monopolyofsalvation
The Work of God and Denominations
The Work of God
God has sent His only Son to bring salvation to this world. Until the coming of the Lord Jesus, the nation of God - Israel - was serving Him through the Law and its components: ordinances, sacrifices, and traditions.
The Lord Jesus came to the world to transform the work of God among the people, from a work based on the Law and its traditions into a work of faith, salvation and grace. This new work is done in the hearts and lives of people. This work - according to the New Testament - exists and dwells in the souls of human beings, not in organizations or physical buildings.
Although the Lord did attend and preached at the Temple, he presented most of His teachings and did most of His important works outside the temple. When visiting in Jerusalem, He announced that the existing temple would be destroyed and a new temple would be rebuilt in three days, referring to Himself and the work of resurrection. He was obviously de-emphasizing the physical and organizational character of the Church, and establishing the work of God through the Spirit.
Denominations
On the other hand, "A Christian denomination is an identifiable religious body under a common name, structure, and doctrine within Christianity. Worldwide, Christians are divided, often along ethnic and linguistic lines, into separate churches and traditions. Technically, divisions between one group and another are defined by doctrine and church authority. Issues such as the nature of Jesus, the authority of apostolic succession, and papal primacy separate one denomination from another". (Wikipedia.com)
The moment that people gathered together and form a denomination, this new entity will be subject to the vanities, prides, ambitions, nepotisms, superstitions, and other weaknesses typical of the flesh.
The most flagrant example of this situation was the denomination that evolved from the testimony that the apostles Paul and Peter brought into Rome, before their deaths. They announced the work of God through the Lord Jesus and many in that city believed. This group of believers eventually became the Roman Catholic denomination, and we all know how it later developed......Was this movement work of God? Absolutely, since it was started by the testimony of two of the Lord's apostles.
Why would the Lord allow a group of believers that started with the best intentions to transform it into an organization that deviated so drastically from the example of Jesus? Because the Lord honors the will of men, from the beginning, right or wrong.(see I Samuel 8)
To conclude that a certain movement - either started by Paul, Peter, Luther, Moody or Francescon - is the exclusive work of God on earth is absurd: the work of God through Jesus Christ is manifested in the hearts and lives of men and women, whatever denomination (or not) the person belongs.