By Tin-chee Lo (盧天賜) — English version at bottom)
十六世紀前沒有「宗派」。
在宗教改革之前，羅馬天主教主導了基督教的信仰。他們雖然相信聖經的權威，但他們還加上「教皇無誤論」和「聖礼傳統」的實踐。當時的社會情形是：文盲普遍，平民不許讀聖經，教會甚至禁止大眾解經，只有教會的解釋才是正版。當時印刷機尚未面世，擁有聖經也是罕見之事，所以當時對聖經的了解只有一種版本，就是羅馬教會的版本、沒有所謂今天多元性的「宗派」。
教會的腐敗
如果「教皇的權威和傳統的實踐」是合付聖經，這也無所謂。問題是教皇不是神，他也是人，而且是罪人，他對教會的決策不可能沒有錯誤。最明顯的錯誤是「煉獄」的教義和「贖罪券」的商業化實踐。這個錯誤扭曲了社會的良心：”我怎能不購買贖罪卷而讓我死去的母親長期在煉獄中受痛苦呢!” 結果，教會的錯誤導致當時貧窮的社會民不聊生。
宗教改革的開始
馬丁路德是虔誠的神父。但他首先察覺到教皇之間常有衝突，他就開始質疑教皇的無誤性。他從聖經中得知內中從來未提及煉獄。他透過張貼《九十五條網要》，用通用的德語喚醒信徒，從而遭受對教庭的非議，但他堅持信仰，不撤回他的宣言。故此，他不但被驅逐出教會，且被判死刑。由於上帝的保守他沒有喪命，反而用他的餘生擴展宗教改革，特別對翻譯聖經有一很大的貢獻, 对日後的教会历史有深遠的影响。
宗教改革的結果
適逢印刷機的發明，改革運動如火如荼，由於他說出了人民的心聲，他的思想就像星星之火可以燎原，普遍地散播到整個歐洲大陸。他強調教皇和教會傳統不是我們信仰的權威。馬丁路德給了我們五個「唯獨」的教义: 唯獨聖經; 唯獨恩典; 唯獨信心; 唯獨基督; 唯獨上帝的榮耀。在信徒生活實踐方面, 馬丁路德主張: 信徒皆祭司; 解經不是教皇的專利並鼓勵信徒自己讀經; 相信聖靈引導聖徒進入真理; 相信信徒可直達到神面前求赦免不需經過神父。這就是新教 (Protestant) 的產生。
宗派的產生
當聖經落在大眾的手中，而且賦予他們解經的自由，由於人們的背景不一樣，文化不同，屬靈經歷不同，我們就很難想像到每位信徒們都有一致的觀點。宗派就油然而生。有人問馬丁路德說，「當人們手上有聖經也可以自由閱讀和解釋，那麼豈不是會產生很多與羅馬教會不同的宗教派別嗎？」馬丁路德直接了當地回答說，「So be it （就這樣吧）！」，表示他了解並接受這個後果。
宗派並非雜亂無章
聖經的真理有兩部份，最主要的稱為「基要真理」，其它的就是「次要真理」。基要真理包括：上帝的三位一體，基督的神人二性，救恩的唯一道路，聖經的絕對權威等，都是不容商榷的。凡不符合基要真理的信仰宣言，都被列為「異端」。宗派不是異端，他們所相信的都是真理，只是重點不同而矣。例如特別注重浸禮的群體，他們就成了浸信會。特別注重聖靈的異能的就成為神召會。這些都是在「次要真理」內的差異。所以不同宗派的人仕可以互稱為弟兄姊妹，並且可以和平共處，應該彼此尊重。宗派有互相制衡的作用。當上帝的子民過份注重悟性上的理解而忽畧靈性的火熱，上帝就讓靈恩運動興起。當教會在教義上矯枉過正，上帝就興起另一班弟兄姊妹，將鐘擺擺到另一端去。從教會歷史中我們看到上帝的手不斷使用宗派來保持福音的純正。我們應該把「宗派林立」的現象而感謝祂並榮獲祂。
如何選擇教會
宗派的多樣性主要源於對聖經的不同解釋和對某些教義的不同重點。雖然這看起來讓人難以忍受，但重要的是尋找一個忠實地宣揚福音、遵守聖經權威、致力於健全的教義和正確執行聖禮的教會。在做出這個重要決定時，祈求智慧，學習聖經，尋求建議。
Why are there so many Christian denominations?
No Denomination before the sixteenth century
Before the Reformation, Roman Catholicism dominated Christian faith. Although they believe in the authority of the Bible, they also add the practice of “Papal infallibility” and “sacramental tradition” to their believing system. The social context at that time was that illiteracy was widespread; civilians were not allowed to read the Bible. Moreover, the church prohibited the general public from interpreting the Bible. Only the church authority’s interpretation of the Scripture was acceptable. Since typesetting technology had not been developed so owning a Bible was rare. One “good” thing was that the church was quite unified and uniform, not mush congregational arguments.
Corruption in the Church
This does not matter if “the authority of the Pope and traditional practice” are in accordance with the Bible. The problem is that the Pope is not God, he is also a human being, capable of sinning. Therefore, it is impossible for his decisions, even regarding the church, to be without mistakes. The most obvious errors are their doctrine of “purgatory” and the commercial practice of “indulgences”. These mistakes distorted the conscience of society: “How can I not buy indulgences and let my dead mother suffer in purgatory for a hundred years?” As a result, the church’s mistaken practices led to the impoverishment of society at that time.
The beginning of the Reformation
Martin Luther was a devout priest. But he first noticed that there was frequent disagreements among the popes, so he began to question the infallibility of the popes: if they were always right, why was there conflicts? He learned that the concept of purgatory was nowhere to be found in the Bible. Luther nailed the “Ninety-Five Thesis” in the common German language on the door of the Castle Church at Wittenberg to awaken believers, which led to the criticism from the Church, but he persisted in his faith and did not withdraw his declaration. As a result, he was not only expelled from the church, but also sentenced to death. Thanks to God’s protection, he did not die. Instead, he used the rest of his life to expand the Reformation. He made a great contribution in particular to the translation of the Bible, which had a profound impact on the future history of the church.
Results of the Reformation
Coinciding with the invention of the printing press, the Reformation movement was in full swing. Because Luther expressed the cries of the people, his ideas were like a spark that could start a prairie fire and spread throughout the European continent. He stressed that the Pope and Church tradition are not the authority for our faith, only the Scripture does. The Reformation gave us the five “alone” —as the bases for Christian doctrines.
- Sola Scriptura (Scripture Alone)
- Sola Fide (Faith Alone)
- Solas Gratia (Grace Alone)
- Solus Christus (Christ Alone)
- Soli Deo Gloria (To the Glory of God Alone)
In terms of believers’ practical life, Martin Luther advocated that all believers are priests; interpretation of the Bible is not the Pope’s exclusive right, and believers are encouraged to read the Bible themselves, believing that the Holy Spirit guides saints into the truth, and that believers can go directly to God to ask for forgiveness without going through a priest. This is how Protestantism came into being.
The Birth of Denominations
When the Bible falls into the hands of the public and they are given the freedom to interpret it, it is difficult to imagine that every believer will have the same opinion because people have different backgrounds, cultures, and spiritual experiences. Denominations naturally emerged. Someone warned Martin Luther, “When people have the Bible in their hands and can read and interpret it freely, won’t there be many religious sects that are different among themselves and from the Roman Church?” Martin Luther minced no words and replied directly, “So be it!”, indicating that he understood and accepted this consequence.
Denominations Are Not Chaotic
The truth in the Bible consists of two parts. The most important part is called “fundamental truths” and the other part is called “secondary truths”. Fundamental truths include: the Trinity of God, the dual nature of Christ, the only way of salvation, the absolute authority of the Bible, etc., which are not negotiable. Any statement of faith that does not conform to fundamental truths is classified as “heresy.” Denominations are not heresies; they all believe in fundamental truths, but they just may have different emphases. For example, a group that places special emphasis on baptism becomes a Baptist Church. Those who place special emphasis on the miracles as the works of Holy Spirit became the Assemblies of God. These are all differences within “secondary truths”. Therefore, people of different denominations can call each other brothers and sisters, and can coexist peacefully and should respect each other. Denominations serve to check and balance each other. When God’s people focused too much on intellectual understanding and neglected spiritual fervor, God allowed the charismatic movement to arise. When the church goes too far in doctrinal interpretation, God raises up another group of brothers and sisters to swing the pendulum to the other opposite end. Throughout church history we see God’s hand continually using denominations to keep the gospel pure. We should thank Him and honor Him for the phenomenon of “numerous sects”.
How to Choose a Church
The diversity of denominations stems primarily from different interpretations of the Bible and different emphases placed on certain doctrines. While this may seem overwhelming, it is important to seek out a church that faithfully proclaims the gospel, adheres to the authority of Scripture, is committed to sound doctrine, and properly administers the sacraments. Pray for wisdom, study the Bible, and seek counsel as you make this important decision.
