I have heard many people ask, "We only have one Bible. Why are there so many different churches/denominations/groups?" After studying this issue for a long time (I took my first church history class in 1987), I want to share my answer. The good news: I reduced it down to one word.

I will give you the one word first, and then I will explain how that word works to answer this question. Now, as soon as you see the word, remember the first thing that comes to your mind. Don't try to figure out what the right answer is, just remember the first idea that pops into your head. The word is . . . "bat." That is it: bat.

So, what came to your mind? Part of you thought of a baseball bat, and part of you thought of a flying animal. But here is the real question: which answer is right? You will only know the correct answer if I tell you what I think since it is my question. And if I never tell you? You might think your answer is right and that the other way is wrong. So, there you have it: the same thing happens within Christianity.

The Bible contains many distinct and clear instructions and definitions, but also numerous "bat" words and concepts. Christians take the same words and phrases from the Bible and go in different directions. Need an example of a "bat" idea? Consider Communion, which is also known as the Lord's Supper. Jesus said this about the bread at the Last Supper: "This is my body." (Matthew 26:26) Some Christians say, "Ah, this means that the bread turns in to Jesus' body." Some Christians say, "Ah, this means that the bread is significant and holy in some way." Some Christians say, "Ah, this means that the bread is a symbol of Jesus' sacrifice on the cross." Some Christians say, "Ah, this means that we are not to focus on the bread but live in spiritual awareness of God." One verse, four interpretations. [The first way is Catholic, the second is Lutheran, the third is most Evangelicals, and the fourth is Quakers and the Salvation Army.] Jesus is not physically present to be asked, so Christians are left with different interpretations.

Most Christians and non-Christians see this as a problem, even a deep wound, within Christianity, yet I see it otherwise: it is necessary. On primary issues, Christians agree (Trinity, etc.), in secondary matters (technically called "adiaphora"), we can "agree to disagree." (A phrase from George Whitefield.). After all, that is one reason why the church is referred to as the "family of God," for which family completely agrees? But they are still family. Therefore, I developed a word-concept to explain not only why there are so many interpretations, but also why it is OK to have so many different interpretations.

Therefore, the reason there are so many different churches/denominations/groups is simply that there are so many interpretations of the "bat" words and phrases in the Bible. Now, some ideas are foundational to all Christian groups, such as the Incarnation and Trinity, but many concepts (adiaphora)--such as whether to sing hymns or praise songs during worship, whether or not to have deacons, and whether to have elders or bishops or both--are open for interpretation. And, since there are many ways to interpret these words and phrases, there are many different groups within Christianity. And to take this one step further, since the exact meaning of some of the secondary concepts is not made clear in the Bible, then it is OK to have different opinions, as long as the foundational ideas are the same.

To sum up, let me share a story about the Apostle John. This story is not in the Gospels but in one of the NT Apocrypha (not the Gnostic ones) and so might be true, plus it does sound like something he would say. In the late AD 90's, John was alive, very old, and living in Ephesus. People came from far away to ask him questions since he was the oldest living Apostle. But he gave the same answer to everyone: "Love one another." Then someone finally got the courage to ask him why he didn't answer any of the questions. He replied: "Because if you love one another, the questions don't matter." So as long as we all have the same foundational Christian beliefs, then the secondary issues should not matter. That is why they are known as "adiaphora," which means "those matters not essential to the faith."

Dr. Nickens

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