I disagree. I think there was significantly more variety in doctrine and ordinances in the early church than some people would like to think, even among orthodox Christians. The differences between Jews and Greeks are one important example, and at times they would not even eat together, but there were many others. Constantine insisted on a level of agreed doctrine that had not existed earlier, which is one of the reasons for the creeds. Any careful reading of the earliest writings shows a much wider variety of doctrine.Valerie wrote:The difference between then and now- All the Churches at that time, were started by the Apostles- they were all on the same page with doctrine and interpretations. When heresies would arise or heretical groups were started, they were not considered to be part of the Church- and they were churches named by their 'location' not beliefs/ordinances.
And the letters of Paul testify that there were heresies within the church from the earliest days, heresies that needed to be fought.
Paul's approach to this was to constantly remind us who we are in Christ, what is at the heart of the Gospel, and to emphasize holiness and love. I think we need to keep doing the same. I don't expect the denominations to come together any time soon - we aren't even at the point that we all accept other Christians at the communion table. But if the Body of Christ is divided, at least we can agree that we will not be the ones who are dividing it.
Can you imagine an Acts 15 council today, where we could look at other Christians who are quite different from us and say this?
So often, we create our own rituals and observances and theologies and practices and insist that they are what it takes to be a true Christian. But when it comes down to it, we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as other true Christians will.And God, who knows the heart, bore witness to them, by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us, and he made no distinction between us and them, having cleansed their hearts by faith. Now, therefore, why are you putting God to the test by placing a yoke on the neck of the disciples that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? But we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will.