Acts 11:25-26 English Standard Version

25 So Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, 26 and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church and taught a great many people. And in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians.

When I repented of my life and accepted Jesus into my heart it soon became apparent that I needed fellowship. My boss at the time was instrumental in showing me how God’s love worked and I began attending the church where he was an elder.

As a teen I had my first encounter with God in an American Baptist church. This gathering was different so I inquired as to what sort of church they were affiliated with. They declared themselves to be a non-denominational church. I had no idea what that meant. I soon found out.

During my initial training period with them the word charisma came up. I could not find it in the bible so I asked. Charisma to them meant personality, influence, being Christlike in their point of view. They focused on the power gifts and expected me to discover my spiritual gifts. Their training was meant to expose my gifts.

What I discovered was that those who had found their gifts formed cells within that church in order to operate together. These cells became cliquish and held to themselves, separate from one another. That didn’t seem right.

Then one day a teenager that was deep in study of God’s word declared to me that he was a Clavinist and wanted to know my opinion. Calvinist, what is a Calvinist? I thought we were Christians, or charismatics or something, but could we be Calvinist too? What is with all these labels?

Now I had to learn the difference between Calvinist and Arminian. Are we all followers of Christ or not?

To make things more confusing I discovered that Charismatics are not Pentecostals, Church of God isn’t Church of Christ, and there are coptic churches that believe in the Trinity of God but do not hold Jesus Christ to be an eternal being.

Labels divide us. How can we have unity in division?

Romans 14:22 English Standard Version (ESV) The faith that you have, keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who has no reason to pass judgment on himself for what he approves.