesus is the Son of God - "born of the virgin Mary, died and was buried, on the third day he rose again from the dead, and seated at the right hand of God...". In the Apostles Creed, christians are united in Christ.
Christianity is not just about God. A few other religions also believe in the same God we christians believe in, even though they address Him using other names.
More importantly, christianity is about Jesus Christ. We are divided in christianity, yet we are united in Christ. Christ lives. Believe in Him.
These are my thoughts. I welcome your comments.
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