AJ from New Hampshire writes in with today's question, Hello Pastor John, while the disunity

of the church in terms of its denominations is, in my mind, one of the most tragic and

devastating developments in church history, the fact is that a plethora of denominations

now exists in the world in general and in the U.S. in particular, and each has its own

strengths and each has its own weaknesses.

In light of this reality, would you please share how and why you decided to become a Baptist?

Well, before I say word about why I'm a Baptist, let me go ahead and respond to a little

bit of what he said about the divisions in the church because that is painful and it

is real and we all need to have a way to think about it and they do relate to each other.

Divisions, some behavioral, some doctrinal have been there in the church from the beginning.

Paul addresses this most explicitly, it seems in first Corinthians, he says, I hear that

there are divisions among you and I believe it in part for there must be factions among

you in order that those who are genuine among you may be recognized as first Corinthians

11, 18.

And what we hear in that sentence, it seems to me is, and in the whole Old Testament,

I mean, New Testament for that matter is that disagreements and their resulting divisions

are lamentable and inevitable in this world, owing as best as I can see to sin, finiteness,

cultural diversity, personality differences and so on.

You can hear the lament in first Corinthians 110 where he says, I appeal to you brothers

by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ that all of you agree and that there be no divisions

among you, but that you be united in the same mind and with the same judgment.

And you hear the inevitability of it in the text that I already mentioned, namely first

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