Response to "Why are there so many different denominations?"

Culture defines much of what differs among people.

The Eastern Orthodox Church emphasize the role of icons and different language, in their case Greek or Coptic. The Roman Catholic Church pursued Latin rites and Latin liturgy. Yet both churches excommunicated each other from the Body of Christ because of differences over language, none of which was originally found in the Bible.

The Nicene Creed reads -- We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord the Giver of Life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son.

The Eastern Orthodox creed reads -- We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord the Giver of Life, who proceeds from the Father through the Son.

The small linguistic difference justified a schism between East and West, although political and cultural implications figured more greatly. The Eastern Churches respect the leadership of all the other communities, while the Roman Catholic church presumes that the Pope in the Vatican is the preeminent religious leader, to which all the other Patriarchs are subordinate.

The differences in religious communities has nothing to do with the Gospel or with Jesus Christ. The provocations that have emerged among denominations has more to do with men who were lovers of themselves and not of God, who desired to have preeminence in the world instead of receiving their glorious state in Christ, for every believer sits in high places with Christ, at the right hand of the Father.

The revelation of the Gospel and the Holy Bible has produced a growing awareness of God's power and might in His people and throughout the world. Denominations have broken forth over distinctions over baptism, communion, the status of the lost upon death, and the balance of works with grace and faith. All of these distinctions come to nought the more that individual believers respect the writ of Holy Scripture, aligning their mind with the divine word of God instead of trying to mold God's Word to fit in with the limited understanding of history and culture.

Christ is all, His death is the Finished Work, and through the Power of the Holy Spirit we receive glory and grandeur to reign in life -- let the Gospel in all of its power and persuasion be preached!